Foreword
The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and later on its successor, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe proofed to be very useful for peace and stability in Europe. The multilateral process was an effective way to facilitate progress in strengthening confidence and security and in achieving disarmament. Scholars, policy makers and other interested persons in many parts of the world have reflected on using elements of the institutional structure which proofed so effective in Europe for their own efforts to reduce the threat of force in mutual relations. Prof. Hans-J. Giessmann from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg has contributed to the research on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in many ways. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Korea Cooperation Office has invited Prof. Giessmann twice to Seoul to contribute to academic debates. The considerable interest in East Asia to look at the lessons from the OSCE-experience for crisis prevention in this region motivated FES to ask Prof. Giessmann to expand on a paper presented at a workshop in June 2001 and to produce this brochure which provides an overview into the OSCE-contribution to peace building and peaceful transformation in Europe, evaluates specific mechanisms and tools generated by the OSCE, and tries to look at the applicability of OSCE-like mechanisms in East Asia. We hope that this publication can contribute to the important discourse on policy options available to bring peace and stability in the region.
Seoul, 10th of August 2001 Dr.
Peter Mayer |