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Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

OSCE

Flags of the OSCE - Images by Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

Presentation of the OSCE
Flag of the OSCE
Vertical flag of the OSCE
Table flag of the OSCE
OSCE Chairmanship flag, 2005
OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE)

See also:

Presentation of the OSCE

As of January 2008, the members of the OSCE are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uzbekistan.

Quoting the OSCE website:

With 56 participating States from Europe, Central Asia and North America, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) forms the largest regional security organization in the world.
The OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. It has 19 missions or field operations in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The Organization deals with three dimensions of security - the politico-military, the economic and environmental, and the human dimension. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 56 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

Ivan Sache, 26 January 2008

On 3 July 1973, the CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe) was created. Following the fall of Communism, it started to evolve into the OSCE; this re-christening was decided on 6 December 1994 and took effect on 1 January 1995. So it is probably accurate to state the flag was introduced on that date.
Daniel U. Thibault, 16 October 2001

Flag of the OSCE

The flag of the OSCE is white with the logotype of the organization. The version of the flag with the logotype vertically centered is the most commonly used.
Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

Vertical flag of the OSCE

Vertical flags of the OSCE - Images by Eugene Ipavec, 1 February 2006

The vertical flag of the OSCE is either with the logotype centered or with the logotype shifted towards the top of the flag.

Vertical flags of the OSCE - Images by Eugene Ipavec, 2 February 2006
Left, with German acronym
Right, with Russian acronym

The OSCE seems to, at least on a limited basis, use vertical flags with the acronym in other languages - in particular, German (OSZE) and Russian (the letters are here all in lower case except Б).
Eugene Ipavec, 1 February 2006

Table flag of the OSCE

Table flag of OSCE - Image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

The OSCE seems to use table flags either with a rotated vertical logotype or identical to their regular flag.
Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

OSCE Chairmanship flag, 2005

OSCE Chairmanship flag - Image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

At least for the duration of the 2005 term, there seems to be a separate chairmanship flag; the chairman was Dimitrij Rupel, FM of Slovenia.
Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina flag - Image by Željko Heimer, 24 April 2000

The of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (website) is white with the logo of the mission in the middle. The logo is consisting of the OSCE logo, combined with two light blue triangles, no doubt representing Bosnia and Hezegovina, above the logo is written "Mission to" and below "Bosnia and Herzegovina" in two rows. The most probably proportions of the flag are 2:3, though I guess they are nowhere defined. The logo must be younger than the current flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on which it is based, even if the Mission must have been present in Bosnia and Herzegovina much longer.
Željko Heimer, 24 April 2000

Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE)

Flag of CSCE (unconfirmed) - Image by Eugene Ipavec, 31 January 2006

Presumably a CSCE flag existed prior to 1994, which used the same design with the different letters.
Daniel U. Thibault, 16 October 2001