REPORT FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Rapporteur: Mr. Roger Williams (United Kingdom)

The 40thanniversary of the pioneering Helsinki Final Act is approaching rapidly, which providesthe opportunity to reflect on and fulfil further progress towards the commitments undertaken in theAct. The agreement, signed in 1975, was unique in broadening the definition of security byincluding the economic-environmental and the human dimensions to the existing external securityof states. These three dimensions are fundamental to the maintenance of overall stability andsecurity in Europe. This year leading up to the milestone gives us time to reaffirm commitmentsand to develop further action lines for the OSCE.The Helsinki Final Act is characterised and guided primarily by the notion of co-operation, whichcontinues to resonate in the 21stcentury. Over the years it has become apparent how important theeconomic-environmental dimension is to the promise of European co-operation and security. Theimportance of this dimension has increased and become more relevant as we face the challenges offinancial crises, energy issues, pollution, food security, water security and climate change.

Ensuring Food and Water Security

Despite States realising that these challenges facing the world today can only be properly addressedthrough co-operation and accepting that some important strides have been made towards closer co-operation to protect the natural environment, the international community has too often failed toaddress various environmental crises sufficiently. The “Helsinki +40” theme stresses the need forthe OSCE to readjust its overall Security Strategy to the new security environment. Beyondanything else, Helsinki +40 stresses the need for greater transparency, accountability and consensusto prevail in the work that the OSCE must seek to promote. Individual countries’ efforts benefitfrom the synergy of working together; stability and security depend upon the identification ofcommon causes and pursuing them. The Helsinki +40 process would benefit largely from arenewed emphasis on the environmental commitments of participating States. As pointed out by mypredecessor last year, today’s environmental challenges should be viewed as the existential securitythreats that they are, and should be addressed with the same diligence as conflict resolution andprevention.Water, energy, and food issues – which are closely inter-related – have significant implications forsecurity and stability within States as well as across borders. At the same time, these issues can befurther explored as opportunities for conflict prevention and confidence-building. In preparation forthe 40thanniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, we should consider what role the OSCE has to playin addressing the water-energy-food nexus from a stability and security perspective.The availability and affordability of life’s necessities are the keys to prosperous and cohesivecommunities. States are facing increasing challenges to ensure that food and water are available andaffordable for their citizens. These challenges have arisen due to the increased price volatility offoodstuffs, caused by severe weather events and climate change, and the increase of the globalpopulation. It is estimated that by 2050 the global population will have reached a total of 9.6 billion.According to a report produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the UN agencies and the

World Bank, the world will need 70 per cent more food, as measured by calories, to feed theenlarged global population.1

Possible Solutions

A planned response to these problems will necessitate that States work together across a wide rangeof policies. This will result in greater resilience, compared to States investing on their own. There isan obvious role for the OSCE and our committee to facilitate that co-operation.The broad aim will be to promote “sustainable intensification” as outlined in the Foresight report“The Future of Food and Farming” produced by Professor Sir John Beddington. The term“sustainable intensification” implies producing more food with fewer inputs, while protectingnatural capital, such as water, biodiversity and ecosystem services. There are multiple approaches toaddressing food security, and much can be done today with existing knowledge. It is vital that foodsecurity initiatives include all areas of science and technology that can make a valuable impact.Food security must be achieved through improvements in the way people produce and consume,while taking into account the environment. A significant increase in agricultural and fisheriesproduction could be achieved by the adoption of existing best practice. The OSCE can facilitate thattechnology and knowledge transfer, particularly by using mobile phone and web-basedtechnologies. Also, new research on crop and animal production needs to be undertaken to producenew varieties, improve husbandry techniques, and to optimise water usage in agriculture. OSCEcountries can co-operate to ensure that no duplication takes place of research effort and that synergyis maximised.There is a need for more young people to engage in agriculture, and we need to take steps toencourage young people to study agricultural science. OSCE countries could achieve this throughfacilitating transnational courses in agricultural science. Furthermore, the role of women inagriculture is often relegated to menial and unprofitable activities. They often suffer from lack ofeducation and lack of funds to invest in new technologies and inputs, such as fertilizers. Smallholdings often lack modern farming methods and lead to poverty and deprivation. Extensionservices must be set up to bring more productive systems to small holdings and particularly women.Small holdings often suffer from a lack of secure land tenure. If investment is to be made, it isimportant to establish secure land tenure.There is little doubt that the scale of global food waste is substantial. It has been estimated that asmuch as 30 per cent of all food grown worldwide may be lost or wasted before and after it reachesthe consumer.2The OSCE can lead in the reduction of waste in food chains. Improvement in post-harvest management can make a great difference in preventing damage from rain, insect pests andhigh ambient temperatures. Often cheap, but effective, on-farm storage can make a real differencetogether with good transport to markets. Improved processing and manufacture can add value aswell as prolong shelf life. In some prosperous countries much waste takes place at the retail andconsumer level. Further work needs to be done to educate the consumer to reduce waste throughsmarter purchasing.

With the increased competition for, and scarcity of, inputs into food production, water is the mostpressing, with significant effects on regional productivity likely to occur by 2030. Demand forwater is increasing for personal use, agricultural irrigation and manufacturing. The days of cheapwater that can be used without limit are over. Crop varieties must be found that can thrive andproduce high yields with lower water inputs. Water must be treated and reused and recycled.Sewage that has in the past been thought of as waste must be recycled to produce energy, cleanwater and important nutrients. In addition, excessive water abstraction can have very negativeeffects on ecosystems, but also on communities and States that depend on the same water catchmentareas. The OSCE has already intervened to settle disputes between States, and this work continues.Additionally, it is essential that there is a better understanding of the greenhouse gas emissions indifferent food production systems to find ways to reduce them. The emissions of greenhouse gassesare higher in meat and dairy production and as global prosperity increases, so does the demand forthese foods. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to a changing climate willbecome imperative. Climate knows no boundaries or frontiers. What we do in our own countryaffects every other country on earth. Every State has to take responsibility, but that determination ismade much more powerful through co-operation. Energy security is essential to allow communitiesand nations to achieve economic growth and stability. Building confidence will enable trade infuels, involving both governments and the private sector. Green or sustainable energy generationwill also grow as a proportion of the energy mix and will create jobs while reducing carbonemissions. The OSCE has a role to play in sharing these developing technologies, which will helptackle this problem.Supporting sustainable development in mountainous regions is also of concern to this Committee.Mountain areas occupy 24 per cent of the total land area of the earth, with a 12 per cent populationliving in this area. It is important to remember that mountains provide the lion’s share of resourcesto livelihood and mankind, such as fresh water, vital biodiversity resources, food resources, forestsand minerals. The growing industrial development of mountainous areas and the impact of globalwarming increases the pressure on the fragile ecology of the area. This leads to a sharp increase innatural and man-made disasters, diseases and impoverishment of the population and also itsmigration to the more densely populated areas. It is therefore important that governments,international and financial institutions are encouraged to support the sustainable development inmountainous regions.

Tackling Climate Change

Typhoon Haiyan, which brought massive devastation to the Philippines, and other natural disastersare reminders of how critical the climate change situation is.3In his message to the OSCE’s 20thMinisterial Council in Kyiv, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised the vital partnershipbetween the UN and the OSCE, especially in long-term issues, such as combating climate change.4Climate change affects agricultural conditions and the life of people in general. A study on theDniester basin vulnerability to climate change predicts a temperature rise by 2050, and driersummers with less flow, but also more frequent and heavier rains in the basin due to the changes inprecipitation. World leaders have convened every year since 1995 to assess progress in dealing withclimate change, but with the exception of agreeing to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which is nowvirtually defunct, they have consistently failed to agree to meaningful standards to limit theirgreenhouse gas emissions.3

These changing climatic conditions will affect crop growth and livestock performance, theavailability of water, fisheries and aquaculture yields, and the functioning of ecosystem services inall regions.5Extreme weather events are also likely to become more severe and more frequent,increasing volatility in production and prices. Significant climate change is inevitable, andinvestment in food system adaptation to climate change is a priority.As the Istanbul Declaration sets out, recognizing that these environmental challenges, such asclimate change, require world leaders to make compromises at an international level, and that in thisregard the Helsinki +40 process can serve as a powerful reminder of the spirit of co-operation thatbrought together East and West in the context of the Cold War.

The Importance of Science and Technology

Investment in science and technology reaps great dividends in promoting economic growth fornations and improved employment and living standards for individuals. During the recent periods ofausterity, many nations have been able to maintain or increase public investment in science, whichshortened and lightened the recession. It is important for States to adopt fiscal systems thatencourage private companies to invest in research and development.Great added value can be achieved when Universities, public sector research facilities and privateenterprises co-ordinate and co-operate in research. Good examples of increased co-ordination arethe Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany, and other States are following suit. International co-operationis also very productive. Research into life sciences can deliver advances and improvements inmedicine and food production across the globe and increasing research into technology lies at theheart of making manufacturing, transport and energy more efficient and emit less carbon.A determination to enhance green technology must be at the core of research, which will not onlyreduce climate change, but also enhance employment and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.The use of scientific research to deliver practical improvements in manufacturing, communications,medicine, agriculture, and service industries is vital for sustainable economic progress. Technologytransfer lies at the heart of this process and must receive sufficient investment to maximise thereturn on scientific advances.

Continued Co-operation in the Economic Sphere

In the economic sphere we can see that there is a continued need for co-operation. Moderateimprovement in the global economy has been patchy and even where the recovery has beengreatest, it remains fragile. As we see throughout all our 57 participating States, many citizens stillsuffer from the global recession. Austerity has had a detrimental effect on people’s lives throughunemployment, falling living standards and a reduction in public services. Austerity must not beseen as an end in itself, but as a way to achieve a more sustainable growing economy benefiting allits citizens. The main cause of the recession was the failure of large national and internationalfinancial institutions through poor governance. States must be encouraged to adopt regulations thatlimit risk based speculation, yet enables financial bodies to provide capital for investment to restartnational economies through improvements in infrastructure and long term projects. The OSCE has a

role to play in co-ordinating national governments to move away from retrenchment into solidinvestments, which will provide the foundations for a sound improvement in the global economy.Economic migration and migration due to environmental change are growing factors in maintainingstability and security. Migration can provide opportunities for people to improve their lives whilebuilding the economies of countries that receive them. Unplanned and excessive movements cancause tension and adversely affect the provision of public services.The OSCE needs to work on migration management to increase the benefits and reduce thepotential negative implications. The OSCE must work with Member States on a strategy to ensurethat all citizens regardless of gender, race or family background have access to a full range ofeducation, training and health support. It is only through social mobility that the full potential ofindividuals and states can be achieved.Economic migration, particularly from North Africa, has put a great burden on Southern EuropeanStates. It has also resulted in the loss of a large number of lives, as vessels used for this activity areoften unseaworthy. The OSCE should work with Southern European countries and our partners inNorth Africa to protect migrants and provide facilities for them if they arrive in Europe.Trade is often disrupted by man-made and natural disasters. Borders need to be secure, but alsorobust and resilient to enable trade to continue during periods of heightened threat levels and alerts.This would enable the national economies to maintain cross-border activity. Natural disasters alsohave the effect of disrupting economic growth, which hinders trade and has harmful consequencenot only in the State involved, but also its trading partners. Resources to deal with such emergenciescould be coordinated between States, because their successful resolution would benefit all tradingpartners.Furthermore, work must be done to encourage participating States to translate the 2012 DublinMinisterial Declaration on Strengthening Good Governance and Combating Corruption, MoneyLaundering and the Financing of Terrorism into better and more effective policies, legalframeworks and regulations at state and regional level.Finally, trade unions play an essential role of representation, negotiation and resolution. They are acontemporary achievement of advanced societies that has allowed collective bargaining of workingconditions and a peaceful channelling of eventual conflicts in this field. The balance betweenworkers’ interests and those of companies has given Europe half a century of social peace,prosperity, and economic growth. For these reasons, the generalisation of trade unions, their legalprotection and the legal acknowledgement of their privileged position as stakeholders, should havea legal basis in OSCE countries as part of their external and internal security systems.