NEWS

Vienna part of Review Conference ahead of OSCE Summit to focus on politico-military, economic and environmental security dimensions

            VIENNA, 15 October 2010 - The second segment of a three-part Review Conference with a focus on politico-military, economic and environmental dimensions of the OSCE's work, ahead of the OSCE Summit in Astana, will begin next week in Vienna.

            The Vienna part of the conference, which takes place from 18 to 26 October, will review the implementation of existing OSCE principles and commitments by 56 participating States of the Organization in these two areas, and identify ways forward in these fields.

The participants will discuss such aspects of the politico-military dimension as transnational threats; early warning, conflict prevention and resolution, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation; challenges emanating from the territory of Afghanistan and the OSCE's contribution to stability in the region; as well as the role and perspectives of arms control and confidence- and security-building regimes, in establishing trust in the evolving security environment.

            Economic aspects of the OSCE work to be discussed at the Review Conference include strengthening good governance through promoting transparency, as well as combating corruption; transport and energy security; migration; ensuring sustainable development and economic growth through promoting technological innovation and modernization, as well as fostering social development. Capacity-building for environmental governance; protecting the environment; sustainable use and management of natural resources and preventing pollution, land degradation, ecological risks, natural and man-made disasters will be the topics of the environmental cluster of the event.

            Separate sessions will focus on the external co-operation, legal and institutional matters. They include enhancing the role and further strengthening capabilities of the OSCE executive structures, co-operation with Partner countries, international and regional organizations, decision-making process within the Organization, and the OSCE's legal framework.

            The conference results will contribute to discussions at the Summit later this year.

            Non-governmental organizations and mass media will have access to the sessions on economic and environmental dimension matters on 19-26 October, as well as to the session on lessons learnt from field activities in the context of OSCE executive structures discussion on 21 October at 15:00.

Deputy Head of the Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry's OSCE Department Yerbolat Sembayev, the OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, and the Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Wolfgang Grossruck, will participate in the formal opening of the Vienna part of the Review Conference.

            Journalists are invited to attend the opening session, set to start at 15:00 on 18 October, in the Hofburg Congress Centre's Neuer Saal. Segmentgalerie II of the Hofburg will be the press working area.

Please, note that advance media registration is necessary. Only registered media will be granted access. To register, please, send an e-mail to press@osce.org

            For admittance to the Hofburg Congress Centre, please bring your OSCE press badge or a valid press card to the security desk (main entrance from the Heldenplatz).

            The agenda and other information on the event will be available on the Review Conference website: http://www.osce.org/conferences/revcon_2_2010.html

Date of issue: 2010-10-15