Student visit to the Headquarters of OSCE in Vienna 2008

Under the auspices of the Chair for International Law and Global Political Studies, the 5th semester of the Export-Oriented Management programme paid for the fifth consecutive time an annual visit to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. At this very occasion, the Export students would like to thank the chairman, Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic, for giving us the possibility to get a deeper insight into the functionalities of such an international organisation.

The visit took place on 16 October 2008 and was characterised by a very tight schedule. The event commenced early in the morning with a welcome speech by the Press Officer, Ms. Susanna Lööf who gave a comprehensive and general overview on the core operations of the OSCE. It is the world's largest security organisation with 56 members whose decisions are politically, but not legally binding. “The OSCE can only bark, not bite”, stated Mr. Roland Bless in his speech.

The highlight of the day was the possibility to join the 735th Meeting of the Permanent Council. After an initial speech of former Austrian Vice Chancellor, Mr. Erhard Busek, the delegates of the various member countries were invited to discuss the issues Mr. Busek elaborated on. Topics such as sustainable strategies for infrastructure and crisis management were on the agenda.

In order to get a sound understanding of the organisation, the schedule continued with a short presentation of the three dimensions of the OSCE. Being a major player in terms of conflict prevention and resolution, the politico-military dimension of security is about promoting for military confidence-building measures (Ms. Elli Kytomaki).. The second presentation on the economic-environmental dimension was reflected by a vivid introduction into the OSCE's efforts to combat anti-trafficking and corruption – underlined by down-to-earth examples (Mr. Kilian Strauss). Promoting freedom for media is the main issue of human dimension which was introduced in the last speech.

As the speeches were absolutely informative and discussion-inviting, the students didn't hesitate at all to address the speakers and participate actively in the discussion which signalised the end of an interesting day. Due to this interactive way of learning, the next excursion that will lead us to the UN headquarters in Vienna is highly appreciated. Finally, we would like to thank all speakers from the OSCE, especially Ms. Lööf who assisted us during the whole day.

Text and Photos: Magdalena B., Alexandra W., Daniel A.