COPENHAGEN, 20 October 2022 – Leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment were joined today by several OSCE PA Special Representatives for an online consultation and exchange of views on priorities and plans, as well as areas of common concern. The purpose of the meeting was to explore possible synergies between the economic and environmental committee with Special Representatives whose mandates intersect directly with the work of the committee in order to boost the overall efforts of the OSCE PA in the dimension of economic and environmental security.
The meeting was chaired by Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) and featured welcoming remarks by OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, who welcomed the initiative as an additional avenue to strengthen the wealth of expertise and experience which members of parliament continue to lend to the Assembly. Montella noted that by mainstreaming individual expertise, greater efficiency and effectiveness is achieved.
Committee Chair Guliyev noted that the OSCE area is experiencing multiple, overlapping crises and there is a need to utilize all OSCE parliamentarians’ abilities, networks and tools to overcome the challenges. “Environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, pollution, climate change, energy security and resilience, post-pandemic economic recovery, good governance, socio-economic development, public health, and the digital revolution are just some of the interlinked issues we need to address collectively,” Guliyev said. “Against the backdrop of the tragic war in Ukraine and following a long public health crisis, we believe it is paramount to promote parliamentary dialogue on issues related to socio-economic instability, energy and food security, and climate change.”
In this respect, the committee leaders heard reports from Special Representative on Digital Agenda Radu-Mihai Mihail (Romania), Special Representative on Arctic Issues Bryndís Haraldsdóttir (Iceland), Askar Shakirov (Kazakhstan), Vice-President and Special Representative on Sustainable Development Goals, and Roger Padreny (Andorra), representing the informal network of young parliamentarians.
Mihail briefed the members on his work, underlining that he seeks to monitor developments in as many countries as possible on how governments manage the digital transformation and address cyber threats, as well as related issues. Haraldsdottir spoke about the effects of climate change on the Arctic, noting that despite attempts to approach the Arctic as region of co-operation, it is a flashpoint for geopolitical competition. Shakirov discussed sustainable development and how it has been threatened by climate change, while Padreny briefed the committee on the OSCE PA’s young parliamentarians network. Padreny stressed that young people support a just energy transition that leaves no one behind, and the rapid development of renewable energy and alternative sources.
Committee Vice-Chair Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) explained that global warming is still the overriding challenge facing the economic and environmental dimension, but that the war in Ukraine also needs to be seen as an environmental and economic concern. Water security, too, must be on the agenda, he said. Rapporteur Gudrun Kugler (Austria) discussed collaborating with Special Representatives on common concerns, and particularly on the issue of climate change and Arctic security.
Interest was expressed by participants in collaborating on projects and possible field visits. It was also agreed that economic and environmental concerns impact first and foremost on youth, and it is therefore critical to involve young people in the OSCE PA’s work.
Committee Chair Guliyev ended the meeting by expressing his hope to continue the consultations at the OSCE PA's upcoming Autumn Meeting in Warsaw.
