OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

OSCE's parlamentariske Forsamling 2004-05 (2. samling)
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 46
Offentligt

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NIARY ASSF,

OSCE's parlamentariske Forsamling

(2. samling)

OSCE alm. del - Bilag 46

Offentligt

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly — 4th Sub-Regional

Conference

The High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation

12-13 May 2005

OPENING REMARKS

Congressman Alcee L. HASTINGS

President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

Mr. President,

Mr. Foreign Minister,

Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me begin by extending the collective gratitude of the OSCE Parliamentary

Assembly to our Norwegian hosts for their hospitality in welcoming all of us in this

beautiful city of Tromsoe for the Assembly's Fourth Sub-Regional Conference.

Your invitation, Mr. Speaker, reflects once more the traditional commitment of

Norway to the CSCE / OSCE process.

The Norwegian Chairmanship of the OSCE in 1999 succeeded in enhancing the

OSCE as a unique Organisation in our continent, devoted to preventive diplomacy,

conflict prevention and post-conflict rehabilitation.

The Chairman-in-Office at the time, Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, was also

instrumental in the development of relations between the OSCE and the OSCE

Parliamentary Assembly.

Distinguished Members,

This Fourth Sub-Regional Conference reflects the increasing contribution of the

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in environmental and security matters.

The Assembly's Sub-regional conferences, held on a bi-annual basis, have been

designed to build and strengthen contacts between sub-regional organisations in order

to promote trade expansion and help implement programmes in fields as varied as

transportation, energy, environment, culture, and cross-border co-operation.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

Dear colleagues,

This Tromso Conference has been designed to cover a wide variety of issues affecting

environmental and security concerns in the high north. Altogether about 4 million

people live in the Arctic parts of eight OSCE participating States: Canada, Denmark,

Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.

I am sure the sessions ahead will help us better understand the challenges in this

important area of the OSCE.

As stated by Foreign Minister Petersen a few weeks ago in Washington, profound

changes have taken place in the High North since the days of the cold war. Mr.

Petersen stated that at that time developments were dominated by the huge military

presences and hence by military security policy issues.

Today, military policy is not such a dominant consideration. New security challenges

— related to climate change, environment and resource management — are now high on

the political agenda. Global security is related to how we protect the natural resources

on which our lives depend.

I could not agree more with your statement, Mr. Minister, and I hope that in this

conference that we inaugurate today we address these important challenges.

When talking about challenges, Petroleum exploitation comes to mind. We will have

a full panel of experts addressing this issue in the conference.

The oil and gas resources of our world are clearly limited. We are now facing new

situations where countries want to extract them in protected areas, thereby threatening

the existence of protected species and indigenous people; this is not a long term

solution.

Economic development and environmental protection must be linked.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

That's why we welcome initiatives whose goal is to invest in green energies or who

try to challenge resource-intensive approaches.

Renewable sources are the energy of the future. We should encourage the

development of renewable energies — particularly energy from wind, water, solar

power and biomass.

A few days ago — under the auspices of the United Nations - a coalition of

institutional investors, recognizing that climate change embodies significant risks and

opportunities for investors and our economy, called on other investors, fund managers

and financial advisors, companies, and government to respond affirmatively and

definitively to climate change, and stated their intention to move forward in the

protection of the environment.

I welcome such initiatives that also prove the private sector is ready and willing to

commit for a better future.

Norway has always been a leader in developing such policies. Sustainable

development is a concept of Norwegian origin, and has since become one of the most

successful approaches to be introduced in many years. In fact, it has helped to shape

the international agenda and the international community's attitude towards economic,

social and environmental development.

Let me invite you to keep the concept of sustainable development foremost in our

minds during our coming discussions:

"development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising

the ability offuture generations to meet their own needs". As defined by the

Brundtland Commission.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

We must support strong economic and social development, in particular for people

with a low standard of living. At the same time we must underline the importance of

protecting the environment.

Economic and social well-being cannot be improved with measures that destroy

the environment. Intergenerational solidarity is also crucial: development has to

take into account its impact on opportunities for future generations.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly believes that sustainable development should be

implemented in the OSCE area, in order to curb the disintegrating effects of

globalisation and to reduce the disparities existing throughout our region.

Therefore, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is working to support market

economies in compliance with sustainable development and aims to play an

integrating role, by fostering co-operation on economic and environmental matters.

I would also like to welcome the program of the current Russian Federation

Chairmanship of the Artic Council.

The Russian Chairmanship's proposal to celebrate an International Polar Year in

2007-2008 can count on our full support.

Let me conclude on another environmental note by encouraging you in the debates

ahead to address ways to better cooperate to conserve, protect and restore the

ecosystems of the Arctic.

Let us not forget that a major issue facing us is whether human-induced climate

warming can lead to large reductions in the ice cover of the Arctic Ocean. This would

have a profound influence on all life in the region, and may also have unforeseen

effects on global climate. Judging by the number of participants from non-arctic

OSCE, Alm.del - 2004-05 (2. samling) - Bilag 46: Opening remarks from Alcee Hastings on Conference on the High North: Environment, Security and Cooperation 12-13 May 2005

States at this Conference, I believe that this point is already accepted by many others

around the OSCE.

Again, Mr. Speaker thanks for this opportunity you have given us to discuss these

issues in these beautiful surroundings.

Thank you