OSCE Yearbook 2009

The OSCE Yearbook 2009 opens with five contributions written by leading European security experts: Adam Daniel Rotfeld on the possibility that Europe needs a "new security architecture", Egon Bahr and Reinhard Mutz on the future of détente, Pál Dunay and Graeme P. Herd on Russian President Medvedev's initiative for a European Security Treaty, and Andrei Zagorski on this initiative and the resulting Corfu Process. Dennis Sandole also discusses the implications of US foreign policy in the post-Bush era for Europe.

The participating States in focus this year are Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, together with past and future Chairmanship-holders Finland and Kazakhstan, while the OSCE conflict prevention and dispute settlement activities discussed include the prospects for conflict resolution in Moldova, the role of the Mission in Kosovo, military aspects of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Centre in Astana at ten, and prospects for conflict settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turning to the three dimensions, contributions include an in-depth consideration of the OSCE's election observation activities by Frank Evers, and an informed legal discussion of de facto regimes and human rights by Hans-Joachim Heintze. Our authors also discuss problems facing human rights defenders, contradictions in international police reform, the OSCE's approach to border security and management, and the legacy of Professor Victor Yves Ghebali, who died this year.

The OSCE Yearbook addresses students and academics, politicians and journalists, and the interested general public.