OSCE-supported ENVSEC initiative discusses progress of environmental and security projects in Central Asia
A regional coordination meeting of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) for Central Asia to discuss ongoing projects in the region and future steps concluded on 8 November 2012 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The participants discussed the implementation of the ENVSEC 2009–2012 Programme in Central Asia and other activities, including climate change, the handling of uranium waste, and water resource management in a transboundary context. One of the sessions was devoted to the role of Aarhus Centres in addressing environmental and security challenges in the region.
Esra Buttanri, an Environmental Affairs Adviser from the Office of the OSCE Coordinator on Economic and Environmental Activities said: “Aarhus Centres provide the essential means for ENVSEC to reach to the communities where it is needed the most. The role that Aarhus Centres play in raising public awareness, disseminating information, facilitating public participation and providing legal advice on environmental issues not only ensures ENVSEC's outreach to communities but also fosters ENVSEC's ownership at the local level and enriches its knowledge-base.”
The meeting was organized by the United Nations Development Programme in co-operation with the Initiative’s other partner organizations, the OSCE, United Nations Development Programme, the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the UN Environment Programme, the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, and NATO. Some 60 delegates from international organizations, the donor community, government agencies and civil society representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended.
The ENVSEC initiative is a multi-agency programme which addresses environmental protection and security challenges in Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It aims to address common risks through co-operation by offering countries a shared pool of expertise and resources.