central forum for dialogue and confidence
closely involved in the destroying or render-
building once again became clear during
ing harmless various chemical weapons re-
the Ukraine crisis. The OSCE supports the
moved from Syria. Between 2013 and 2016
efforts for a peaceful settlement of the
Germany will have conducted projects worth
Ukraine conflict, among other things by
approximately 24 million euros in more than
conducting political negotiations in the Tri-
20 partner countries aimed at improving
lateral Contact Group.
security against biological weaponry of any
kind. Furthermore, Germany has contribut-
Furthermore, the OSCE has deployed sev-
ed around 13.2 million euros to projects
eral hundred civilian observers to Ukraine
for clearing mines and caring for mine vic-
to monitor the ceasefire set out in the Minsk
tims, making it one of the biggest donors in
agreements signed in September 2014 and
this area. The destruction of superfluous
February 2015, and to verify the withdrawal
weapons and munition and the safe storage
of troops and weapons, for example in the area
of endangered stocks are focal points of
of conflict in eastern Ukraine. For the purpose
German policy. Conventional arms control,
of preventing conflicts and promoting dem-
as well as confidence and security-building
ocratisation, the OSCE maintains perma-
measures are of enormous importance in
nent missions in several countries and, with
the OSCE area. Germany is in favour of the
the support of Germany, regularly sends
relevant mechanisms being modernised and
election observers to its participating states.
adapted to meet current challenges.
Commitment to disarmament and
arms control
Disarmament, arms control, and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons have long
since had a high priority in German foreign
policy. Germany is committed to the goal of
a world free of all nuclear weapons and to
this end pursues a pragmatic approach. Together with the five permanent members of
the UN Security Council, Germany played a
constructive role in the E3+3 negotiations
leading to the Vienna agreement with Iran
on the Iranian nuclear programme. Germany
continues to support the universality and
enforcement of relevant international treaties and agreements. In 2014 and 2015 it was
GLOBAL
Armed Conflict Survey 2015 According
to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, the past
few years have seen a considerable
increase in the number of war victims.
The number of war dead rose from
56,000 in 2008 to 180,000 in 2014,
even though instead of 63 only
42 armed conflicts were counted.
In 2013, for the first time since the
end of the Second World
War, more than 50 million
people were refugees.
→ iiss.org