Publications

Based on the assumption that natural disasters can have different effects on men and women, the OSCE Mission to Serbia supported the development of a publication on the impact of May 2014 flooding in Serbia from a gender perspective. The research was conducted in order to identify and document gender-specific differences regarding flood risk, inform the public, formulate a set of recommendations and offer them to responsible authorities to improve gender sensitive planning in emergency management. Results of the research show that the most vulnerable groups during natural disasters are the elderly, people with disabilities, single mothers and women who live alone in their households. Illiterate residents (mostly women and Roma) are also among the vulnerable categories. The research also reveals that the basis of community vulnerability in emergency situations lies in an undeveloped systemic approach to dissemination of information during natural disasters and lack of community training on practices of effective reactions during floods. The publication is available in both Serbian and English.

Compilation of consolidated summaries from the 22nd Economic and Environmental Forum

This leaflet aims at raising community awareness about flooding and flood risk reduction measures. It was developed within a project on enhancing community-based flood risk management in Zajecar municipality. The leaflet was distributed in the course of a comprehensive outreach campaign, the goal of which was to improve flood resilience of affected communities and to strengthen the involvement of civil society in flood risk reduction in Zajecar, a municipality prone to serious flooding. It is not available in English.

This 2014 Reference Manual is a first publication which contains all OSCE Economic and Environmental Dimension-related decisions adopted during OSCE Summits, Ministerial Council and relevant Permanent Council meetings. It primarily targets the delegations of the OSCE participating States to serve as a useful tool during their deliberations.

The integrated disaster risk management field visits in the Canton of Valais on 21 May 2014 are organised in conjunction with the 2nd OSCE Preparatory Meeting of the 22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Mon-treux, Switzerland. The field visits and its tour guide booklet are a collaboration of the Swiss Confed-eration and the Canton of Valais. The tour booklet incorporates some sections of the brochure that was prepared to accompany the field visits held on 24 May 2013 at the "Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction GPDRR”. The booklet first provides a general overview, including a brief presentation of the Swiss context (chapter 2) and the principles of integrated risk management (chapter 3). This is followed by a description of each of the planned field visits (chapters 4 and 5).

Inside the magazine: Cyber/ICT security; When nature comes unbound: flood relief and disaster risk reduction; the OSCE in Ukraine: election monitoring, deploying the Special Monitoring Mission; the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration; Open Fun Football Schools; Interview with Madeleine Rees; Book review: Victor-Yves Ghebali’s history of the OSCE.

A manual on family behavior in emergency situations, published by the Section for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

Annual report by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

This report assesses whether the relevant international human rights standards regarding the protection of immovable tangible cultural heritage are complied with by the Kosovo legal framework and to what extent the central- and local-level institutions apply these standards and thus respect, protect and fulfil everyone’s right to access and benefit from cultural heritage.

The report introduces the outcomes of a study of the obsolete pesticides and persistent organic pollutants in the Nubarashen burial site, located near Yerevan, and their impact on the environment. It also includes potential scenarios for site remediation. The project was implemented by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations, with funding from the US Government. The feasibility study and the assessment of environmental and health risks was conducted by Tauw, a Dutch company.