While continuing to serve as a vital forum for dialogue, consultations and negotiations on political, politico-military and security matters, the Organization in 2002 remained highly focused on field work, with nearly 4,000 international and local staff working in 19 missions, offices and centres co-operating with their host countries in south-eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia an unrivalled presence on the ground.
With preventing and combating terrorism high on the agenda in 2002, participating States agreed to focus the OSCE's efforts in four key areas where the Organization has, or is rapidly developing, a real comparative advantage - policing, border security, anti-trafficking and cutting off terrorist financing.
