CSCE as the Central Forum of the Future European Collective Security Structure

Post-Cold War Europe seeks a new security structure to replace the old, and no longer sufficient, system of collective self-defense based on alliances. One part of the system of the system of collective self-defense, the Warsaw Pact, has ceased to exist, which has left a significant security gap for its former members. The other element of the old security system, NATO, still works, but has shown itself unable to expand its commitments to cover Europe as a whole. The current situation in Europe offers a unique opportunity to establish a collective security system based on the cooperation of interlocking and mutually complementary institutions. This study examines alternatives for the establishment of such a system, considers the shortfalls of existing institutions, and argues that, despite its current shortfalls, CSCE--because of its agenda and broad membership--is the most serious candidate for providing an adequate framework for the coordination of the future collective security system in Europe. The essay then proposes steps that should be taken to recast the current CSCE into a central forum of the new Pan-European collective security structure.