Ireland’s Participation at the OSCE
Find out more about the different ways in which Ireland’s participates in the OSCE’s various bodies
Participating States regularly engage in dialogue on the security issues affecting the OSCE area at a variety of levels.
Summits
OSCE Heads of State or Government meet to set priorities and provide orientation at the highest political level.
To date there have been six summits held, the most recent of these took place in Astana on 1 December 2010.
The Ministerial Council (MC)
The Ministerial Council (MC) is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE.
The MC meets annually and gives Ministers the opportunity to assess the security situation in the OSCE area and review the organisation's work in all its fields of activity.
The Permanent Council (PC)
The Permanent Council (PC) is the principle decision-making body of the OSCE and meets weekly in Vienna to discuss evolving security issues and hear updates from the Heads of OSCE executive structures, including the field missions. Participating States are represented by their Ambassadors.
The PC also takes decisions on the day-to-day operations of the Organisation, such as the agreement of the Unified Budget and extension of field mission mandates. The PC is chaired by the Chair-in-Office or their representative. Ireland’s statements at the PC are uploaded here.
The Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC)
The Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) is a decision-making body dealing with politico-military matters, which meets weekly in Vienna. Issues addressed by the FSC include arms control, confidence and security building measures, implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The FSC is chaired for periods of four months on a rotating basis, according to the French alphabet. Ireland last chaired the FSC in 2010 Ireland will chair the FSC again from September to December 2027.