The OSCE maintains special relations with six Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The relationship dates back to the Helsinki Process and the Helsinki Final Act, which included a Mediterranean chapter stating that security in Europe is closely linked with security in the Mediterranean as a whole.

Over the years, the OSCE has been able to share experiences with the Mediterranean Partners on a number of topics, including a comprehensive appreach to security; confidence-building; OSCE human dimension commitments; OSCE economic and environmental dimension commitments; and migration and integration policies.