The OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security occupies a fundamental place among the body of commitments developed within the politico-military dimension of the OSCE. The Code addresses an area of state power which has hitherto been considered a sanctum sanctorum – the armed forces and the security sector at large, which it subjects to the principles and rules of democratic governance. As such, it has no real counterpart in a global or regional security organization. Although the Code is far from technically and substantially perfect, it has proven to be a vital instrument, which is being used as a reference tool by European and Euro-Atlantic organizations other than the OSCE. Against this background, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) commissioned the OSCE Cluster of Competence at the Graduate Institute for International Studies, Geneva, to carry out a research project on the Code, including a paragraph-by-paragraph commentary on the politically binding document, as well as an assessment of the Code’s implementation based on an analysis of the established procedures of information exchange.