1st Preparatory Meeting of the 24th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum

Strengthening stability and security through co-operation on good governance

Today, governing natural resources and managing diverse environmental issues effectively is an increasingly complex challenge. The growing global population needs more resources and many of the environmental challenges cross administrative boundaries and political borders. Good environmental governance is critical for the achievement of a sustainable future where economic development and environmental protection reinforce each other and contribute to building a more secure world. It requires the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society and business, in a transparent and accountable way and at all levels.

During the two-day meeting participants will discuss essential issues related to good environmental governance in the context of strengthening stability and security, including its links to sustainable development, synergies with economic prosperity and enabling business environment and its contribution to transparent and environmentally sound decision-making practices across different sectors. They will also look into the benefits of green economy, resources efficiency and green technologies in the context of promoting sustainable development and addressing climate change. The meeting will contribute to dialogue for strengthening stability and security in the OSCE area, inter alia, through sharing experience and lessons learned in the field of good environmental governance, and the involvement of different stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society organisations.

The First Preparatory Meeting of the Forum will take place on 25-26 January 2016 in Vienna and will focus on the following:

• Illustrating best practices related to good environmental governance
• Discussing how good environmental governance enables sustainable economic development
• Focusing on the role of environmental legislation in the context of business and investment
• Addressing transparency, access to information and stakeholder participation

The Economic and Environmental Forum is the main annual event in the OSCE's Economic and Environmental Dimension. The Forum process provides a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue, by bringing together officials from the 57 OSCE participating States and 11 OSCE Partner for Co-operation countries, high-level representatives from international organizations, as well as from the civil society, the academic and the business community.

Its main objective is to stimulate deeper political dialogue, and generate commitments and recommendations for concrete activities to assist countries in dealing with economic and environmental aspects of security.

The First Preparatory Meeting of the Forum will be followed by a Second Preparatory Meeting on 19-20 May 2016, in Berlin/Germany and a Concluding Meeting on 14-16 September 2016 in Prague/Czech Republic.