Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship 2010

This report provides an interim assessment of Kazakhstan’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chairmanship by comparing the stated priorities and agenda of the Kazakh government, as well as the recommendations issued by the CSIS–Institute for New Democracies Task Force, with the actions undertaken by the OSCE chair during the past nine months. Examining the direction, activities, and priorities of the current Kazakh chairmanship provides insights into the challenges facing the OSCE and its member states. As the first Central Asian, post-Soviet, and predominantly Muslim state to lead the OSCE, the Kazakh chair is a landmark event. Kazakhstan sees this position as a strategic national project that will allow the country to develop closer ties with both Europe and the United States while also contributing to broader Eurasian security and prosperity.