Introduction1
The study of the strategic culture within international security enjoyed a certain revival after the end of the Cold War. Cultural approaches to strategic studies have nevertheless been predominantly connected with states as security actors. Discussion, however, has also started about the possibility of applying strategic culture to international security organizations since states are able to construct a strategic culture within an organization, and such strategic culture is subsequently reflected in the activities of such organizations. Security organizations are of intergovernmental character, and decisions adopted by these organizations and actions taken by them depend on their members. Therefore, we can assume that if organizations have different members, structures and capacities, they also have different strategic cultures.2 Cultures are therefore defined based on different ideas, perceptions and beliefs, and thus are socially constructed by collective understanding and interpretation about the world.3 The study of strategic culture of these organizations then plays a key role in the discussion about their action readiness and effectiveness.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) shows specific features of strategic culture resulting from the fact that the roots of this organization lie in the ability of the organization to initiate dialogue and implement cooperation in the security area at the regional level among actors which perceive each other as threats, and which prefer deterrence and non-cooperative approaches. This feature is becoming once again a typical feature of the OSCE at the beginning of the 21st century: this may be the reason why it is called by some ‘perhaps the world’s least-known major security organization.’4
