The Austrian Center for International Studies, ACIS, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization in Austria dedicated to developing new and more effective approaches to deal with the challenges of complex political, security and economic systems and issues in the 21^st century.  ACIS’ inaugural conference was held in cooperation with the OSCE in 2005 on the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Since then, one of the main areas of its activities and projects has involved co-operation with the OSCE.

ACIS projects aims and objectives are: international cooperation for the development and application of new, innovative approaches to important current and longer-term issues; bridging the gap between theory and practice, ideas and action. This includes developing, in a timely manner, new ideas, insights, options and solutions—on a cooperative basis— which would be reflected inter alia in policy-relevant analyses and recommendations.

ACIS activities also aim to increase understanding of the relevant cultures, contexts and histories, as well as the political, economic and social processes and goals, of the various countries and regions involved in issues being addressed. This is essential for effective cooperation to develop new approaches and more realistic options for dealing with political, economic and security issues.