United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

The United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe represents the United States government in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Currently, Michael R. Carpenter represents the United States at the OSCE and holds the title of ambassador.

United States Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Logo
Location	Vienna, Austria
Government
• U.S. Representative	Michael R. Carpenter
• Deputy Chief of Mission	Courtney Austrian
Website osce.usmission.gov

The United States Mission to the OSCE is composed of representatives of the Department of State, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Defense Department, and of the joint Congressional/Executive Branch Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. The Mission was established in 1975, shortly after the OSCE was created by the Helsinki Accords.

The Mission represents the United States in the Permanent Council of the OSCE, the Organization's principal policy-making body, as well as in the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC). The Mission also monitors implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty in the Joint Consultative Group (JCG), and represents the U.S. in the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC).

The Mission's goals are:

• Enhancing political and military security across the OSCE region, including prevention of a gradual re-militarization of Euro-Atlantic security.
• Implementing and verifying compliance with arms control agreements.
• Strengthening the OSCE’s conflict prevention and resolution capabilities.
• Promoting implementation of OSCE commitments in all three dimensions: the politico-military dimension, the economic and environmental dimension, the human dimension.
• Supporting democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• Combating new threats to security such as terrorism, intolerance, and trafficking of persons.
• Directing greater attention and resources to Central Asia through programs promoting democratic institutions and practices, improving border security, expanding existing police assistance programs, and encouraging economic and free market development so that peace, security, just governance and democracy may be achieved.
• Preserving the OSCE’s effectiveness.[1]

Former chiefs of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE[2]

• Sam W. Brown Jr. (1994 – 1997), Head of the U.S. Delegation to the CSCE and the OSCE
• David T. Johnson (1998 – 2001)
• Stephan M. Minikes (2001 – July 2005)
• Julie Finley (Aug. 2005 – Jan. 2009)
• Ian C. Kelly (Apr. 2010 – Aug. 2013)
• Daniel B. Baer (Sep. 2013 – Jan. 2017)
• James S. Gilmore III (July 2019 – Jan. 2021)
• Michael R. Carpenter (November 29, 2021- present)