The Evolution of the Conference on Security and Co-Operation in Europe
by The CSCE was founded at a time when Europe was divided between East and West due to the Cold War. This evaluation of the CSCE will take into account the aims of the conference and the subsequent organisation had when it was established. Those aims included the extension of political and economic co-operation in Europe, as well as the protection of human rights across Cold War divisions. The evaluation will also take into account the actions and objectives of other international organizations such as NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the European Union (EU), and COMECON during the same period. The period between 1975 and 1990 was also influenced by events and political or economic developments within the member states of the CSCE, perhaps most noticeably the Soviet Union.
The CSCE was regarded as a means of improving relations between all its European members. The Soviet Union and its Central and Eastern European allies hoped to gain economic and technological assistance from the West, whilst the United States and its Western European allies hoped to improve human rights situation behind the iron curtain (Hobsbawm, 1994 p. 418). The CSCE was the last component of the Helsinki Final Agreement and was signed by all but one of the European states, as the highly isolationist Albania refused to do so (Evans & Newnham, 1998 p. 108). As with NATO, the United States and Canada were also CSCE members to guarantee security. At the time American membership was also able to help maintain the détente process with the Soviet Union (James, 2003 p. 327). The three main objectives of the CSCE were the promotion of economic links, the settlement and discussion of security issues within Europe to prevent conflict, and finally the protection of human rights. The objectives of the organisation were intended to remain constant, even if changing circumstances and developments would change the infrastructure or membership of the CSCE. The CSCE was intended to provide an overall institutional framework for co-operation within Europe that capitalist, communist, and non-aligned member states could use for their mutual benefit. From the onset the CSCE did not have as much power, resources or advanced institutional infrastructures as more established organisations such as NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the EU. Therefore, the CSCE was only meant to advise and influence its member states, it did not have the legal or military means to compel member states to do what it wanted (Evans & Newnham, 1998 p. 109).
When it was established the CSCE was not intended to evolve as an institution, it was merely supposed to help maintain the political status quo in Europe, whilst ensuring economic co-operation, and preventing security issues plunging Europe into a conventional or nuclear war. The Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact accepted the CSCE as it formally recognised the post-war borders that had resulted from the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. The West accepted the CSCE as it gave them justification for attempting to influence the political, economic, and cultural policies within the Warsaw Pact countries. At the time it was founded few expected the organisation to make much difference to the protection of human rights, as member states had widely different views on the extent and validity of human rights. Although the CSCE was capable of monitoring elections and human rights, it was not able to directly interfere in the internal affairs of member countries (James, 2003 p. 348).
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