"Following the tragedy of September 11, Europe and the rest of the
world entered into a new era of insecurity," according to Mrs. Brigita
Schmögnerová, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) at a round-table discussion on an integrated
policy approach to security and development which took place during
the Commission's fifty-seventh session. New ways will have to be found not
only to control the financing of terrorism, but also to design new security
systems for transport, communications and energy infrastructures to make
them less vulnerable to terrorist attacks. UNECE has invaluable experience
which can help the international community to fight the terrorist threat.
"It is the day-by-day security of people which is of growing concern,
not only the protection of borders. On the economic and 'human' aspects
of security the UNECE can contribute significantly", said Mrs. Michèle
Pranchère-Tomassini, Vice-Chairperson of the Commission.
"The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
is and will always be present and active when security issues are concerned,
particularly the economic aspects of security," stated Mr. Jan Kubis,
Secretary-General of the OSCE. The OSCE has developed key instruments providing
early warning systems and consolidating Europe's conflict-prevention capacity,
with a broad range of activities at all levels. The OSCE however is not
an economic organization and has no vocation to become one. Since 1978 there
has been close cooperation between the UNECE and the OSCE on the economic
aspects of security, based on the complementarity of both organizations.
Today the scope for cooperation could be extended.
During the round table, Mr. Patrick Hardouin, Director of Economic Affairs
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), said that it was obvious
that if the economic factors were not covered when dealing with security
or military affairs, there would be no significant result. Mr. Ivan D. Ivanov,
Deputy Director, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Europe, also
stressed that economic and security issues were inextricably interlinked.
He therefore recommended that the economic arm of OSCE should be enhanced.
Strengthening and extending cooperation with UNECE was a possible solution.
Mr. Yves Berthelot, Director, United Nations Intellectual History Project,
Senior Fellow UNITAR, and former Executive Secretary of the UNECE, said
that the UNECE had for a long time been making its contribution and been
developing instruments that have a considerable impact on security. He gave
a number of examples of such instruments, for instance in cross-border water
management arrangements, transport of dangerous goods and security in tunnels,
or energy security. The merit of this session, he said, was to raise the
profile of the UNECE in the policy dialogue on the economic aspects of security
and conflict prevention.
For further information please contact:
UNECE Information Service
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: +41(0)22 917 44 44
Fax: +41(0)22 917 05 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/
Ref: ECE/GEN/02/15