Co-ordinated response to disasters needed

International and regional co-ordination is crucial in the response to the security threats posed by natural and man-made disasters, Ambassador Renatas Norkus, the Chairperson of the Permanent Council,  told a meeting of experts and OSCE Ambassadors on 20 May 2011.

The meeting was held as part of the "V(ienna) to V(ilnius) Dialogue", a series of expert meetings on early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.

Referring to forest fires, hurricanes, floods and the consequences of the recent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, Norkus reiterated the need for "responses that are comprehensive in scope, co-operative in design and regional in outlook."

"The OSCE has a role to play in supporting participating States and Partners for Co-operation in developing policies for co-ordinated disaster prevention, risk reduction and swift response. This OSCE role should be integrated with the United Nation's global approach and co-ordinated with other regional and sub-regional activities,"  Norkus said.

Goran Svilanovic, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said the OSCE's expertise in supporting regional co-operation in fire management was designed to build confidence, adding that this was an example of how the OSCE can contribute.

"Many organizations work in the field of natural and man-made disasters," Svilanovic said. "A more comprehensive role for the OSCE should complement existing efforts, notably in regional and sub-regional co-ordination."