PRESS RELEASE : OSCE Prague Forum on Economy and Environment 2023 – UK statement [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 September 2023.
Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) speaks at the Forum about Russia’s attempts to sabotage the organisation.
At a time when the organisation faces many challenges, it is important that we continue our discussions on the security issues that affect us all.
Like last year, we met again here in the context of the continuing war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine. As others have noted, it was Russia who stood alone in blocking the consensus needed for an official Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF). But – as with so many of Russia’s similar attempts – it again failed to stop the rest of us from gathering to address the important security issues of the day.
Russia has told this forum several times how committed it is to the work of the second dimension. Indeed it should be. Though it may behave like it is, Russia is not immune from these threats. The Russian Arctic, for example, is warming at a disproportionate rate, causing sea level rises and agricultural shifts. Last year, deadly forest fires burned across large swathes of Siberia, as those tasked with putting them out were diverted to the illegal war in Ukraine. And Russia’s infamous levels of industrial pollution not only degrade its own environment and poisons its own people, but also leach into neighbouring countries as well. These issues should be at the forefront of their minds. And yet here we are, experiencing the latest example of their indifference and short-sightedness. As the rest of the OSCE’s membership recognises the need to address these topics, Russia remains isolated as saboteurs of this organisation, and poor judges of its membership’s resolve.
This indifference also extends to the world’s most vulnerable. As we heard yesterday, Russia’s sudden withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and the consequent spike in global food prices, will cost lives around the world – further destabilising economies and putting people at risk of starvation. To address this issue, the UK looks forward to convening an international food security summit in London in November.
The issues we have discussed over the past two days are important security topics, relevant to all of us. But they are more pressing to some participating States than to others. As we heard, climate change, for example, is particularly evident in Central Asia, where temperatures are forecast to rise disproportionately, increasing risks of floods from glacier melt, as well as droughts and wildfires. Water security, heavily impacted by climate change as well as actions in neighbouring states, is a top priority for this region. Russia’s blocking of the EEF decision not only demonstrates its disregard for these security issues, but also dismisses the concerns of its own neighbourhood.
So we commend again the Chair, and indeed all states here, for not allowing the organisation to be at the mercy of those who wish to do it harm. The OSCE plays a critical role in European and Eurasian security and must be defended as it continues its work supporting States to build resilience to security, economic and climatic shocks.
