The Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Eastern European Regional consultation meeting took place from 8 to 9 September in Minsk, Belarus. The meeting saw broad participation from representatives of governments of Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine, academic and non-governmental institutions, and ENVSEC’s international partners. The meeting was convened by UNEP as the Eastern European regional desk of the ENVSEC Initiative, and generously hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus.

The high-level participants deliberated for two days in plenary and group discussions, analysing the future outlook for ENVSEC in Eastern Europe in a joint effort to work out priority areas where immediate attention and action is needed on the part of the Eastern European countries and their ENVSEC partners, especially in the context of the current tense situation in the region.

As a result of the two-day negotiations, which necessitated an intense closed-door session facilitated by UNEP, an Outcome Statement was produced, elaborating the main challenges in the area of environment and security and giving the region a new vision of cooperation.

The priority areas identified are as follows: water issues and transboundary water basins; climate change: an ecosystem approach; management of chemicals and hazardous wastes; transboundary environmental security; environmental cooperation in conflict situations; and industrial activity and environmental security.

More information: leila.urekenova@unep.org