From Bangkok to Vienna: Security across borders

What does a tsunami in Japan have to do with the price of a Volkswagen in Germany? How does the promise of a job in the Alps lead to 16-hour days in a windowless room?

Shocks in one region ripple across continents, and vulnerabilities in one sector expose weaknesses in another. That’s why no region can afford to face these challenges in isolation.

Strong cross‑regional partnerships — like those between the OSCE and its Asian Partners — sharpen our security by linking regions that face the same threats but bring different experiences.

When disaster strikes

In 2011, an earthquake and Tsunami that ravaged Japan killed over 18,000 people and caused over 200 billion euros in damage. Beyond the immediate tragedy of lives lost, this local natural disaster had global ripple effects felt far beyond Japan’s borders. It disrupted global supply chains, including European automative and electronics industries. It also triggered nuclear safety reforms across Europe, with comprehensive stress tests carried out throughout the region. Europeans also felt the aftermath in their wallets, as the close of nearly all of Japan’s nuclear reactors post-disaster contributed to higher energy prices across the globe. 

This is just one example of many that shows how a crisis thousands of kilometres away can disrupt security, energy and economic stability elsewhere within days. It also underscores the need for cooperation and partnership between these seemingly distant corners of the world. Japan’s expertise in disaster response and nuclear safety provides valuable insight for the world. In turn, Japan can learn from the OSCE’s decades-long experience in conflict prevention, including military transparency tools, election observation methodologies and border management systems. Since the OSCE–Japan partnership came to life in 1992 — the first of the OSCE-Asian partnerships— the two have built a close and enduring relationship grounded in shared security priorities. Over the years, they have exchanged expertise, compared experiences, and learned from one another in a truly mutual partnership that continues to enrich both regions and contribute to wider international stability.

Crime that crosses borders

There are an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 trafficking victims in Europe each year. 6-10 % of these victims stem from Asian countries, including Thailand. Asian trafficking networks operate across Europe, with victims often exploited for forced labor, including domestic work, or abused for sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking is just one of the many security threats shared by the OSCE region and Thailand, it’s Partner for Co-operation. The OSCE partnership with Thailand, existing since 2000, provides an opportunity to cooperate on topics like victim identification and referral mechanisms, financial-flow tracking and document security and border-management training. 

But trafficking isn’t limited to humans, it also applies to narcotics and other illegal substances that directly threaten to undermine security in the OSCE region and beyond. Afghanistan, for example, has historically been the world’s largest producer of opiates. In turn, most of the heroin consumed in Europe originated from Afghanistan – trafficked into the region mostly via the Balkan route. This provided a clear opportunity for cooperation between the OSCE and Afghanistan, an Asian partner since 2003. In addition to drug smuggling and training border officials, prior to the Taliban takeover in 2021 the OSCE and Afghanistan cooperated on key security issues like counter-terrorism and the prevention of radicalization. In recent years, the OSCE has also helped neighbouring countries in Central Asia to deal with the impacts of transnational threats emanating from Afghanistan, as well as focused on practical support to Afghan women and girls. 

Australia and the Republic of Korea, too, share several security overlaps with the OSCE region. With foreign interference posing a growing challenge for both Australia and Europe, cooperation has become essential for protecting the resilience of democratic institutions and safeguarding elections. The Republic of Korea, meanwhile, faces high‑intensity cyberattacks that mirror the threats confronting the OSCE region. These attacks routinely target critical infrastructure — from energy grids to financial systems — underscoring how cybersecurity has become a shared frontline for Europe and Asia alike. The Republic of Korea’s experience and expertise on cybersecurity and emerging technologies has become a hallmark of the country’s co-operation within the OSCE.

Cooperation still counts

Regional partnerships reinforce the principle that stability is not a zero-sum game but a shared responsibility. At a time when multilateralism faces increasing pressure from rising geopolitical tensions and growing fragmentation, cross regional partnerships remain essential for addressing shared security challenges. They provide a platform for dialogue, conflict prevention and coordinated responses to crises. This, in turn, builds trust, which can help create predictable and reliable channels for exchange and align global security norms and standards. 

2026 OSCE Asian Conference

On 28 and 29 May, Bangkok is hosting the 2026 OSCE Asian Conference. Dedicated to the theme of countering transnational threats in the digital era, the Conference will convene experts, diplomats and policymakers from across the OSCE region and Asia to exchange on joint approaches to evolving challenges in the digital space. 

Covering some of the more pressing challenges of the moment, participants will explore strategic responses to transnational threats, strengthening economic resilience, and the growing importance of media and information literacy. 

The OSCE Asian Conferences have long served as a bridge between the 57 OSCE participating States and the Asian Partners for Co‑operation — Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. Each year, they offer a platform to exchange perspectives, compare experiences, and deepen collaboration on shared security concerns. The 2026 edition continues this tradition, underscoring the value of cross‑regional dialogue in an era where challenges — and solutions — increasingly transcend borders.