How can the world’s largest regional security organization adapt to new political realities – not least Russia’s war against Ukraine – amid mounting financial constraints? To discuss how geopolitical change impacts the OSCE’s field operations and what lessons can be drawn from other international organizations’ experiences with institutional reform, researchers and diplomats attended a roundtable in Vienna on 19 June 2026. The event was co-hosted by the Centre for OSCE Research (CORE) at IFSH, the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at the University of Birmingham, and the Austrian and the German Delegations to the OSCE. It was conducted in cooperation with the Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship.
Speakers highlighted the continued importance of OSCE field operations, describing them as “the crown jewel” of the organization due to their ability to respond to needs on the ground. The discussion focused on how the OSCE can preserve this advantage while adapting to changing geopolitical conditions, technological developments, and budgetary constraints.
Drawing on the experiences of the United Nations and the European Union, participants suggested aligning projects with longer-term objectives, improving evaluation mechanisms, avoiding duplication with other international actors, engaging with civil society, and strengthening local ownership.
Speakers included Thomas Biersteker (Graduate Institute Geneva), Cornelius Friesendorf (Head of CORE, IFSH), Clarisse Pasztory (Deputy Head of Presence, OSCE Presence in Albania), and Stefan Wolff (University of Birmingham). The discussion was moderated by Stephan Nunner, Deputy Director for Policy Support Service at the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre. Opening remarks were delivered by Ambassadors Raphael Nägeli (Switzerland), Florian Raunig (Austria), and Susanne Schütz (Germany).
