Mr. Zannier was elected to the post of Secretary General on 1 July 2011, and his primary function is to head the OSCE secretariat, which is in Vienna. The organisation originated during the Cold War for the purpose of establishing an East-West dialogue. Today, the OSCE plays a central role in connection with the development of democracy in the Balkans and in Central Asia, in ensuring compliance with human rights and in the performance of election observations.
Denmark supports the OSCE through such means as providing premises for the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly at Tordenskjoldsgade in Copenhagen.