Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 28 June 2011 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 28 June. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

Parliamentarians to vote on creation of global disaster plan
Nuclear energy safety, climate change, cyber security top committee agenda

COPENHAGEN, 28 June 2011 – Meeting for the first time since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will consider a resolution to address nuclear energy safety and create a global system to co-ordinate disaster preparedness and response.

With nuclear energy accounting for 35 per cent of Europe’s electricity, the resolution stresses the need to plan energy infrastructure mindful of “environmental threats and nuclear safety.”

“In my home country we have seen a whole community basically taken off the map due to the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl,” said Serhiy Shevchuk (Ukraine), rapporteur of the economic and environmental committee. The resolution calls for the international community to participate in building the new containment structure at Chernobyl.

“We must all learn new lessons from this year’s catastrophe in Japan,” Shevchuk said. “To save more lives and speed up international assistance we need to develop a global disaster planning and preparedness system.”

The resolution before the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment calls for the creation of a global system to:

• rapidly notify governments of natural disasters,
• forecast disaster-related information
• co-ordinate international assistance to the affected areas, and
• attract foreign investment to spur redevelopment in hard-hit communities.

The recent United Nations mid-term review of the ten-year Hyoga Framework for Action adopted in 2005 found that concerns still remain about the need for improved co-ordination of international efforts to prepare for and respond to international disasters.

The resolution acknowledges that the inability to prevent climate change can cause natural disasters.

A more effective OSCE through economic, environment and technological co-operation

The resolution also calls for:

• investment in environmentally safe industries and energy-saving technologies;
• greater economic co-operation through creation of open, integrated markets;
• greater co-operation and information sharing in the field of cyber security.

Parliamentarians from more than 50 countries will vote on the resolution at the Belgrade Annual Session beginning 6 July under the theme “Strengthening the OSCE’s Effectiveness and Efficiency – A New Start After the Astana Summit.” If adopted, it will be included in the Assembly’s Belgrade Declaration, which helps shape OSCE and national policy.

The Belgrade Annual Session, including committee debates and votes, are open to the press and public. The session runs 6-10 July 2011. For more information on the Annual Session, click here.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.