Minister of Environment Guro Fjellanger

Opening address

Seventh OSCE Economic Forum, Prague, 25-28 May 1999 (check against delivery)

Mr Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome the opportunity to introduce the topic of Environmental Security at the Seventh OSCE Economic Forum.

It is encouraging to see that this meeting is attracting so much attention. As you know, the preparations have included a series of regional seminars, covering Central Asia, the Black Sea area, the Mediterranean and the Baltic region. I hope that the careful preparations, and the strong participation at this meeting, will result in a number of significant recommendations for follow-up in the various bodies concerned.

Mr Chairman, the tragic conflict in Kosovo is a powerful reminder that the use of military power can lead to disastrous consequences both for human beings and for the environment. The human suffering and the overwhelming refugee situation are our immediate and tremendous challenge. But the long-term effects of war, such as mined agricultural areas and polluted drinking water, are serious environmental problems which also have to be solved.

My government believes that the concept of security has to be based on political, economic, social and environmental elements. These elements will often be interlinked and mutually reinforcing. The concept of security must be comprehensive. For instance, environmental degradation will often have negative economic effects that in turn can lead to social disruptions and migration. This again can have social and political consequences, often not limited to one country alone.

Environmental problems, including natural resource scarcity, are often first felt locally. In the medium and long term, however, the most serious environmental threats are those that are shared by many states, or that are even global in character. The growth in world population,and the resultant increase in pressure on natural resources, and greater gap between rich and poor, is an obvious example.

Environmental threats are normally not directed against an enemy - they concern our common future. This makes it even more important to prevent such threats from arising in the first place. If we do not, the cost of repairing the damage may be enormous, if the damage can be reversed at all. Otherwise, as a last resort, we may have to adapt to a changed environment. Such an adaptation may be very complicated, costly and painful. Climate change may prove to be an example of this.

Unresolved environmental issues can lead to regional instability and conflict. Disputes over water resources in the Middle East are a good illustration. The environmental problems in Central Asia, including the gradual destruction of the Aral Sea, are another example. Increasingly, environmental security, broadly defined, must be part of the security concept we respond to also in the OSCE region. Environmental security threats are most often cross-border. Until now, they have not in themselves caused military conflict between states. But they may do so in the future, especially when combined with other sources of tension.

Responsible long-term resource management and commitment to local, national, regional and global action, are therefore vital keys to environmental security. This is true for all major areas of environmental concern, but not least for the four areas which will be the subject of working group discussion at this meeting in the next few days, namely: water, energy, public participation and environmental security.

At the global level we face the security implications of climate change, biodiversity loss, and degradation of forests. One clear example is the small island states and the safety of their countries in the event of a rise in the level of the oceans. Another is the importance of genetic diversity and a variety of species for global economic development. Linked to this is the danger of new diseases caused by genetically-modified organisms. Sustainable forest management is also at the heart of environmental security. The global agreements concluded on climate change and biodiversity are significant steps in moving towards binding international commitments, but there is a long way to go before environmental security is achieved.

We need a strong UN to devise solutions to global challenges. The UN must intensify its efforts to become a driving force for sustainable development and global security. The UN is the only forum with a mandate to tackle the truly global problems affecting the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources. In this connection it is important to give strong support to UNEP, inter alia to its program on early warning.

The Agenda 21 Action Plan adopted in Rio concluded that the major cause of the continued degradation of the global environment is unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industrial countries. The special responsibility of the developed world to take the lead in making the necessary changes was highlighted, and rightly so. Changes in both patterns and volumes of consumption are needed, together with changes in the distribution of consumption.

At the regional level we have to intensify our efforts both within the OSCE and the Economic Commission for Europe in order to strengthen national policies and international commitments. The European Union also plays a vital role in this context.

The OSCE and the ECE are in my view complementary organisations, and I see an important role for the ECE as an organisation which can follow up and implement political initiatives originating in the OSCE.

The ECE Conventions on Transboundary Air Pollution, Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, Industrial Accidents and Public Participation represent major commitments by the ECE countries. The Protocol on Water and Health soon to be signed in London will be an important addition.

Most of these Conventions have now entered into force, but a number of OSCE countries have not yet acceded to them. I appeal to all OSCE states concerned to consider the possibilities of acceding to these five Conventions, and in particular the newly-concluded Århus Convention on Public Participation. This Convention, as you know, lays great emphasis on transparency which is a vital premise for all our work.

Openness and access to information are crucially important as means to engage the general public in our efforts to strengthen environmental protection, and also contribute to the building of a participatory democracy.

Among other things, the potential of these Conventions for avoiding transboundary conflicts should be fully explored and exploited. In my view strengthened cooperation within the framework of these Conventions would be a major contribution to the achievement of environmental security in our region.

Another area for increased cooperation is on energy issues, which could lead to achievement of more sustainable energy production, increased energy security and continued environmental integration of energy markets and networks.

Cooperation between OSCE countries also takes place within the so-called Environment for Europe process. The Ministerial Conferences which take place at regular intervals in this context help to set the agenda for positive east-west environmental cooperation and for strengthening efforts in those countries of the OSCE region where help is most needed. The first such Conference was, as many of you know, held at Dobris Castle, outside Prague, in 1991.

The Environment for Europe process builds confidence, strengthens environmental management and promotes close cooperation between all the countries concerned. In this respect I am encouraged by the proposal to hold a high-level meeting on environmental questions next year in Kazakhstan. I am also pleased that the Government of Ukraine will be inviting Ministers of the OSCE region to the next Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in 2002. These two initiatives will undoubtedly further strengthen cooperation between countries of the region.

Under the auspices of the NATO Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, a Pilot Study on “Environmental Security” was recently concluded, and I understand that this study will be presented in the informal working group tomorrow. Norway was pleased to chair another Pilot Study on «Cross-border environmental problems emanating from defence-related installations and activities» which was concluded last year. More than 20 NATO and non-NATO countries participated. The study thus contributed to the establishment of contact networks across borders that had for so long been virtually closed.

Mr Chairman, it is also important to highlight the role of the non-governmental organisations. They are a tremendous force in promoting environmental awareness and public participation in environmental decision-making. I welcome in this respect the work of the Regional Environmental Center in Budapest, and the establishment - and planned establishment - of new regional environmental centers in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia. These centers, as well as many NGO’s in the region, are contributing actively to the environmental goals which we all share.

I find it particularly encouraging that the OSCE is an organisation open to NGO participation and am pleased to see NGO participation at this plenary meeting. I am confident that active NGO participation in the working groups in the days to come will contribute substantively to the results of our meeting.

We should also strengthen our awareness of the potential for environmental insecurity at the sub-regional levels. A number of sub-regional agreements have been concluded within the OSCE region. These agreements are of great importance. In my own country we took some years ago the initiative to establish expanded cooperation in the Barents Region. In 1993 the Nordic countries, Russia and the European Union signed a declaration on expanded cooperation in this area. Environmental management and public participation are a very important part of this cooperation and constitute a significant contribution to environmmental security in this region.

Mr Chairman, my Government has committed itself to developing the concept of environmental security as a framework for national and international cooperation.

We believe that relevant international bodies should give greater emphasis to the linkages between development, resource management, environment and security, in order inter alia to prevent serious conflicts.

In this respect, we strongly support the increasing emphasis on cooperation and coordination between environmental conventions which has been identified as a pressing need in the Report of the UN Task Force on Environment and Human Settlements, in which I personally participated This should ultimately lead, among other things, to improved procedures for avoidance of conflict and settlement of disputes. Such procedures should gradually become accepted and implemented at both regional and global levels.

Mr Chairman, environmental forces transcend borders and have a profound impact on all our nations. To achieve political and economic stability, it is critical to address natural resource and environmental issues. Sustainable development and more equitable distribution of resources would mean a safer world for all. Seen in this perspective, sustainable development is an important element of the expanded security concept. We must recognise that our economic and environmental futures are two sides of the same coin.

Thank you for your attention.