Gudrun Kugler in Vienna, 13 November 2023VIENNA, 13 November 2023 – Austrian parliamentarian Gudrun Kugler – Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment – today moderated a session of the OSCE’s 2023 Economic and Environmental Dimension Implementation Meeting in Vienna. Focused on strengthening international co-operation in addressing environmental challenges, the panel included experts and practitioners from governments and international organizations who discussed key threats in the OSCE region and their impact on citizens’ security.

In her opening remarks, Kugler stated that environmental threats are not merely ecological concerns, but directly impact human lives and regional stability. “We must acknowledge the wide range of environmental threats from natural disasters like floods and wildfires, to man-made disasters, such as industrial accidents, pollution, or war,” she said. “The intentional destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine is a stark reminder of the profound impact that such disasters can have on both human and regional security,” she continued.

The Rapporteur added that addressing environmental threats is both a moral imperative and a pragmatic necessity. “Collaboration on disaster management and sharing of best practices among OSCE participating States can enhance the effectiveness of our responses, while also building mutual trust through practical co-operation,” she said. Recalling the OSCE PA Declaration adopted in Vancouver in July, she therefore urged OSCE governments to engage in cross-border dialogue to address transboundary pollution, hazardous waste management and wildfires.

Speakers at the session included Svitlana Andrushchenko, Director of the Reform Support Office at the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Aleksandre Rukhadze from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Khusrav Sharifov, Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Programme Specialist at the UNDP in Istanbul, and Ikromjon Mamadov, Director of the Aarhus Centre in Khujand, Tajikistan.

Hosted by the OSCE in Vienna, the yearly gathering took stock of the implementation of key commitments of the Organization in the economic and environmental security dimension, also offering a privileged forum for participating States to exchange lessons learned and promising practices.