Strengthening the OSCE’s Climate Security Agenda

Despite a clear mandate from the December 2021 Stockholm Ministerial Council Decision on Strengthening Co-operation to Address the Challenges Caused by Climate Change, the Organ­ization for Security and Co-oper­ation in Europe’s (OSCE) approach is yet to reach its full potential. An analysis of the cur­rent strategy shows that while the OSCE has strengths, such as a com­prehensive security man­date and a grass­roots presence through its field operations, its effectiveness is undermined by weaknesses, such as geopolitical distractions, a tendency to focus on general environmental work rather than security and poor integration between headquarters and field missions. To strengthen its work, the OSCE should frame climate change as a cross-dimensional security risk, create an annual integrated climate and environmental security assessment and improve internal cooperation. These actions would better prepare the organ­ization for a changing security landscape.