OSZE – Secretary General Helga Schmid briefs German Bundestag

On 1 February 2024, ZIF, together with MdB and ZIF Supervisory Board member Ulrich Lechte, invited the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Helga Schmid, to a briefing in the Bundestag. In the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Schmid appealed to the MdBs and Bundestag staff present for Germany's continued support for the largest regional security organization. Keeping the channels of communication open for all 57 member states is key despite ongoing geopolitical conflicts. In the subsequent discussion round, Schmid talked to the parliamentarians about the importance of the OSCE's regional activities and the opportunities and challenges of such a broad alliance.

 "Sharing expertise from international organizations with political decision-makers is our strength," said Dr Astrid Irrgang, Executive Director of ZIF. "The OSCE in particular plays a key role in Europe's security architecture, which also underlines the lively interest in this exchange format. I am particularly pleased about the appreciation - both on the part of the parliamentarians and the Secretary General - of the ZIF secondments as a pillar of the OSCE personnel structure."