- The Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) is a partnership between the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an associated partner.
- The initiative was launched in May 2003 simultaneously at the Fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” in Kiev and the OSCE Economic Forum in Prague.
Aim and Objective
- The partnership aims to contribute to the reduction of interlinked environment and security risks through strengthened cooperation among and within countries in the pan-European region.
- The ENVSEC Initiative was established in order to address the increasing risk of conflicts originating from, for example, environmental degradation, inequitable access to natural resources, and the transboundary movement of hazardous materials.
- The activities of the ENVSEC Initiative are mainly focused on strengthening cooperation between and within countries that are vulnerable to environmental damage and competition for natural resources, contributing to a reduction in cross-border risks arising from hazardous substances and pollution; supporting improved urban development and adaptation to climate change; as well as fostering the empowerment of civil society to address environment and security risks.
Approach
The ENVSEC approach comprises four main steps:
- assessing the situation on the ground and mapping the problems (“hotspots”) in a participatory way;
- drawing the attention of politicians and local inhabitants to these hot spots and gaining recognition and political support;
- developing a corresponding regional work programme and project portfolios; and
- supporting concrete actions and catalysing specific solutions to the identified security concerns on the ground.
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