Economic activities

Economic and social disparities, in the OSCE participating States and beyond, often go hand-in-hand with a lack of the rule of law, weak governance and corruption, and can be corollaries and contributors to such security threats as organized crime, trafficking, money laundering or even violent extremism. On the other hand, sustainable economic growth and development lead to rising standards of living, an improved quality of life and a more efficient use of economic resources, all of which help strengthen security and stability.

Supporting the participating States with the implementation of their commitments, we provide assistance in four main areas: good governance and anti-corruption; anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism; facilitating transport, trade and border-crossing; and labour migration. Important elements of these work areas are, for example, our activities in the field of promoting connectivity among States, including through paperless trade and e-commerce solutions; support for the introduction of digital tools and platforms to present, analyse and monitor open data; and introducing smart port technologies to facilitate trade and sustainable connectivity.

Our institutions and offices

The Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities takes the lead on the OSCE’s initiatives on both of these issues. The Co-ordinator’s Office works closely with the Chairpersonship and under the guidance of the Economic and Environmental Committee, a subsidiary body of the Permanent Council. Every year, it organizes the Economic and Environmental Forum and holds an implementation meeting to assess the progress made regarding the implementation of economic and environmental commitments by the OSCE States.