United Nations Environment Programme
Regional Office for Europe

Website information downloaded from : www.unep.ch/roe
Last update: January 25, 2006
 


Environment and Security

The transition to market economies is placing great pressures on the countries in South Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Ensuring economic development - and responding to governance challenges in the context of deepening regional integration - will intensify pressure on natural resources.

There is growing understanding that increased resource scarcity and degradation of natural systems; problems such as inequitable access to critical resources and transboundary movement of resources hazardous materials can pose substantial threats to security for the countries of these regions.

In August 2002, UNEP, in collaboration with OSCE and UNDP, launched the initiative on Environment and Security in Europe to promote the use of environmental management as a strategy for enhancing cooperation and reducing insecurity, with an initial focus on South Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Through regional consultations, and under the expert guidance of an international steering committee, the initiative seeks to:

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Deliver regionally-appropriate definitions of environment and security linkages
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Map the risks and opportunities in the form of a graphic report and web site;
  Mobilize resources and expertise to implement the suggested follow-up.


The Environment and Security Initiative was presented to the 5th "Environment for Europe" Ministerial Conference, which took place in Kiev, Ukraine, in May 2003, and recognized the interlinkages between environment and security and the need for close cooperation in that area. The Conference endorsed the strategic framework of the Environment Strategy for Countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA), and invited the EAP Task Force (serviced by the OECD) to "lead efforts to facilitate and support, in cooperation with other relevant international bodies and Regional Environmental Centres, the achievement of the objectives" of the Strategy. The report on environment and security in Central Asia and South Eastern Europe followed the public presentation of the Initiative.