The OSCE Ministerial Council convened today in Vienna amid one of the most serious political crises the organization has faced in recent years. With the participation of 57 foreign ministers, the meeting focuses on the institutional future of the OSCE, the fragmentation of the European security architecture, and ways to overcome the organizational paralysis caused by blocked consensus mechanisms and unresolved budget issues.
Human rights defender Ahmad Shahidov, who is currently in Vienna following the meeting on the ground, told Baku TV that this gathering is far more than a routine annual event: “The failure to adopt the budget, restrictions placed on field missions, and the constant blocking of decisions have effectively turned the OSCE into a non-functioning structure. That is why the main topic in Vienna is restoring dialogue and defining the organization’s future mandate.”
Ahmad Shahidov noted that European media is framing the meeting as “a test for the OSCE’s future,” emphasizing the indirect but dominant role of the Ukraine–Russia war: “Although there is no separate ‘Ukraine’ item on the official agenda, the core of all closed-door discussions is the conflict. Humanitarian conditions in Ukraine, border security issues, and Russia’s new terms are being actively debated. The OSCE’s current format has proved unable to adequately respond to crises like Ukraine, raising deeper questions about the organization’s relevance.”
He added that the Vienna meeting is unlikely to produce major breakthroughs, but the continuation of dialogue itself is significant in the current tense geopolitical environment.
