Knowledge exchange at the First Preparatory meeting of the 22nd Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) of the OSCE
The CBSS Secretariat participated in the First Preparatory meeting of the 22nd Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) of The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe held in Vienna at the end of January. The preparatory meeting focused on responding to environmental challenges with a view to promoting cooperation and security in the OSCE. The Secretariat delegation was led by Anthony Jay Olsson, Head of Media and Communications, who gave an intervention during the fourth Session on cooperation in Natural Disaster Management and Prevention specifically on promoting partnerships at local, regional and international level. The meeting took place under the Swiss Chairmanship and gives specific importance to integrated disaster risk management in the light of climate change and other environmental challenges. Issue of climate adaptation and prevention, preparedness, response, coordination, recovery, rehabilitation and resilience were touched upon – all of which being fundamental to the whole risk management cycle including comprehensive risk assessments and evaluations.
Participation at the meeting was an opportunity to thematically place and bring further developments in integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Baltic Sea region, an activity that stems from the CBSS Secretariat’s role as co-coordinator of the priority area Secure and the leader of horizontal action Sustainable Development & Bioeconomy of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). Priority Secure was represented in the delegation by Egle Obcarskaite, Adviser, and HA Sustain was represented by Maxi Nachtigall, Adviser.
Written Contribution of the 22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum