Ireland’s Priorities
Find out more about Ireland’s priorities at the OSCE
As a founding member and original signatory of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, Ireland has a deep commitment to the OSCE as a vital instrument for comprehensive regional security. Ireland engages actively across the OSCE’s three dimensions and directly supports a range of important OSCE initiatives.
Under its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE structures its work into three, equally important, dimensions: the politico-military, economic and environmental, and the human dimension.
Politico-military
Within the politico-military dimension of the OSCE’s work, the Organisation works to create greater openness, transparency and co-operation and has developed the world’s most advanced regime of arms control, disarmament, conflict prevention and confidence-building measures.
In observing the exchange of military information, participating States are committed to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, improving control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), including illicit arms trafficking and dealing with stockpiles of ammunition.
Ireland participates actively across this dimension, with a Military Adviser assigned to Mission from the Defence Forces. In the last trimester of 2027 Ireland will assume the Chairpersonship of the Forum for Security Cooperation, the OSCE’s key decision-making body for politico-military affairs. Ireland last chaired this body in 2010.
Ireland is also very active in advocating for the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda at the OSCE.
Economic and environmental dimension
The OSCE’s economic and environmental dimension recognises that such factors can pose threats and challenges to security and stability.
Within the economic and environmental dimension, Ireland places particular importance on addressing the security risks stemming from climate change and the promotion of good governance.
Each year Ireland participates actively in the Organisation’s Economic and Environmental Forum meeting in Prague.
Human Dimension
All participating States have agreed that lasting peace and security cannot be achieved without respect for human rights. Respect for human rights and the promotion of human rights through multilateral organisations is a cornerstone of Irish foreign policy. Support for the OSCE’s human rights work, particularly through the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is therefore a key priority of Ireland’s engagement at the OSCE.
Each year Ireland participates in the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, Europe's largest human rights gathering, which brings together hundreds of government officials, international experts and civil society representatives to discuss the condition of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE area.
In 2023 and 2024, Ireland chaired the OSCE Human Dimension Committee, convening monthly meetings on a range of issues, including human rights, rule of law, elections, democracy, media freedom, national minorities, and tolerance and non-discrimination.
Cross-dimensional issues
Ireland is also a consistent supporter of the OSCE’s cross-dimensional work in areas such as promoting gender equality across the OSCE area and the Organisation’s efforts to combat trafficking in human beings.