Today, 8 January 2018, Sweden assumed the chairmanship of the Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC). The OSCC is the implementing body for the Open Skies treaty, which entered into force in January 2002 and currently has 34 signatories.
The treaty is one of the most wide-ranging efforts seeking to enhance mutual understanding and transparency between the participating states, through the regulation of observation flights. The observation flights are conducted as a means for the states to obtain information on military activities and developments, promoting confidence building.
The Swedish chairmanship lasts until Easter 2018.