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Information Bulletin for South Caucasus
22.07.2008
The first edition of ENVSEC information bulletin for the South Caucasus covers events in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia between April - July 2008, as well as providing more information on future plans.
> 
South Caucasus information bulletin
Information bulletin and updated work programme for Eastern Europe
14.05.2008
The 3d edition of ENVSEC information bulletin for Eastern Europe covers events in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine between November 2007 and April 2008, as well as future plans. Based on discussions, per-project consultations, and the completion of a number of projects in 2007, the ENVSEC work programme for Eastern Europe has been updated to reflect the current situation and is also available online.
> ENVSEC Eastern Europe bulletin 3 (april) / 2008
> ENVSEC work programme for Eastern Europe (per april 2008)
ENVSEC Work Programme for Central Asia updated
04.04.2008
> 
ENVSEC Work Programme for Central Asia in Russian
> ENVSEC Work Programme for Central Asia in English
Launch of ENVSEC assessment in Ukraine
Kyiv and Donetsk - 26-27.02.2008
ENVSEC assessment report and work programme for Eastern Europe was presented in a joint launch with UNECE's 2nd Environmental Performance Review of Ukraine. More than 100 participants, including officials, media, business and NGOs, attended the presentations in Ukraine's capital Kyiv and in the heart of industrial Donbas region. Lively discussions among the participants covered topics such as strategic planning and international environmental cooperation, air pollution, water management, waste and land resources. Media coverage included news features on national and local TV channels (Tonis, STB, UTR, 24 in Kyiv; 27 and 1st Municipal channels in Donetsk), radio "Era FM" and in press. Meeting presentations and materials will be published in the Eastern European section of the ENVSEC web site.
Selected coverage:
- Ukraine's Ministry of Environment Protection (Ukrainian)
- Donetsk Oblast Department of Environment Protection (Ukrainian)
- "The Day" (Ukrainian /
Russian / English)
Other resources:
> Ukrinform news (Ukrainian)
> Opening by the Deputy Minister of Environment Protection I. D. Makarenko (Ukrainian)
Drisviaty lake in Belarus, industrial safety in Moldova
Minsk and Vadul-lui-Voda - 07-14.12.2007
A feasibility study seminar 'Cross-border Assessment and Transboundary Cooperation for Management of the Drisviaty/Druksiai Lake Basin' was held on 7 December 2007 in Minsk, Belarus. It included participants from Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, representing stakeholders from the government Ministries and agencies, universities, private sector and NGO, as well as specialists from Norway and Sweden. The purpose of the seminar was to outline stakeholders and their interests, make an assessment of available data on the state of the environment of the Drisviaty/Druksiai lake basin, and draft a working plan for project implementation. The main issues discussed included the Environmental Impact Assessment of the new nuclear power plant to be built in the vicinity of the Lake Druksiai, effects of the Ignalina NPS on the biodiversity of the lake, and social concerns associated with the construction of the NPS and storage of the nuclear waste. Importance of public participation was highlighted.
On 13-14 December 2007 a workshop on strengthening safety measures at hazardous facilities was held at Vadul-lui-Voda, Moldova under the aucpices of the UNECE convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. The purpose of the workshop was to promote cooperation and application of common standards on safety between Moldova and its neighbouring countries, Romania and Ukraine. The workshop was supported by experts from the Czech Republic and Italy. Representatives of Apa-Canal Service, the operator of a hazardous activity in Moldova, also took part. The key objective of the workshop was to discuss the legislation, standards and methods necessary for national authorities to ensure adequate safety at hazardous activities, including the legal basis for issuing licences and permits, as well as verification of safety documentation and
conducting inspection. The workshop enabled participants to share good practice and experience in conducting safety inspections, providing guidance to operators and developing tools and practices through
adoption of which safety could be further strengthened.
Materials of both meetings are available on-line:
Drisviaty Lake - Minsk
Industrial safety - Vadul-lui-Voda
Results and future steps in the upper Amu Darya river basin
Kabul, Afghanistan - 20-21.11.2007
On 20-21 November 2007, Kabul and Afghanistan will be theater of an important meeting which will gather representatives of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and international organizations to discuss regional cooperation on environment and security risks in upper Amu Darya River basin.
The meeting has been organized by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with support from the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) partners.
It will be an opportunity both to discuss preliminary results of Amu Darya basin assessment carried out by a team of Afghan and Tajik experts and to chart the way towards addressing identified environmental risks. Please see the press release below.
> Press release (Kabul, 20-21 November 2007)
> Agenda, Upper Amu Darya River Basin, Kabul 20-21 November 2007
> List of Participants, Upper Amu Darya River Basin, Kabul 20-21 November 2007
> Summary Notes, Upper Amu Darya River Basin, Kabul 20-21 November 2007
> Photos, Upper Amu Darya River Basin meeting, Kabul 20-21 November 2007
Advisory Board and Regional Coordination meetings
Geneva - 04-07.11.2007
The annual Advisory Board meeting of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) was organized on the 6th of November 2007 in Geneva. The meeting was hosted by UNEP Regional Office for Europe and opened by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Representatives from donor and recipient countries, academia and international organizations to reviewed the initiative’s strategic objectives as well as the progress of implementation of the regional work programmes. The Initiative as a whole and its regional work programmes received support from the participating governments.
The meeting concluded that as the links between environment and security have become ever more recognized and the integrated approach of environmental management and conflict prevention is being given increased focus on the global political agenda, the need for the ENVSEC partner organisations’ assessment, policy development and capacity-building work is greater than ever. In order to better coordinate and support the increased number of ENVSEC projects the partner organisations will strengthen the strategic management and coordination of the Initiative.
The meeting participants identified solid funding base as one of the biggest challenges and noted that continuous support of the donor countries will be vital to the further development of the ENVSEC Initiative. As a result of the meeting concrete possibilities for collaboration with the World Bank were identified and the ENVSEC partner organisations committed themselves also to continuing collaboration efforts with the European Commission. In 2008-2009 the ENVSEC partners will aim at further strengthening the national ownership of the Initiative and at improved communication on the purpose and results of the ENVSEC activities.
> 4 November EE agenda
> 6 November AB agenda
> 7 November CAU agenda
> Registration form (AB meeting)
> Directions to IEH II
> Advisory Board meeting Report
> Central Asia presentation
> South Caucasus presentation
> South Eastern Europe presentation
> World Bank presentation
> ENVSEC Financial information
"The Environment and Security Initiative: From analysis to action" article by David Swalley published in the OSCE Magazine
19.10.2007
"At first glance, destroying left-over pesticides in Moldova, investigating the
impact of wildland fires in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and
promoting best practices in closing down mines in south-eastern Europe appear
to share little in common. But a closer look reveals that all three activities
involve battling human-induced environmental hazards that have the potential of
wreaking havoc on local communities and their neighbours."
- FOR THE FULL PRESS RELEASE PLEASE REFER TO THE BELOW DOCUMENT -
> ENVSEC in the OSCE magazine
ENVSEC at the 6th “Environment for Europe
Belgrade, Serbia - 10-12.10.2007
Belgrade hosted the 6th "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference from the 10th to the 12th of October 2007.
The conference gathered Governement Delegations, Intergovernmental Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, Major Groups and Media.
Within the plenary session efforts and work of ENVSEC were rewarded by the positive statements of His Excellency Constantin Mihailescu,
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Moldova and Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut,
Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The Ministerial Declaration itself explicitly recognized, at paragraph 30, the work of ENVSEC in participating countries and trying to reduce environment-related security risks.
ENVSEC received also a very good visibility by presenting projects and activies during several successful side events organised within an exhibition area shared by UNEP, UNDP and the European Environment Agency (EEA). For selected media coverage and ENVSEC-related plenary statements please refer to the links below.
Hanna Hopko, "Are the Ministers on the right course?"
The Day, Kyiv, Ukraine, No 31 - 23 October 2007 (in Ukrainian, Russian, English; the article was awarded in a national competition
by Ukraine's Ministry of Environment Protection)
Natalia Shulepina, "Before and after the Belgrade assessment"
Zerkalo XXI, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 11 December 2007 (in Russian)
> ENVSEC in Belgrade
Launch of ENVSEC assessment in Belarus and strengthenning Pripyat river cooperation
Kyiv, Ukraine/ Minsk, Belarus - 17-19.09.2007
ENVSEC assessment of environment and security issues and linkages in Eastern Europe will be presented to Belarus audience at an round-table in Minsk on 19.09.2007. The meeting will also discuss the main findings of the assessment as well as forthcoming ENVSEC activities in Belarus. These include reducing risks from near-border stocks of obsolete pesticides and mining operations, fostering cooperation in transboundary basins of the Pripyat river and the Drysviaty lake, and mapping post-Chernobyl radioactive contamination in Polesie. Preceding ENVSEC presentation in Minsk, a Belarus-Ukrainian-Polish expert meeting in Kyiv on 17-18 .09.2007 will discuss how ENVSEC can support cooperation in the upper Pripyat basin for water management and monitoring of spring floods. ENVSEC assessment and work programme for Eastern Europe is available in the Eastern Europe section of this website.
> Press release Minsk 19-09-2007 RUSSIAN version.
Two ENVSEC workshops in Central Asia
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan - 17-18.09.2007
On 17-18 September, 2007, representatives of Central Asian countries, Afghanistan, the Russian Federation and international organizations gathered in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan to discuss regional cooperation on environment and security risks in the East Caspian region and the Amu Darya River basin. Facilitated by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) partners, the meeting aimed at a preliminary agreement on priorities for regional management of shared natural resources and environmental problems related to water, deforestation and biodiversity loss.
- FOR THE FULL PRESS RELEASE PLEASE REFER TO THE BELOW DOCUMENT -
> Press release (18.09.07)
> Meeting summary - East Caspian and Amu Darya consultations 17-18 September 2007 in Ashgabat
> Agenda Amu Darya 18 September 2007 ENGLISH
> Agenda Amu Darya Ashgabat 18 September RUSSIAN
> Agenda East Caspian Ashgabat 17 September ENGLISH
> Agenda East Caspian Ashgabat 17 September RUSSIAN
> List of Participants, East Caspian, 17 September bilingual RUS ENG
> Photos, Lower Amu Darya River Basin meeting, Ashgabat, 18 September 2007
> List of Participants, Lower Amu Darya Basin, 18 September, bilingual RUS ENG
ENVSEC assessment report for Eastern Europe
Prague - 21.05.2007
New report examines opportunities for improving environment and security in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine
Prague, 21 May 2007 – A new assessment report being launched today at the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum by a partnership of international organizations examines the links between environment and security in three East European countries and proposes some 20 projects and activities for improving conditions there.
The report highlights the importance of recognising the region’s geopolitical positioning between the EU and the Russian Federation, improving energy security without jeopardising the environment, cleaning up obsolete military infrastructure and chemicals stocks, addressing the Trasnistrian conflict in Moldova and strengthening cooperation over shared rivers and ecosystems.
The ENVSEC partners that have produced the report are the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the Regional Environment Centre (REC) in association with the ‘Science for Peace and Security’ programme of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The report notes that the three former Soviet republics of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are targeted by the EU’s “Neighbourhood policy” while being viewed by Russia as being part of its “near abroad”. By pursuing collaboration on environment and security the region can position itself as a bridge rather than a barrier between these two major powers.
Energy security is a dominant issue for the region. The three countries depend on Russian gas supplies, and they are transited by pipelines transporting natural gas to the EU. Belarus and Ukraine are pursuing greater energy self-sufficiency in part through plans to build nuclear power plants despite the shadow of Chernobyl, whose legacy continues to place a heavy burden on the Belarus and Ukraine economies and on the livelihoods of their people.
The rapid development of oil terminals and thermo- and hydro-power plants also has important implications for both security and the environment. The region’s environment stands to benefit if more environment-conscious energy planning and a more efficient use of available resources can be achieved.
While Eastern Europe succeeded in navigating its recent political transition peacefully, the Ukraine in particular is still littered with airbases and other unused military infrastructure containing munitions and rocket fuel that pose environmental risks.
The ubiquitous depots of industrial wastes and obsolete pesticides are another legacy of the past, as is the heritage of unsustainable mining practices still present in such socially and environmentally-stressed regions as Donbas in Ukraine and Soligorsk in Belarus. Meanwhile, the region has been targeted by illegal waste traders responding to tougher environmental regulations in neighbouring countries that have just joined the EU.
Another major challenge is the ongoing Trasnistrian conflict in Moldova. Solving this conflict is a prerequisite to addressing the environment of this region in a fully collaborative manner. At the same time, the prospects for conflict resolution can be improved through greater cooperation on common environmental challenges such as pollution and waste.
Finally, the report considers the region’s network of shared rivers, including the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Pripyat and the Zapadnaya Dvina / Daugava, to name just a few. Other shared ecosystems include the Carpathian region and the Polesie marshlands in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Poland. Each of these shared natural resources offers an excellent opportunity for regional cooperation, as is demonstrated by the ENVSEC-facilitated agreement on Dniester basin cooperation developed between Moldova and Ukraine.
It is increasingly recognized today that security is not just a military issue, and that the destruction and over-exploitation of natural resources and ecosystems can also threaten the security of communities and nations. Similarly, disputes over cross-border pollution or shared assets such as rivers and lakes can cause political tension and even conflict. Countries experiencing an economic transition or political stress are particularly vulnerable to environmental damage and resource competition.
The Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) was conceived to support countries in their efforts to manage environmental risks. This international partnership recognizes that the best path to addressing environmental and security concerns is through international dialogue and neighbourly cooperation. It therefore assists Governments to identify common solutions and develop joint projects for achieving them.
Note to journalists: See the report and further information at www.envsec.org, or contact ENVSEC Eastern European desk at UNEP Regional Office for Europe +41 22 917 8281 or nickolai.denisov@unep.ch or OSCE Press and Public Information Section +43 1 514 36 180 or press@osce.org.
> ENVSEC assessment report for Eastern Europe
> ENVSEC REGIONAL WORK PROGRAMME
ENVSEC Central Asia Work Programme updated
21.05.2007
Technical workshop on 'Innovations for contaminated mine waters assessment, management and remediation'
Bor, Serbia - 26.03.2007
The technical workshop on 'Innovative techniques and technologies for contaminated mine waters assessment, management and remediation' will be organised in Bor, Serbia, 26th-29th of March 2007. The objectives of the workshop are to to support risk mitigation and promote innovative techniques and technologies for cost effective, robust, and socially responsible remediation of contaminated mine water. The workshop will bring together representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) as well as experts from international organisations and NGOs. The workshop is organised by UNEP and the Regional Environmental Center Country Office in Serbia with the support of the Canadian International Development Agency and the Austrian Development Cooperation.
> Draft Meeting agenda
ENVSEC Progress report 2006
21.03.2007
ENVSEC Progress Report 2006 covering the activities and results of the
Initiative in 2006 is now available.
> Download the report
Intergovernmental Meeting on the Preparation of the South Eastern Europe Mountain Convention
Bolzano, Italy - 03-04.11.2006
The first intergovernmental meeting for the preparation of a legal framework for the Protection and Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions in South Eastern Europe will be held in Bolzano, Italy, on 3-4 November 2006. The meeting is organised by UNEP, in cooperation with the European Academy (EURAC) and the Balkan Foundation for Sustainable Development (BFSD). The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the draft elements for the Framework Convention that have been prepared by BFSD. The meeting will be hosted by EURAC with the support of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Territory and of the Central European Initiative (CEI), in the framework of the Mountain Partnership.
> Draft Meeting agenda
Advisory Board Meeting
Vienna, Austria - 31.10.2006
n 2006 the ENVSEC Initiative has been strengthened with the addition of two new partners, REC and UNECE, and the geographic scope of the Initiative has broadened to cover Eastern Europe: Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. In Central Asia, the Initiative has started two new assessment projects to identify environmental risks for human security and ways for strengthening regional cooperation in the Eastern Caspian and Amu Darya water basins.
Recently the ENVSEC Partners also started the assessment and verification of mining hotspots in South Eastern Europe and work towards in-depth environment and security assessments in the areas of frozen conflicts in the Southern Caucasus.These and other interesting developments of the Initiative will be discussed at this year's ENVSEC Advisory Board meeting, which will will be organised in Vienna on the 31st of October. This year the Advisory Board meeting will bring together ENVSEC donor countries and partner organisations as well as other organisations working in the field of environment and security. The meeting will be hosted by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.
> Draft Meeting agenda
> Meeting report
> 
Meeting report
Regional Workshop
Terme “Jezercica” Donja Stubica, Croatia - 11-12.09.2006
An ENVSEC workshop which will be held in Croatia on 11-12 September 2006 and is being organized with the support of the OSCE Mission to Croatia.
The workshop is being organized in co-operation with UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) and will gather different local actors (local and regional self-government officials, water suppliers, NGOs, and government representatives) from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, and will be the starting point to create a Network of Local Actors from the Sava River Basin on Water Resource Management.
During the workshop, the Sava Commission will be presented, and the participants will share experiences on natural resources co-operation, flood control and navigation, and access to finance.
> Meeting agenda
4th Regional Meeting of the Oblast Environmental Committees in Ferghana Valley
Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Bratislava, Slovakia - 11-12.07.2006
On 11-12 July, the 4th Regional Meeting of the Oblast Environmental Committees in Ferghana Valley is held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the progress and implementation process of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) in Ferghana Valley. It will:
- To review the progress in the development and implementation of the ENVSEC Ferghana work programme with the focus on the final results of the REHRA project;
- To further identify and discuss concrete measures for regular information exchange and communication between ENVSEC Focal Points and Programme Desk Officers.
The meeting gathers representatives of local environmental authorities and Ministries of Environment and Emergencies from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, OSCE, UNEP, UNDP, NATO, and a number of other stakeholders.
The meeting will look into the regional environmental challenges from the point of view of human security risks, and the proposed ways to meet them. This edition of the Oblast Committee meeting will in detail examine the results of the project Rapid Environmental Health Risk Assessment (UNEP), and discuss its follow-up actions together with the proposal for managing and lowering the risks assessed.
Since the time of the Third regional meeting of Local Environmental Authorities from the Ferghana valley in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 12-14 February (see News Archive), significant progress has been made in the two projects on the Legacy of Uranium Extraction and Environmental Security in Central Asia (NATO), and the project on Natural Disasters Preparedness of the boarder communities in Ferghana Valley (UNDP), that were initialized there. Also Aarhus Centers (supported by OSCE) have seen major development, and are a key component of the information coordination of the ENVSEC Initiative in the region.
> Meeting agenda (English)
> List of Participants (russian)
> List of Participants (english)
> Meeting agenda (Russian)
> Meeting record (English)
> Meeting record (Russian)
> Package of Project Progress Reports
> Speech of OSCE Ambassador Alain Couanon
> Speech of the Chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection and Forestry, Abduvohit Karimov
> 
REHRA implementation and results - Kyrgyzstan (Tatiana Volkova)
> REHRA Summary presentation (Viktor Novikov)
> Presentation Anzob (Tatyana Kirilova)
> EnvSec implementation progress (Inkar Kadyrzhanova)
> Aarhus Centre in Khudjand (Anatolij Tsoy)
> Ferghana SOE TOR (Viktor Novikov)
> EnvSec Management and coordination (Inkar Kadyrzhanova for Ben Slay)
Information bulleting and updated work programme for Eastern Europe
00.00.0000
The new information bulleting covering ENVSEC work and events in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine in late 2007 - early 2008 is available on-line together with an updated work programme for the Eastern European region.
News
