The United States values the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a vehicle for "effective multilateralism." Through the OSCE, the U.S. promotes democratic transformation, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, regional stability and post-conflict reconciliation, arms control, confidence and security building measures, economic prosperity, and sustainable environmental policies. The OSCE also has a role to play in helping to win the global war against terrorism.

The OSCE is the only Eurasian security body in which all the states in the Euro-Atlantic region, Central Asia and the Caucasus sit at the same table as equal partners. This broad membership of 56 nations provides the OSCE with the opportunity to build overarching commitments on standards and values to prevent new divisions within Europe and beyond.

The OSCE works closely with other international organizations and regional security institutions, including the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe. The OSCE distinguishes itself from other institutions as it promotes a broad understanding of collective security by seeking consensus-based agreements, which reflect the political will of its participating States. The OSCE works together with the other organizations, both at a political level and on-the-ground through the Organization's 18 field presences. It has co-operated closely with them on counter-terrorism, border security, excess munitions disposal, civil emergency planning, combating intolerance, promoting free and fair elections, as well as conflict prevention and resolution.

The United States Mission to the OSCE consists of a multi-agency team with more than thirty staff members from the Department of State, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the joint Congressional/Executive Branch Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ("Helsinki Commission").

The Mission coordinates with the rotating OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office and the OSCE's Secretariat, negotiates with the other national delegations in Vienna, and work closely with U.S. embassies and the OSCE field presences situated throughout the Balkans and the former Soviet Union.

Within the OSCE, the Mission represents the United States in the Permanent Council, the Organization's principal policy-making body, as well as in the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC). The Mission also monitors implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, in the Joint Consultative Group (JCG), and represents the U.S. in the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC).

The United States Mission's initiatives on election monitoring were vital to some of the OSCE's recent democracy-promoting efforts in a number of elections that made world headlines. The Mission was heavily engaged in ensuring that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established its largest ever election observation mission in Ukraine, including for the unexpected second round on December 26, 2004. The Mission also led the drive to send an OSCE team to support the elections in Afghanistan, marking the first time the OSCE supported elections in one of its 11 Partners. The OSCE played a similar role in the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia and in ten other elections in OSCE participating States in 2004, spurred on in each case by U.S. leadership.

Specific U.S. goals and objectives within the OSCE include:

Preserving the OSCE's Effectiveness: The United States is committed to maintaining the operational capabilities of the OSCE's institutions and its field missions. To this end, the U.S. works closely with its allies and friends to ensure that the OSCE will be able to continue to perform its core democracy and human rights functions.

Engaging all OSCE Participating States: The United States is interested in making use of opportunities for productive engagement with all of the OSCE's participating states. The U.S. is open to expanding the OSCE's political-military, counter-terrorism, and economic activities, but not at the expense of the organization's democracy and human rights missions.

Resolving the "Frozen Conflicts": Conflict resolution remains an essential part of the respective mandates of the OSCE Missions in Georgia and Moldova. The U.S. strongly supports the efforts of these two missions to resolve the so-called "frozen conflicts" in their host countries, as well as the efforts of the OSCE's Minsk Group Co-Chairs to promote a political settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Combating Terrorism: The U.S. supports expanding OSCE efforts to destroy surplus conventional munitions and small arms and light weapons. The Mission also seeks to build on the success of the 2004 Annual Security Review Conference, during which the OSCE endorsed a U.S. initiative and began a dialogue on enhancing shipping container security. The U.S. also backs OSCE initiatives on tightening travel document security and combating terrorist financing, especially the abuse of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities as conduits for terrorist funds.

Combating Intolerance and Discrimination: The United States is working to ensure existing OSCE commitments to combat anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim sentiment, racism, xenophobia and discrimination are fully implemented. The Mission works closely with other delegations to promote the development of new legislative, law enforcement and education programs that further the attainment of this goal.

Combating Trafficking in Persons: The U.S. seeks to develop the OSCE's capacity to combat trafficking in persons by promoting legislative reform, increased law enforcement cooperation, the development of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and programs that emphasize prevention, prosecution under the rule of law, and victim protection, particularly for children.

Enhancing Security across the OSCE Region: The U.S. is committed to full implementation of agreed arms control and confidence and security building measures. It is open to new ideas to meet specific threats and to additional reinforcement of agreed measures, especially by building capacity and increasing mutual trust.