The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the successor to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), established as a full-fledged organization in 1994 as a result of the transformation of the CSCE. The founding document of the OSCE is the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, which defines the main framework of interstate relations in the OSCE area and contains “Declaration on Principles Guiding Relations between Participating States”. These principles are as follows:

1. Sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty;
2. Refraining from the threat or use of force;
3. Inviolability of frontiers;
4. Territorial integrity of States;
5. Peaceful settlement of disputes;
6. Non-intervention in internal affairs;
7. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
8. Equal rights and self-determination of peoples;
9. Co-operation among States;
10. Fulfilment in good faith of obligations under international law.

Azerbaijan became member of the CSCE (OSCE) on 30 January 1992. CSCE (OSCE) is the first European organization of which Azerbaijan became a member.

Azerbaijan participated for the first time in the CSCE (OSCE) Summit in Helsinki on 8-10 July 1992 and signed its documents.

1. The main decision-making bodies of the OSCE and participation of Azerbaijan

Summit – the main decision-making mechanism of the OSCE is the Summit consisting of the heads of state and government of the participating States.

Since becoming a full member of the Organisation, the Republic of Azerbaijan participated in the 1992 Helsinki, 1994 Budapest, 1996 Lisbon, 1999 Istanbul and 2010 Astana Summits of the OSCE.

The delegation led by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev participated in the last Summit held in Astana on 1-2 December 2010. The final declaration adopted at the Summit stressed the importance of resolving protracted conflicts in the OSCE area on the basis of the norms and principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

Ministerial Council - the second central decision-making body of the Organization after the Summit. Ministerial meetings, as a rule, are convened once a year (excluding the years when the Summit is held) in the country holding the Chairmanship. 

Azerbaijan actively participates in the annual meetings of the OSCE Ministerial Council and discussions on draft decisions and documents.

Permanent Council - decision-making body consisting of Permanent Representatives of participating States to the OSCE. The Permanent Council meetings take place once a week in Vienna.

On 25 May 2021 and 6 June 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov spoke at the special meetings of the Permanent Council and drew attention to the position and views of the Republic of Azerbaijan on rehabilitation, reconstruction and reintegration process after the end of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as on the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On 9-11 September 2012, a group of Permanent Representatives of a number of OSCE participating States visited our country.

The second such visit took place on 21-22 June 2018, with participation of 17 Permanent Representatives of the OSCE participating States.

Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) - decision-making body of the OSCE on politico-military dimension, which consists of Permanent Missions of participating States to the OSCE. FSC holds its regular meetings once a week in Vienna.

Azerbaijan chaired the FSC in January-April 2022 (and before that in 2007). At the opening meeting held under the Chairmanship of Azerbaijan on 19 January 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov presented the Chairmanship program of Azerbaijan. During our Chairmanship, Security Dialogues on various politico-military issues, as well as other relevant events, were organized on a weekly basis. These events covered topics such as international humanitarian law and protection of civilians, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional weapons ammunition (ASS), demining, the role of non-aligned countries in the European security architecture, the fight against terrorism and post-conflict reconstruction.

2. OSCE Secretary General

The OSCE Secretary General is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day activities of the Organisation’s Secretariat and executive bodies. The OSCE Secretary General is appointed by the decision of the Ministerial Council for a term of three years.

On 12 September 2018, the OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger visited our country. During the visit, the Secretary General was received by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Meetings were also held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the leadership of the Baku International Seaport and other officials. The sides exchanged views on practical aspects of Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation.

Ms. Helga Maria Schmid, the representative of Germany, has been the OSCE Secretary General for a period of 3 years since December 2020. In December 2023, her term was extended for additional nine months. Within the framework of working visits of Foreign Minister Mr. Jeyhun Bayramov to the Republic of Austria in May 2021, January 2022 and June 2023, as well as within the framework of Ministerial Council held in Sweden in 2021, Poland in 2022 and North Macedonia in 2023, meetings were held with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid to discuss the post-conflict situation in the South Caucasus region, Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation and other issues of mutual interest.

3. Cooperation with OSCE executive structures

There are three executive structures within the OSCE to foster dialogue and cooperation among the participating States and to assist them in fulfilling commitments in the relevant areas: the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM).

1. ODIHR

ODIHR is headquartered in Warsaw and has a mandate to assist participating States in fulfilling their commitments adopted within the human dimension.

Azerbaijan has been cooperating with the ODIHR since 1998 and has implemented a number of projects in the areas of democratisation, rule of law, improvement of legislation, especially election legislation, migration, gender equality and others. The ODIHR participated in the observation of the presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections in Azerbaijan. Italy's representative Matteo Mecacci has been the ODIHR director for a period of 3 years since December 2020. In December 2023, his term was extended for additional nine months.

2. Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM)

The position of the RFoM was established by decision of the Permanent Council on 5 November 1997. The mandate of the Representative includes observing the media processes in the OSCE participating States and assisting the participating States in fulfilling their commitments in this area. The Representative’s office is located in Vienna. Teresa Ribeiro from Portugal has been the RFoM for a three-year term since December 2020. In December 2023, her term was extended for additional nine months.

The Government of Azerbaijan is cooperating with the RFoM on issues within its mandate. Examples of cooperation with this institution include training for Azerbaijani journalists and press officers of various organisations, in particular the improvement of Azerbaijan’s media legislation and its legal expertise.

The RFoM Teresa Ribeiro visited Azerbaijan on 25-26 April 2022. The representative held a number of official meetings within the framework of her visit to our country, and participated in a round table on "The rise of disinformation: impact on media landscape and effective policy responses" organized jointly by Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and ADA University on 26 April. 

3. OSCE High Commisioner on National Minorities (HCNM)

The position of the HCNM was established by the relevant decision of the 1992 Helsinki Summit of the CSCE. The High Commissioner’s mandate covers early warning and early action to prevent tensions related to national minorities in OSCE participating States. The High Commissioner’s office is located in the Hague. Since December 2020, the position of the HCNM has been held by the representative of Kazakhstan Kayrat Abdrahmanov. In December 2023, his term was extended for additional nine months.

Since becoming a full member of the OSCE, Azerbaijan has established relations with the HCNM office. Azerbaijan cooperates in sharing best practices and norm-setting in such important fields as the protection of the rights of national minorities, their full integration into the public life of the states of which they are citizens.

4. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office

The position of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office was established to coordinate activities within the organisation and cooperation between the participating States. The country chairing the organisation is determined by the decision of the Ministerial Council for a period of one year. The functions of the Chairperson-in-Office are performed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country.

As of 1 January 2023, North Macedonia performs the functions of the OSCE Chair. Currently, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office is Bujar Osmani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of this country.

On 12 April 2023, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Bujar Osmani visited Azerbaijan. The post-conflict situation in the region and the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Azerbaijan-OSCE cooperation issues were discussed during the meetings held within the framework of the visit.

According to the decision of the 30^th OSCE Ministerial Council held in Skopje, Malta will assume the Chairmanship of the organization in 2024.

5. OSCE Parliament Assembly (OSCE PA)

The Parliamentary Assembly is an autonomous body of the OSCE having a consultative character. Composed of 323 parliamentarians from the OSCE participating States, the OSCE PA aims to promote dialogue at the parliamentary level. The International Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly is located in Copenhagen. Currently, Pia Kauma (Finland) is the President of the OSCE PA, and Roberto Montella (Italy) is the Secretary General.

The Delegation of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan is represented in the OSCE PA by a total of 6 deputies, 3 of whom are main members. The head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA is Azay Guliyev. He also served as the vice-president of the OSCE PA in 2016-2022. Since 2022, Azay Guliyev has been performing the role of the Chair of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment of the OSCE PA.

Close cooperation has been established between Azerbaijan and the OSCE PA. The 2014 Annual Session of the OSCE PA was held in Baku. At the Assembly’s annual sessions held in different years, various resolutions were adopted at the initiative of the Azerbaijani side. Presently, informal “Silk Road Support Group”, set up at the initiative of the Azerbaijani side, operates within the OSCE PA. On 13 March 2018, international conference on “The Role of Parliamentarians in Boosting Economic Cooperation and Cultural Ties along the Silk Road”, organized jointly by the "Silk Road Support Group" of the OSCE PA and the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was held in Baku.

On 22-23 May 2023, conference on “The role of national parliaments in promoting security and stability through green economy, connectivity and sustainable development,” organized jointly by the OSCE PA and the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was held in Baku.

6. OSCE Human Dimension

The OSCE is one of the organisations with which Azerbaijan cooperates in the field of promotion and protection of human rights. On 26 November 1998, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The annex to the memorandum envisages close cooperation in the implementation of democratic reforms in the field of human rights in the country.

With the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Baku Office/Project Coordinator of the OSCE, which operated in 2000-2015, projects were implemented and measures were taken in the areas of the protection and promotion of human rights and freedoms, the rule of law, civil society development etc. in line with the reforms implemented in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani officials regularly attend the OSCE Annual Meetings on the Human Dimension. As a rule, the meeting is attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), and the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations.

At the official invitation of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the ODIHR sent an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the early presidential elections held on 11 April 2018. More than 30 long-term and 280 short-term observers from OSCE member countries were involved to observe the elections by the ODIHR. Observers monitored candidate registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, election legislation and its implementation, the media environment, and election dispute resolution.

At the official invitation of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the ODIHR established the EOM to observe the early parliamentary elections held in our country on the 9 February 2020. The ODIHR involved 271 long-term and short-term observers to observe the elections.