Geospatial Technology as an OSCE Tool for Co-operative Security

The OSCE convened a high-level event in Vienna on 16 September to explore how geospatial technology can support co-operative security, strengthen shared situational awareness and help multilateral institutions make more informed decisions.

Titled “Where Data Meets Diplomacy: Geospatial Technology for Co-operative Security”, the event brought together OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, and OSCE officials for an exchange with Jack Dangermond, Founder and President of Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), a leading global provider of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology used by governments, international organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society.

Opening the event, Kate Fearon, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC), underlined that responsible innovation must serve the Organization’s mandates and commitments across all three dimensions of security. “Geospatial technology can help us turn fragmented information into a clearer shared picture — supporting early warning, operational planning and safety and security — but it cannot replace diplomacy, political judgement or field experience,” Fearon said. “Our task is to use these tools transparently and responsibly, in ways that strengthen trust and co-operation.”

In his keynote address, Dangermond reflected on the growing importance of location data and GIS technologies in understanding complex risks, anticipating change and communicating evidence in accessible ways for decision-makers and stakeholders.

"We are living through an extraordinary paradox. Our knowledge and technological capabilities have never been greater, yet our ability to apply them collectively to the most serious challenges facing the planet remains inadequate," said Dangermond. "We possess enormous amounts of information, but we often lack a shared understanding of what is happening. I am encouraged that OSCE is focused on facilitating the cooperation, coordination, and willingness needed to act at the necessary scale.”

In his closing remarks, Flavio Milan, Deputy Head of the Swiss delegation to the OSCE, reflected on Switzerland’s Chairpersonship priority of anticipating technologies and science diplomacy, and highlighted the value of bringing policymakers and technology leaders together to consider how innovation and technologies can strengthen the OSCE’s capabilities and contribute to security and stability. 

The event also featured an update on the OSCE Geographic Information System (OGIS) pilot project, implemented by the Conflict Prevention Centre in co-operation with Information and Communication Technology Services. OGIS supports the modernization of OSCE workflows linked to conflict analysis, situational awareness, operational and resource planning, safety and security planning, programmatic monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management.

Daniele Pancheri, Chief of the CPC Operations Support Unit, emphasized that the OSCE’s work utilising GIS was designed around concrete operational needs rather than technology for its own sake. “OGIS is about strengthening how the OSCE manages information and understands risks across a wide geographical area — enabling us to visualize patterns and relationships that are not always visible in spreadsheets or narrative reports,” Pancheri said. “By connecting data to place, we can support field-oriented work more effectively and communicate complex information more clearly.”

About the OSCE

The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization. Its 57 participating States span the globe, encompassing Europe, Central Asia and North America. The OSCE works for stability, peace and democracy for more than a billion people, through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that makes a lasting difference.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world’s most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com.