NATO SECURITY SCIENCE FORUM ON
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY
12 MARCH 2008
OPENING
ADDRESS
BY
JEAN-FRANÇOIS
BUREAU
NATO ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL FOR
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
MINISTERS,
EXCELLENCIES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT
IS INDEED A GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS SECOND NATO SECURITY
SCIENCE FORUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
INTEREST IN THIS WORKING DAY WHICH, WE HOPE WILL PROVE TO BE FRUITFUL. I CAN
TELL YOU THAT IT WILL HELP US A LOT TO
LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE COMING YEARS.
1. I WOULD LIKE, FIRST, TO
UNDERLINE THAT PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IS BECOMING A KEY FACTOR OF PUBLIC BEHAVIOUR:
WE
SEE A GROWING CONCERN FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGES.
THE
PUBLIC LOOKS AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC POLICIES WHICH REQUIRE
INCLUSIVE ATTITUDES FROM GOVERNMENTS, PRIVATE ACTORS, INCLUDING THE CITIZENS,
AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
2. IN THIS CONTEXT,
ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY DEVELOP AN EVEN STRONGER
RELATIONSHIP:
- THE
NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT WHICH ARE ALSO LINKED TO SECURITY
CHALLENGES IS GROWING: IT WILL BE ONE OF OUR MAJOR THEMES TODAY; IT IS ONE OF
WHICH OUR PUBLIC OPINIONS BEGIN TO BE AWARE. AS WILL BE SAID BY GENERAL KING,
“ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IS A COMPONENT OF OUR STRATEGIC DEFENCE
ANALYSIS”.
- THE NUMBER OF
CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE OUR DEFENCE AND SECURITY POLICIES HAVE TO TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR IS OBVIOUSLY DEVELOPING IN THE SAME WAY;
IT BECOMES A KEY FACTOR OF MILITARY EFFICIENCY AND WILL, NO DOUBT, INCREASE ITS
IMPORTANCE IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
AS
THEIR MISSION
IS TO PROVIDE PEACE AND SECURITY, NATO NATIONS ARE EAGER TO DO SO WITH
RESPECT TO THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS ALSO A MEANS OF PROTECTING
OUR POPULATIONS, AND ESPECIALLY FUTURE GENERATIONS.
3. PUBLIC
AWARENESS AND INCREASING LINKS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY ARE BINDING
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE TO BE DEFINED IN
ORDER:
- TO BE EFFICIENT: THE
END-RESULT HAS TO BE A KEY FACTOR IN THE DECISION, BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT TIME IS PRECIOUS AND THAT PEOPLE DO NOT EXPECT WORDS BUT
RESULTS;
- TO COORDINATE
AMONG THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THE REQUIRED EFFORTS – SCIENTIFIC, FINANCIAL, HUMAN –
CANNOT BE SPREAD IN SO MANY DIRECTIONS THAT NOTHING WOULD BE
IMPROVED.
BEING
EFFICIENT AND COORDINATED RAISES A QUESTION FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION: WHAT IS ITS
ADDED VALUE?
IT
IS A QUESTION WE ARE FACING EVERY DAY BECAUSE NATO IS NOT PRIMARILY AN
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION: ITÂ’S A DEFENCE AND SECURITY ONE, AND AS SUCH WE ARE
FACING IT IN MANY
WAYS:
- WHEN NATO DEFINES ITS
OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS, THOSE WHICH IMPLY THE USE OF MILITARY MEANS TO
FULFILL THE MISSION,
IT DEALS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION OF ITS
OPERATIONS;
- NATO FACES IT WHEN IT
PLANS ITS FUTURE AND COMING MILITARY MEANS, WHICH REQUIRE NEW
TECHNOLOGIES: IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN MILITARY
OBSERVATIONS AND SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES (LIKE SATELLITES and UAVs) ALSO
PROVIDE CAPABILITIES TO MONITOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES; THOSE EXAMPLES SHOW THAT
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY WE MAINLY DEAL
WITH DUAL TECHNOLOGIES, THOSE WHICH CAN BE APPLIED TO CIVIL AS WELL AS
MILITARY PURPOSES;
- WHEN NATO DEVELOPS ITS
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMES, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IS A MAJOR ITEM: MANY
EXAMPLES WILL SHOW THAT NATO AND NATO NATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED A WIDE SPECTRUM OF
ACTIVITIES WITH CAUCASUS, CENTRAL ASIA, WESTERN BALKANS AND MEDITERRANEAN
NATIONS, BUT ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, WITH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE. ENVIRONMENT HAS BECOME
A KEY DIMENSION OF OUR PARTNERSHIP POLICIES.
4. THOSE MAJOR
TRENDS PROVIDE THE BACKGROUND OF OUR NATO SCIENCE ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF
ENVIRONMENT.
- I WOULD LIKE TO TELL
YOU WHICH ARE OUR DECISION CRITERIA: THE NATO SCIENCE ACTIVITIES HAVE TO BE
SELECTED ACCORDING TO THEIR ADDED VALUE: FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, THEY MUST
ENHANCE THE SECURITY OF NATO NATIONS AND OF OUR PARTNERS; THEY MUST DEAL
WITH ITEMS WHICH NEED A DUAL TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT OR DEVELOPMENT; THEY
MUST BE ORGANIZED IN A WAY WHICH WILL TRANSFER THE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
AND ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO PROMOTE LOCAL OWNERSHIP, IN A “TAKE OFF” EFFECT (CF.
SOUTH CAUCASUS – TRANSBOUNDARY WATER ISSUES), OR TO TALK LIKE CHEMISTS, TO
PROVIDE A “CATALYTIC” EFFECT;
- THEY HAVE TO BE A KEY
COMPONENT OF OUR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY ARE TOGETHER
SHAPING THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE COMING GENERATIONS. AS SUCH, THEY DEAL
HUGELY WITH PUBLIC AWARENESS AND OUR SCIENCE ACTIVITIES MUST INCREASE PUBLIC
KNOWLEDGE OF HOW NATO WORKS AND FULFILLS ITS MISSIONS, AND – LET ME SAY FRANKLY
– PUBLIC CONFIDENCE TOWARDS NATO: NATO HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS ABILITY TO TAKE CARE
OF HUMAN NEEDS; IT DOES IT WITH ENVIRONMENT AND I THINK IT IS LEGITIMATE THAT
THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT.
- LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
THEY MUST FIT THE NATO PRIORITIES WHEN DEALING WITH FUTURE
CHALLENGES. TERRORISM, PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,
CYBER-DEFENCE, MARITIME AWARENESS AND ENERGY SECURITY ARE AMONG THE MOST
CHALLENGING. NATO NATIONS ARE DECIDING WHETHER AND HOW NATO SHOULD BE A KEY
CONTRIBUTOR IN THESE FIELDS WHICH WILL SHAPE OUR FUTURE SECURITY. DECISIONS HAVE
BEEN MADE TO DEAL WITH MOST OF THOSE THREATS AND CHALLENGES; SOME OF THEM ARE
STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION: THE FORTHCOMING BUCHAREST
SUMMIT
WILL DEFINE WHAT HAS TO BE THE NATO ADDED-VALUE IN THIS DOMAIN WHICH IS
EXPANDING EVERY DAY AND, FOR THOSE REASONS, WILL BE VERY DEMANDING WITH REGARD
TO HUMAN, TECHNOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. THE NATO SCIENCE FOR PEACE AND
SECURITY PROGRAMME WILL BE SHAPED ACCORDING TO THESE DECISIONS, AS IT HAS TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE PRIORITIES.
*
* * * *
LADIES
AND GENTLEMEN,
ENVIRONMENT
AND SECURITY ARE COMMON GOODS WHICH WILL DECISIVELY SHAPE OUR CITIZENSÂ’ LIVING
CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THE FUTURE GENERATION. AS THEY RELATE TO HUMAN
SECURITY, THEY ARE OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE FOR NATO NATIONS, WHICH SHARE THE VALUES
OF HUMAN RIGHTS, RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY.
THE
CHALLENGES LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY ARE NUMEROUS AND NEED TO BE DEALT
WITH THROUGH SCIENTIFIC EFFORTS.
THE
NATO SCIENCE FOR PEACE AND SECURITY PROGRAMME (SPS) PROVIDES THE FORUM FOR
DIALOGUE AND FOR CONDUCTING COOPERATIVE PROJECTS RESPONDING TO CRITICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY NEEDS OF NATO, PARTNER AND MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUE
COUNTRIES. I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT NATO SPS CONTINUES TO COOPERATE AND
COORDINATE ITS ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO
DEVELOP SYNERGIES, PREVENT DUPLICATION AND ACHIEVE CONCRETE AND USEFUL
RESULTS.
THE
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE SECURITY SCIENCE FORUM IS TO COVER KEY ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES WHICH ARE ALSO GLOBAL SECURITY CONCERNS (SUCH AS TRANSBOUNDARY WATER
ISSUES, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE OR NATURAL CATASTROPHES) IN ORDER TO PLAY A
FORWARD-LOOKING, HORIZON-SCANNING ROLE TO PROPOSE A ROAD MAP FOR FUTURE PROJECTS
THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SECURITY AND STABILITY IN THE EURO-ATLANTIC ZONE AND
BEYOND.
I
WISH YOU ALL THE GREATEST SUCCESS IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS TODAY. YOU,
PARTICIPANTS, YOU ARE SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH US.
I APPRECIATE IT AND I AM CERTAIN THEY WILL YIELD THE SEEDS OF NEW APPROACHES AND
NEW PROGRAMMES TO HELP SECURE OUR SHARED FUTURE AND TO HELP THE VITAL
COOPERATION BETWEEN ALLIES AND PARTNERS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT
ACHIEVEMENTS, WHICH MERIT PUBLIC
TRUST.