Marietta Tidei (left) and Nilza Sena (right) at the meeting in Belgrade, 11 MayBELGRADE, 11 May 2015 – The OSCE’s work in water governance is helping to promote co-operation needed for realizing the Organization’s broader security agenda, said two leaders of the OSCE PA’s economic and environmental committee, Vice-Chair Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal) and Rapporteur Marietta Tidei (MP, Italy), at the Second Preparatory Meeting of the 23rd Economic and Environmental Forum in Belgrade on Monday.

Noting that water supply has a broader impact on security, the PA members said that the OSCE is able to mitigate many threats by facilitating negotiations on water management.

At the same time, Sena emphasized the importance of recognizing the inter-connectedness of water issues with other environmental concerns such as climate change. The Vice-Chair highlighted in particular the recommendations contained in the OSCE PA’s 2014 Baku Declaration, which drew attention to the effects of climate change, particularly on the availability of water.

"It is imperative that participating States pursue policies on the local, national and regional levels to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as to forge bilateral and multilateral agreements toward this end, while continuing to negotiate a new universal climate accord with binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions," Sena said.

Tidei noted that it is a global responsibility of all countries to increase efforts in addressing the issue of water security. She pointed to the potential for the OSCE to promote broad-based, long-term solutions to water issues.

"The OSCE as a major regional organization has the potential to take the initiative and launch the process of long-term active co-operation with regard to water resources," she said.

Co-organized by the Serbian OSCE Chairmanship and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, the Second Preparatory Meeting of the 23rd Economic and Environmental Forum is taking place in the Serbian capital from 11 to 13 May 2015 under the theme "Water governance in the OSCE area – increasing security and stability through co-operation."