OSCE meeting transforms concern about environment security into action

PRAGUE, 23 May 2007 - A high-level OSCE meeting focusing on environmental security transformed concerns that environmental factors are threatening global security into actions that will promote stability, said Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin, Ambassador-at-Large for the Co-ordination of the 2007 Spanish OSCE Chairmanship.

Lopez Jorrin spoke at today's closing debate of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which focused on how the Organization can help its 56 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation tackle environmental security threats.

"We do not have any other choice than keeping these issues as top priorities on our agenda if we want our children to be able to inhabit a planet allowing a safe and decent life," he said.

The OSCE has supported trans-boundary water management through activities around the Sava, Dniester, Chu-Talas and Kura-Araks rivers, and the Organization could consider offering similar support to water co-operation projects between Tajikistan and Afghanistan on the Amu-Darya River, he said.

More than 300 decision-makers, experts and officials from more than 60 countries were in Prague for the three-day meeting, which began Monday.

"This Forum has created a consensus on the importance of these subjects and the necessity to study more closely the link between environmental sustainability and security," said Bernard Snoy, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. "This is a clear mandate for the OSCE to be active in this area."

The Spanish Ambassador-at-Large for Climate Change, Cristina Barrios, delivered a statement on behalf of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, at the closing session.

"It's time to act," she said. "The OSCE must tackle the consequences of global climatic change, particularly as they affect security. The OSCE's actions in this field do not duplicate, but complement, the efforts of others."

The OSCE Spanish Chairmanship is developing an Environmental Security Strategy for the Organization that will be discussed during the year and debated at the OSCE Ministerial Council to be held in November in Madrid.

An environment assessment report titled "Environment Security: Transforming Risks Into Co-operation" on the situation in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine was launched during the meeting. The report was compiled by the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) through which the OSCE co-operates with U.N. Organizations, NATO and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe.

Several follow-up events to the Forum are planned, including a conference on the role of the private sector in promoting environmental protection and sustainable development to be held in October in Moscow and a meeting to be held later this year on technology transfer in the field of water management in Central Asian countries.

The Forum was the first OSCE carbon neutral event as the Spanish Chairmanship has invested in projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to those produced by the conference through a carbon offset and climate consulting service.