OSCE participating States adopt 2026 Unified Budget, ending five-year stalemate

BERN/VIENNA, 19 March 2026 – The participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) today reached consensus on the Organization’s Unified Budget for 2026, ensuring the continued implementation of its comprehensive security mandate. This ends a five-year stalemate since the last approved budget in 2021. 

The adoption of the budget follows extensive consultations among participating States and reflects their commitment towards the Organization. 

Chairman-in-Office Ignazio Cassis stressed: “Reaching unanimity on this budget demonstrates a shared willingness to find compromise and to look ahead with confidence. It confirms that, even in times of heightened tensions, the OSCE remains a platform where dialogue delivers—and where collective decisions strengthen our ability to act. In doing so, it also advances a central priority of the Swiss Chairpersonship.” 

The budget will preserve the Organization’s operational effectiveness, while recognizing the need for reforms to ensure sustainable financing and long-term impact. A reduction in the overall financial envelope will inevitably affect staffing levels across all executive structures. Of approximately 2,000 staff members, more than 100 will have to leave the Organization they have served with distinction.

“Today’s decision provides an important signal. It ensures the Organization will continue to deliver, but it also requires difficult adjustments. I am deeply grateful to colleagues affected by these changes for their dedication and service to the OSCE, often in challenging environments. We will support them through this transition with the care and dignity they deserve,” said OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu.

The OSCE will continue to serve as a key platform for dialogue, supporting conflict resolution and prevention, field operations, and democratic processes across its region, with effectiveness and efficiency at the heart of its work. This reform budget equips the OSCE to deliver on that mandate.