Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Image: dpa
Since the Russian war of aggression, it has been threatened with standstill. A climate conference should now show that “the OSCE is not paralyzed,” says Secretary General Schmid.
AThis Friday, ministers, senior officials and other representatives from more than 50 countries will meet at a conference on climate protection in Vienna. It is organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is based in the Austrian capital. The responsible members of the government of several EU countries are expected, including Secretary of State Annalena Baerbock, as well as the American Commissioner for Climate Protection and former Secretary of State John Kerry. The responsible ministers of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which are OSCE successor states to the Soviet Union, have also announced their presence. Only two of the 57 OSCE States have not pledged: Russia and Belarus.
OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid says: “Climate change is a challenge in all areas, including security.” Concrete results, such as binding climate targets, are not to be expected from the one-day event. Nevertheless, there are explosive points that are being discussed. The climate consequences of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine are on the agenda, with which Russia justifies its refusal. An expert paper on this subject is available. Beyond this major conflict, there are questions for which the OSCE represents a potential platform.
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