Sweden as Chair of OSCE
The OSCE is a security policy cooperation body with 57 participating States. The OSCE’s activities are based on a broadly defined view of security that includes military arms control, human rights, rule of law and democracy. Sweden is chairing the OSCE in 2021.
- Responsible ministers
- Ann Linde
- Responsible ministries
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs
About the Swedish Chair of OSCE in 2021
Sweden advanced priority issues during OSCE Chairpersonship
Sweden’s term as OSCE Chair concludes at the end of the year. At a time of major security policy challenges, Sweden has worked during the year to increase the Organization’s relevance and advance Sweden’s priority issues – such as gender equality and climate change.
Speeches by Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde at the OSCE Ministerial Council
Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde's opening and closing speech at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Stockholm. To read the entire speeches, click on the links below.
Minister for Foreign Affairs to host OSCE Ministerial Council in Stockholm
On 2–3 December, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will host 56 of her foreign minister colleagues in Stockholm at the annual OSCE Ministerial Council. The invited guests include foreign ministers from North America, Europe and Central Asia, including Russia and the United States. The Council is the culmination of Sweden’s term as OSCE Chair in 2021, which concludes at the end of the year, and comes at a time of major security policy challenges.
Opening statement by CiO Linde at ODIHR anniversary
Opening statement by the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs Sweden, at the 30-year anniversary for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 14 October 2021.
Sweden pushes for economic gender equality in the OSCE
The Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde together with Ulrika Funered, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of Sweden to the OSCE. Photo: Lubomír Kotek During the autumn, Sweden intends to present a draft Ministerial Council decision on women’s economic empowerment in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). If all 57 OSCE participating States can reach consensus on the decision, it will help to highlight the link between women’s economic empowerment and security.
Ann Linde participated in hearing with the U.S. Helsinki Commission
The Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, participated in a hearing with the U.S. Helsinki Commission on 11 June 2021. Her statement focused on security, stability, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the OSCE region.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde’s Special Representatives meet to strengthen conflict resolution efforts
In her role as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde today hosted a meeting with her Special and Personal Representatives to the protracted conflicts in the region. The representatives are meeting digitally over two days to exchange experiences on conflict resolution and how to make these processes more inclusive.
Briefing by H.E. Ms. Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to the Council of Europe
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde Photo: Council of Europe Dear Chair, Dear Secretary-General, Distinguished members of the Committee of Ministers, It is an honour for me to address the Council of Europe today as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. With mandates and memberships that partly overlap, our two organizations mirror some of the finest human aspirations and achievements: human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, briefed the United Nations Security Council about OSCE priorities
Photo: Andreas Enbuske/Government Offices of Sweden As OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde presented the priorities of the Swedish chairpersonship to the UN Security Council on 10 March 2021. The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organisation under chapter VIII of the UN Charter and the organisation plays an important role in many of the challenges on the Security Council’s agenda.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde launches advisory group of experts on women, peace and security
Photo: OSCE/Albanian MFA The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, launched 26 February 2021 a new advisory group of experts on women, peace and security. The group will play an advisory role to strengthen work on the women, peace and security agenda in the OSCE – an important issue for Sweden as Chair of the organisation in 2021.
Foreign Minister Ann Linde inaugurated Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship 2021
Photo: The Government Offices of Sweden Over the coming year, the Swedish Chairpersonship will do its part to ensure that the OSCE can make a real difference on the ground and defend the principles on which the Organization was founded.
Sweden’s 2021 OSCE Chair to focus on Organization’s fundamental tasks
Photo:Kristian Pohl/Regeringskansliet With the current pandemic putting a severe strain on societies all over the world, Sweden will take on the OSCE Chair in truly challenging times. This calls for a focus on the very fundamentals of the OSCE: the European security order, the comprehensive concept of security and continued efforts to resolve conflicts in the OSCE region, said Sweden’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Robert Rydberg on July 16th , as he addressed the Permanent Council on the incoming Chair’s priority areas.
Swedish OSCE-delegation in Vienna
Link to OSCE:s web page
Petra Lärke appointed head of the Task Force for Swedish Chair of the OSCE
The Government has today decided to appoint Petra Lärke as head of the Task Force that is to lead and plan Sweden’s Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2021. She will take up her post on 2 March 2020.
Sweden hosts first meeting of Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group
On 11 May 2020, the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group, under the Swedish Chair, held their first virtual meeting. It focused on the challenges and opportunities of information technology and human trafficking.
Feminist foreign policy
Gender equality is a fundamental aim of Swedish foreign policy. Ensuring that women and girls enjoy fundamental human rights is an obligation within our international commitments and prerequisite to achieving Sweden’s broader foreign policy goals – peace, security and sustainable development.
