The OSCE’s Mediterranean dialogue : can it contribute to democratization in North African countries?

Abstract

The events in North Africa and Middle East which started in early 2011 and which have been colloquially (although as some argue not entirely appropriately) named the ‘Arab Spring’, have focused the attention of analysts and policy-makers alike on the tools the international community has at its disposal to aid and support the democratisation processes underway in some of the countries, especially in Tunisia and Egypt, but also Morocco, and now Libya. While much of this attention has been on the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) and its programmes, other regional frameworks with experience in democratisation processes have also been considered. One evident organisation in this context is the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).