Public Participation for a Safe Environment the Aarhus Centres
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Issue Number 3/2011 Interview with Lamberto Zannier OSCE Secretary General Engaging for good economic and environmental governance: Goran Svilanović Public participation for a safe environment The Aarhus Centres OSCE Magazine 3/2011 1 The OSCE Magazine, which is also available online, is published in English and Russian by the Press and Public Information Section of the Organization In this issue for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and 3 Deepening partnerships: interview with the OSCE Secretary do not necessarily reflect the official position of the General, Lamberto Zannier OSCE and its participating States. Virginie Coulloudon Editor: Ursula Froese 6 Committees of the Permanent Council: where the OSCE Designer: Nona Reuter gets down to business Printed by Ferdinand Berger & Son 8 Defining the lines that divide us Please send comments and contributions to: Jérôme Bouyjou [email protected] 10 Engagement for good governance: interview with the OSCE Press and Public Information Section Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, OSCE Secretariat Goran Svilanović Wallnerstrasse 6 Ursula Froese A-1010 Vienna, Austria Dossier: the Aarhus Centres Tel.: (+43-1) 514 36-6267 14 Fax: (+43-1) 514 36-6105 15 How it all began: the Aarhus Centres and the Aarhus Convention Esra Buttanri OSCE Chairmanship 2011: Lithuania 15 A brick in the road to sustainable development and OSCE Structures and Institutions a green economy Permanent Council (Vienna) Ella Behlyarova Forum for Security Co-operation (Vienna) Secretariat (Vienna) 16 Defending public control over the impact of gold mining: the Aarhus Centre in Osh OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Kanybek Isabaev (Vienna) OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human 18 The Aarhus Centre network in Tajikistan Rights (Warsaw) Nargis Hamrabaeva OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (The Hague) 19 Developing a pollutant register: Aarhus Centres OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (Copenhagen) in Kazakhstan Gulsara Yeskendirova Field Operations South Caucasus 20 Civic Action for Security and Environment OSCE Office in Baku 20 CASE in Azerbaijan OSCE Office in Yerevan Zahra Ahmadova The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the Conflict Dealt 21 CASE in Armenia with by the OSCE Minsk Conference William Hanlon and James Mcmordie Central Asia OSCE Centre in Ashgabat 23 Towards better environmental impact assessment: OSCE Centre in Astana the Aarhus Centre Georgia OSCE Centre in Bishkek Tamar Gugushvili and Nino Gvazava OSCE Office in Tajikistan OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan 24 Keeping development green: Aarhus Centres in Albania Robert Mangham Eastern Europe OSCE Mission to Moldova 25 Drawing inspiration from regional neighbours: the OSCE OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina promotes the Aarhus South-Eastern Europe Convention OSCE Presence in Albania Alma Mirvić OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina OSCE Mission in Kosovo 26 Partnering with local governments: Aarhus Centres OSCE Mission to Montenegro in Serbia OSCE Mission to Serbia Olivera Zurovac-Kuzman, Srdjan Matović and OSCE Mission to Skopje Pavle Budincević OSCE Office in Zagreb 28 The OSCE Mission to Serbia moves into the second decade Ivana Jovanović and Milos Bulj 28 Appointments Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe On the cover: Copper mine at Alaverdi, Armenia, December 2010. The OSCE works to promote co-operation on the environmental impact of mining and other industrial activities. (ENVSEC/ V. Mello) 2 3/2011 OSCE Magazine Deepening partnerships Interview with Lamberto Zannier, OSCE Secretary General T EC RF E NATHAN P NATHAN O OSCE/J amberto Zannier became the new Secretary political profile of his role and to make the LGeneral of the OSCE on 1 July 2011. A Secretariat more effective for addressing new senior Italian diplomat, lawyer and specialist in security issues such as transnational threats. security matters, he is no stranger to the OSCE. On 16 September 2011 he spoke with Virginie From 2002 to 2006 he directed the Conflict Coulloudon, Spokesperson of the OSCE and Prevention Centre, where his responsibilities Head of the Press and Public Information Sec- included overseeing the OSCE’s field opera- tion, about his plans and his vision for the tions in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Organization. South Caucasus and Central Asia. He returns to the Organization from Kosovo, where he Virginie Coulloudon: How did you find the was United Nations Special Representative for Organization five years after you left it? Kosovo and in charge of the United Nations Lamberto Zannier: The overall security situation Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo has evolved and so has the Organization and (UNMIK). the interaction between the OSCE and other “Your priorities are now my priorities,” organizations. The Organization has once Ambassador Zannier told delegates of the 56 again proven its flexibility and its ability to participating States in a speech on 4 July 2011. adjust to new security realities based on trans- He outlined his intentions to enhance the parent dialogue and constructive discussion →→ OSCE Magazine 3/2011 3 on the matter, in particular through the Corfu weapons smuggling, cyber crime: these are all process, which has made discussions on secu- threats of a global nature and we need to devel- rity more substantial. Security challenges have op tools that are different from the ones we changed significantly over the last 20 years and had in the past. We need to find ways to help will certainly continue to evolve, possibly even countries to identify common approaches to more rapidly and unpredictably than before. combating these challenges. But this does not Today, new threats have emerged that impact diminish the importance of the OSCE in other on each of us as individuals, on each of the areas. We still need to focus on the protracted participating States, and on the OSCE region as conflicts, where we in many cases managed to a whole. prevent the recurrence of conflict but unfor- tunately made only limited progress towards You refer to change. Do we need change today to sustainable solutions. We also need to continue address the new security challenges? How do you our work to strengthen democratic develop- see your role in that respect? ments in our participating States, providing The OSCE should continue to flexibly adapt support across the three dimensions of security. itself to changing situations. This does not mean that we need to reform radically, but You mentioned raising the visibility of the there should be constant efforts to make sure Organization as your second priority. that we are in line with current challenges and The OSCE is an Organization that is unique that the structures reflect what is needed at in many ways, but we have often found it dif- any point in time. In that sense, I believe that ficult to market ourselves, partly because our change is positive. It should be encouraged not work in conflict prevention is not always vis- for its own sake but to make sure that in the ible. In today’s environment, it has become way we operate, we reflect the current environ- crucial to profile ourselves more effectively and ment and our ability to respond to challenges. explain our comparative advantage. We need At the same time, we need to be careful not to better communicate how the Organization to undermine the core values and principles operates and how we can contribute to improv- which must remain the very foundation of the ing the lives of people and their security — how OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. we add value. But we also need to make an As to my role, the Chairmanship is the politi- effort to reconnect with civil society so that cal driving force in the Organization. The Sec- the wider public appreciates our relevance and retary General plays a supporting role in help- value in the face of today’s security challenges. ing the Chairmanship to achieve its objectives Another reason to raise the visibility of as well as directly supporting the dialogue the OSCE is its commitment to developing a process. He or she is the guardian of the core security community. In Astana, the heads of values of our Organization and a key element state entitled the Commemorative Declaration in ensuring the continuity of operations and “Towards a Security Community”. Focus was the sound implementation of the decisions of placed on the need to build a security commu- participating States. nity, a community of states across the northern hemisphere working together to build a frame- In your first address to the Permanent Council, you work that provides security for each of us, rely- developed your priorities as Secretary General. Your ing on conflict prevention, political dialogue, first priority was to enhance the effectiveness of the building democratic institutions, promoting Organization. Could you elaborate on this? respect for human rights and fundamental To tackle today’s security challenges and to freedoms and fostering economic co-operation. provide maximum support to participating The OSCE works for individuals, states and the States, we need to sharpen our work processes. entire region across the three dimensions of There is room for reshaping a few elements security. This interaction and this spirit of co- internally to bring them better into line with operation need to be kept alive and dynamic. the current priorities of the Organization. We need to better equip the Organization if How do you see the Organization ten years we want to address transnational threats and from now? ensure that we make a difference in dealing I believe the OSCE will still be relevant and with them. needed ten years from now. The Organization has a unique ability to adapt: it was relevant in Are transnational threats the ultimate security chal- different ways in Helsinki 35 years ago, in Paris lenge in the modern world? 20 years ago, in Istanbul 12 years ago and in In an increasingly globalized world, there Astana last year.