-
Our work
-
Fields of work
- Arms control
- Border management
- Combating trafficking in human beings
- Conflict prevention and resolution
- Countering terrorism
- Cyber/ICT Security
- Democratization
- Economic activities
- Education
- Elections
- Environmental activities
- Gender equality
- Good governance
- Human rights
- Media freedom and development
- Migration
- National minority issues
- Policing
- Reform and co-operation in the security sector
- Roma and Sinti
- Rule of law
- Tolerance and non-discrimination
- Youth
- Field operations
- Projects
-
Meetings and conferences
- Summit meetings
- Review Conferences
- Ministerial Council meetings
- Plenary meetings of the Permanent Council
- Plenary Meetings of the Forum for Security Co-operation
- Security Review Conferences
- Annual Implementation Assessment Meetings
- Economic and Environmental Forum
- Economic and Environmental Dimension Implementation Meetings
- Human rights meetings
- Media conferences
- Cyber/ICT security conferences
- Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons
- Gender Equality Review Conferences
- Annual OSCE Mediterranean conferences
- Annual OSCE Asian conferences
- Partnerships
-
Fields of work
-
Countries
- All
-
Participating States
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland – OSCE Chairpersonship 2025
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Holy See
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- The Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uzbekistan
- Asian Partners for Co-operation
- Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation
-
Structures and institutions
- Chairpersonship
-
Secretariat
- Secretary General
- Conflict Prevention Centre
- Transnational Threats Department
- Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
- Gender Issues Programme
- Opportunities for Youth
- Department of Human Resources
- Department of Management and Finance
- Office of Internal Oversight
- Documentation Centre in Prague
- Institutions
-
Field operations
- Presence in Albania
- Centre in Ashgabat
- Programme Office in Astana
- Programme Office in Bishkek
- Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Programme Office in Dushanbe
- Mission in Kosovo
- Mission to Moldova
- Mission to Montenegro
- Mission to Serbia
- Mission to Skopje
- Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
- Closed field activities
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
- Organizational structure
-
About us
- Participating States
- Partners for Co-operation
- Chair
- Decision-making bodies
-
Leadership
- Secretary General
- Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- High Commissioner on National Minorities
- Representative on Freedom of the Media
- Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania
- Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje
- Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro
- Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova
- Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat
- Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana
- Head of OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
- Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe
- Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre
- First Deputy Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
- Director of the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
- Director of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
- OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats
- Director for Internal Oversight Services
- OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues
- OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking
- Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
- Director for Management and Finance
- Our history
- Our principles
- Finance and administration
- Internal oversight
- Employment
- Networks and research
Story
Preventing, managing, reducing disaster
- Date:
- Source:
- OSCE Secretariat
- Fields of work:
- Environmental activities
‘Villagers displaced by forest fires’; ‘Many missing after avalanche’; ‘Floods cause millions of euros in damage’. Natural disasters often make the news headlines because of their potential for massive and fatal destruction. They pose a threat to human life and livelihoods, societies and national economies.
Natural hazards can strike anywhere and at any time. They can turn into disasters if governments and people are not well prepared.
.@WahlstromM #EEF14 the cost of natural disasters is starting to bite economies - the threat is no longer limited to human mortality
— OSCE (@OSCE) 10. September 2014
Natural disasters know no political boundaries and are often trans-boundary in nature. This makes co-operation between OSCE participating States necessary.
.@WahlstromM #EEF14 developed countries lose around 2% of their GDP a year to dealing with natural disasters, developing countries up to 15%
— OSCE (@OSCE) 10. September 2014
A Fighting Chance: Disaster Risk Management
The need for countries to work together to better prepare for, and respond to natural disasters is the theme of the 2014 OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum.
Over the course of the year, as part of the Forum meetings, representatives from the OSCE’s participating States, international organizations, business and academia have been sharing experiences and expertise on how to reduce the risk of environmental disasters and its potential in enhancing and promoting co-operation and security. Watch this video to learn more.
OSCE Impact
Discover more stories about how the OSCE improves lives.
