The OSCE’s potential for settling disputes by peaceful means was not sufficiently used in the past. At the end of 1992, therefore, the CSCE Council, meeting in Stockholm, adopted a number of procedural improvements. These included the procedure for settlement by order of the OSCE and, in particular, the agreement on settlement and arbitration procedures within the OSCE, which was the result of a Franco-German initiative which 29 participating states signed immediately and which became effective on 5 December 1994 after ratification by twelve states.

It is in the Federal Republic’s interest that the OSCE has created wide-ranging obligations in the field of human rights. Although not legally binding, they are of a very mandatory nature politically owing to the fact that they have been adopted by all participating states by consensus. To ensure continuous monitoring of OSCE standards, regular meetings are held at which the human rights situation in member countries is critically examined and publicly discussed.

The High Commissioner for National Minorities, an office created with strong German support at the 1992 Helsinki summit, identifies potential ethnic tensions at the earliest possible time and helps to contain and reduce them through direct consultations with the affected parties.