ABSTRACT
Arguably, no international organization represents the evolution of the insecurities that have faced Europe, Central Asia and North America better than the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). This organization spans “from Vancouver to Vladivostok,” covering a broad range of countries, cultures and contexts. Initially known as the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the organization began as a way to bring together opposing superpowers to work towards the common goal of security and cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic area. This goal is exhibited in the founding CSCE Helsinki Final Act which has become a key international instrument to encourage peace and security. The formation of the CSCE was the result of significant changes that came about in the Cold War typically referred to as Détente. In the Cold War, the CSCE changed the face of global security by altering the contest from a zerosum game (I win, you lose) to a positive-sum game (either we all win, or at least no-one loses). Within the CSCE, the two global superpowers were able to come together to resolve many issues of transparency and common challenges. This cooperation led to a change in European and thus global security.
