The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security organization. Its 57 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok.Born in the early 1970s as the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, it served as an important multilateral forum for dialogue between East and West during the Cold War. It was also instrumental in tackling the numerous security challenges that arose in Europe after the collapse of communism.Today, the OSCE, its institutions, and its 16 field operations are actively involved in a broad range of security- and stability-related activities including election monitoring, human rights, legislative reform, rule of law and media freedom, as well as combating human trafficking, terrorism and the smuggling of small arms and light weapons.