OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2021-22
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 19
Offentligt

AS (22) DRS 2 E

DRAFT RESOLUTION

FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND ENVIRONMENT

RAPPORTEUR

Ms. Gudrun Kugler

Austria

BIRMINGHAM, 2

–

6 JULY 2022

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Rapporteur: Ms. Gudrun Kugler (Austria)

Recalling the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, in which participating States

recognized that “efforts to develop co-operation in the fields of trade, industry,

science and technology, the environment and other areas of economic activity

contribute to the reinforcement of peace and security in Europe and in the world

as a whole,”

Categorically condemning the Russian Federation’s military invasion of

Ukraine, and reiterating the disastrous humanitarian, socio-economic, and

environmental consequences of conflicts, including in terms of food and water

security,

Applauding the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/21 on Strengthening

Co-operation to Address the Challenges caused by the Climate Change

adopted at the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council,

Welcoming the priorities of the Polish Chairmanship focused on promoting

sustainable economic recovery, advancing women’s economic empowerment,

and addressing environmental risks, and reiterating the support of the OSCE

PA for the work of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and

Environmental Activities in aiding participating States to implement economic

and environmental commitments in the OSCE region,

Supporting the focus of the OSCE’s 30th Economic and Environmental Forum

on “Promoting security and stability in the OSCE area through sustainable

economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”, and welcoming the OSCE

PA contribution in this framework,

Stressing the unique role of national parliaments in adopting legislation,

mobilizing resources, promoting public participation, and creating cross-

regional responses to advance economic and environmental security, promote

sustainable development, and implement relevant international commitments

in the OSCE region,

Alarmed that the war in Ukraine has significantly weakened stability,

connectivity, and prosperity across the OSCE region, and cognizant of the

adverse impact of sanctions on trade and citizens,

Concerned by the profound economic and social repercussions of the COVID-

19 pandemic, which has severely affected the lives of millions of citizens across

the region, and cognizant that, to better mitigate the impact of the health crisis

on vulnerable communities and particularly exposed sectors, many OSCE

participating States have enacted unprecedented fiscal, monetary, and

financial support measures which led,

inter alia,

to rising sovereign debt levels

and higher inflation rates,

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

Confirming that, while international trade and relations have been strained by

the prolonged health crisis and the war in Ukraine, economic connectivity

remains key to promote stability and prosperity across the OSCE region,

Stressing that the international community should learn from the COVID-19

pandemic to prevent and build resilience against future similar crises through

more responsible, forward-looking, and environmentally-friendly policies,

thereby balancing our civilization’s development needs with citizens’ legitimate

economic and environmental concerns,

Underlining the goal of promoting economic security through innovation, human

capital, good governance, and interconnectivity, as well as maximizing the role

of the digital economy as a driver for competitiveness and inclusive growth,

Taking note of the demographic changes in the OSCE region that affect both

economic prosperity and the future performance of social security systems,

Underlining the growing migratory pressure experienced by many participating

States within the context of labor, development, and climate, and

acknowledging the significant surge in environmentally driven migration and

displacement,

Alarmed by the rise of human trafficking in a globalized economy, the growing

misuse of digital technologies to exploit other human beings, and the use of

forced labor that is increasingly prevalent in the production of goods and

services,

Expressing concern over the persistent lack of transparency in the work of

public entities and widely perceived corruption in public offices that continue to

hamper citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and processes,

Recalling the OSCE PA 2018 Berlin Declaration, which urged parliaments to

adopt legislation to establish or further develop anti-corruption policies and to

promote best practices to ensure a genuinely free and competitive market, as

well as enable sustainable and environmentally friendly economic growth,

Underlining the benefits of a clean environment on socio-economic

development, including reduced public spending on medical treatments and

positive impact on work productivity, and reiterating the relevance of food and

water security across the OSCE region, especially against the backdrop of

climate change and conflict,

Inspired by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17

Sustainable Development Goals that call for action to end poverty, protect the

planet and ensure peace and prosperity for current and future generations,

Fully realizing that comprehensive security is not attainable without addressing

several interrelated environmental crises including climate change, biodiversity

loss, unsustainable use of natural resources, and pollution in all its forms,

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

20.

Recalling the nexus between the environment and security recognized by the

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in the 1992 Budapest Declaration, as well as

the notion of protecting the planet’s health to preserve our own recognized by

the Assembly in 1995 Ottawa and 1996 Stockholm Declarations,

Recognizing that the connection between environmental security and public

health is profound and, therefore, should feature prominently in the international

security agenda,

Particularly concerned that pollution, in all its forms, represents a major health

hazard which should be studied, regularly monitored, and evaluated carefully,

including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,

Noting with concern the latest report of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which underlines the “unequivocal” threat

that climate change poses to human well-being and the health of the planet,

Acknowledging that human-influenced climate change is increasingly disrupting

weather systems, impacting national economies, costing lives, and affecting

communities in countries around the world, and that, as such, it must be

addressed resolutely through enhanced international co-operation and co-

ordination at all levels, which takes into account its differentiated impact on

different regions and individuals,

Welcoming the steps taken since the 2015 United Nations Climate Change

Conference (COP21) and the adoption of the Paris Agreement with the goal of

holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above

pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5

°C above pre-industrial levels,

Also welcoming the outcomes of COP26 in strengthening efforts to build

resilience to climate change, curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and

provide the necessary finance for both, as well as the European Green Deal's

objective to make the European Union climate neutral by 2050,

Recalling the OSCE PA 2019 Luxembourg Declaration, which urged

parliaments and governments of OSCE participating States to strengthen their

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with the goal of limiting the use of

fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and replacing them with cleaner

sources of energy while increasing energy efficiency,

Welcoming the 2021 OSCE PA Parliamentary Plea for Resolute Climate Action

which,

inter alia,

urged OSCE governments to (1) drastically reduce GHG

emissions in line with capping temperature increases at 1.5 degrees, (2)

develop effective adaptation strategies, (3) mobilize the necessary financial

resources, and (4) co-operate across the board,

Recognizing that over 70% of human-caused GHG emissions stem from the

energy sector, and therefore underlining the urgency to prioritize the greening

of participating States’ energy and transportation networks, industrial and

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

heating/cooling processes, as well as to promote circular economy patterns

across the OSCE region to support the transition to a low-carbon and more

resilient future,

30.

Also stressing the benefit of carbon-neutral agricultural policies, forest

conservation and management, as well as sustainable land use for food

security, rural development, and the eradication of poverty,

Highlighting the need to implement a green transition that is fair and beneficial

for workers, consumers, companies, and states, including by safeguarding

decent work conditions, promoting more equitable access to natural resources,

and making our economies more resilient, innovative, and competitive,

Concerned by the growing instability of energy markets, as illustrated by the

high volatility of prices prompted by a combination of geopolitical tensions,

supply bottlenecks, limited storage, and the rebounding of the economy from

the COVID-19 crisis, and which contributed, inter alia, to higher inflation rates

in many OSCE participating States,

Convinced that enhancing and diversifying energy supplies towards clean

energy sources is instrumental to achieve carbon-neutrality, alleviate energy

dependency, and make energy more accessible, resilient, and affordable for all

human needs, thereby minimizing related geopolitical tensions and avoiding

new forms of energy poverty,

Recognizing that, in the long run, fossil fuel energy is constrained by too many

environmental and social drawbacks while new clean energy sources are likely

to become increasingly viable, and therefore determined to accelerate the clean

energy transition, including through well calibrated carbon pricing, the

expansion of carbon-neutral, affordable, and sustainable energy strategies, and

sustained investments in research and technological innovation,

Realizing that the energy transition - intended as the global energy sector’s shift

from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to cleaner

energy sources - implies gradual changes and structural ruptures, as well as

systemic shifts,

Underscoring the role of private business and citizens’ cooperatives in

advancing the clean energy transition, and underlining that good governance,

economic diversification, social dialogue, social protection, availability of

transition funds, as well as skills development, are important aspects of an

equitable energy transition,

Welcoming the critical contribution of science and technology in offering viable

solutions to economic and environmental problems that the world is facing, and

stressing the importance of a strong and transparent science-policy interface to

better inform critical decisions needed to tackle climate change, promote

sustainable development and economic growth, protect the environment and

safeguard citizens’ health,

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

38.

Recognizing that the rapid digitalization process taking place across the OSCE

area is generating substantial changes in all spheres of life, and underlining the

incredible development opportunities stemming from new technologies, such

as Artificial Intelligence (AI), but also the potential threats arising from their

misuse,

Expressing concern about the increasingly frequent misuse of modern

communication platforms to spread disinformation and propaganda, and

manipulate public opinion, while reiterating the importance of protecting

freedom of speech, both offline and online,

Welcoming the Parliamentary Web Dialogues organized by the OSCE PA on

22 April 2020 on “The Economic Security Fallout of the COVID-19 Pandemic”,

on 22 May 2020 on “COVID-19: A turning point for environmental protection?”,

on 25 May 2021 on “Framing the Environmental Security – Public Health

Nexus” and on 4 February 2022 on “The Clean Energy Revolution and its

Implications for the OSCE Region” as excellent opportunities to share relevant

parliamentary experience, interface with the scientific community, and promote

policy greater convergence around several topical issues on the 2nd Committee

agenda,

39.

40.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:

41.

Reiterates its call on all OSCE participating States to redouble their efforts to

identify and pursue co-operative solutions to our common economic and

environmental security challenges, including those related to economic

recovery, connectivity, migration, trafficking in human beings, good

governance, climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, cyber

security, and disinformation;

Urges participating States to promote socio-economic development in the

OSCE region and beyond - in line with the Sustainable Development Goals -

with the aim to foster regional stability and prosperity;

Calls on the OSCE participating States to strengthen co-operation to achieve

sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by,

inter alia,

accelerating the deployment of green technologies, enhancing economic

growth and connectivity, and supporting human capital development;

Urges governments, in the context of the military invasion of Ukraine, to

consider effective and well-coordinated actions in the economic and

environmental spheres aimed at mitigating the impact of the conflict and

restoring international peace and security, which should bear minimal

repercussions on the civilian population;

Calls on participating States to develop initiatives for strengthening inter-

generational relations and dialogue, enhancing the quality of life in old age, and

raising living standards across the whole region, and encourages national

authorities to monitor demographic changes in the OSCE region through

dedicated working groups, committees and departments, with the aim to better

42.

43.

44.

45.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

understand plausible causes and consequences as well as to consider viable

strategies for remedial action, such as various family supportive measures and

other measures intended to revitalize “depopulated” areas through

infrastructure, digitalization, smart working, intergenerational housing and

telemedicine;

46.

Encourages the OSCE participating States to reconsider their supply of energy,

spectrum-auction policies, sales of infrastructure and companies, purchases of

key communications and safety technology, and debt management with the aim

of protecting their independence, particularly, but not only from China, and

achieve geopolitical stability and global security;

Urges the OSCE participating States to promote effective, sustainable and

human-rights compliant migration governance, develop adequate legal

pathways for economic migration, ensure comprehensive border security and

increase international co-operation to address the socio-economic and

environmental drivers of migration and displacement, including push factors

such as poverty, weak rule of law, and the lack of economic opportunities in the

countries of origin;

Urges participating States to prioritize and ensure a proactive leadership role in

economy-based development co-operation and to create competence-based

long-term strategies with clear and measurable goals to enhance economic co-

operation with neighboring regions in order to foster security in the OSCE

region;

Calls upon parliaments to adopt new legislation with the aim of preventing

human trafficking in supply chains through import bans, reporting laws,

disclosure laws, and due diligence laws, thereby leveraging the power of

“demand” to break the business model of trafficking and enabling enterprises

to engage ethically in the global market;

Encourages parliaments to take action to discourage the demand fostering

trafficking for sexual exploitation, including by strengthening prevention and

criminal justice frameworks to hold accountable those who use victims of

trafficking;

Calls on the OSCE participating States to establish specialized anti-trafficking

units, strengthen multi-agency co-operation and upgrade relevant policies -

including by reflecting the increasingly predominant role that technology plays

in facilitating human trafficking to effectively fight traffickers and protect the

victims;

Encourages parliaments to duly regulate issues such as conflicts of interest,

transparency in party financing and lobbying practices, as well as to adopt and

implement advanced anti-corruption legislation - including sound ultimate

beneficial ownership laws - and oversee the independence of relevant anti-

corruption authorities with the aim to ensure free, fair and competitive markets,

as well as promote sustainable economic growth;

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

53.

Urges governments to establish effective internal and external controls and

audits, thus enhancing transparency and accountability of public authorities,

and to adopt and implement robust regulatory frameworks intended to mitigate

risks relating to money laundering and terrorist financing, in line with relevant

international standards;

Calls on governments of the OSCE participating States to redouble coordinated

efforts in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

and relevant OSCE commitments, duly reconciling global economic progress

with social justice and the preservation of the environment, and urges national

parliaments to develop coherent and well-informed legislative proposals in this

context;

Prompts participating States to redirect efforts towards shaping a truly

sustainable, carbon-neutral, development model in which environmental,

economic, social, and public health factors are duly factored in and to

implement policies such as well-calibrated carbon taxes, effective emission

trading systems, and subsidies for low carbon industries and agriculture to

leverage incentives toward a more green and healthy economy;

Urges the OSCE participating States to increase their efforts in the protection

of the environment, sustainable use of natural resources, and the conservation

and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity and to integrate nature-based

solutions into adaptation strategies that considers social, economic and cultural

co-benefits for local communities;

Calls on national authorities to regularly monitor the status of the environment

and strengthen efforts aimed at identifying the main causes of environmental

degradation, better understanding how the latter affects different public health

components and proposing viable solutions to protect citizens’ health,

especially in the context of pollution and micro- and nano plastic particles;

Urges the OSCE participating States to drastically cut their GHG emissions in

line with the Paris Agreement and the COP26 Glasgow Conclusions - including

by committing to progressively more ambitious emission reduction targets

through realistic NDCs aimed at capping temperature increases at 1.5 degrees

– and to boost the low-carbon energy transition by enhancing and diversifying

clean energy sources, incentivizing energy efficiency, prioritizing clean energy

technologies, and making economically viable new sources of clean energy,

including through sharp reductions of public subsidies to fossil fuels;

Calls on participating States to enhance early warning systems, improve hazard

mapping, increase capacity for disaster preparedness and response, and set

up contingency funding plans to prepare for the increased frequency of climate-

related shocks;

Encourages the OSCE participating States to support a community-based

approach in adapting to climate change, which should be focused on local

communities’ priorities, needs, knowledge, and capacities, including the

differentiated needs of women and men as well as the elderly and children, low-

54.

55.

56.

57.

58.

59.

60.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

income groups, and people with disabilities, thus empowering people to better

plan for and cope with the impact of climate change;

61.

Exhorts the OSCE participating States to meet existing financial commitments

and come forward with new ambitious climate finance pledges, and prompts

the mobilization of private financial flows towards climate action by

implementing incentives to support lending and investment into green projects,

including through the adoption of appropriate regulatory frameworks;

Urges national parliaments to adopt coherent legislation, mobilize adequate

resources and actively monitor the implementation of the Paris Agreement

commitments, thereby facilitating inter-disciplinary knowledge-sharing,

promote public participation and build critical public support for resolute climate

action;

Urges participating States to avoid all energy-related confrontations and to

strengthen their energy dialogue within the OSCE region and other relevant

international fora, with the aim to depoliticize energy issues, foster climate

diplomacy, and address upcoming energy threats in a collaborative manner;

Urges parliamentarians to ensure that citizens are placed at the core of the

energy transition process, and that costs and benefits are distributed evenly

throughout society so that no one is left behind, including through financial

support mechanisms and suitable policies;

Calls on the OSCE participating States to harness the opportunities offered by

science, digitalization, and technological innovation to support the green

transition, ensure inclusiveness, and develop effective, coherent and well-

informed responses to the many interrelated economic and environmental

challenges affecting the region;

Calls on participating States to keep abreast of developments in the field of new

technologies - and in particular of Artificial Intelligence - and ensure that citizens

and their security needs remain at the core of all relevant efforts, including by

promoting multi-stakeholder dialogues, making sure that critical decisions are

taken by humans and introducing mandatory labeling when dealing with AI;

Encourages OSCE participating States to promote greater economic resilience

through alternative processes and analogue backup plans for critical supply

chains and infrastructure services;

Urges parliaments of the OSCE participating States to develop balanced

legislative frameworks to prevent the misuse of social media platforms in

spreading disinformation and propaganda, including by ensuring that their

algorithms are clear, transparent, and impartial and by strengthening

information literacy, particularly among children and youth, while also

safeguarding freedom of speech and protecting children and youth in the online

sphere, in particular with regard to violence, gambling, pornography, and

psychological dependency;

62.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

69.

Invites the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology, and

the Environment of the OSCE PA to continue raising awareness and providing

an open platform to share experiences, interface with the scientific world, and

foster policy convergence around key economic and environmental security

challenges in the OSCE region, including through dedicated initiatives in

partnership with the OSCE Executive Structures and other relevant actors.

OSCE, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 19: OSCE PA Practical and procedural information og udkast til rapporter og resolutionstekster for de 3 komiteer i forbindelse med dette års Annual Session

GENERAL COMMITTEE ON

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

PROPOSED AMENDMENT to the DRAFT RESOLUTION

[Set out text of Amendment here:]

Principal Sponsor:

Mr/Mrs

Family Name in

Capital Letters

Country

Signature

Co-sponsored by:

Mr/Mrs

Family Name in

Capital Letters

Country

Signature