NATO CCMS CONSIDERS ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

For the first time in sixteen years NATO's primary
environmental committee, its Committee on the Challenges
of Modern Society, met in plenary session in the United
States. The meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C.
on November 13, 1995, was followed the next day by a
roundtable discussion on environmental security involving
representatives from both North Atlantic Cooperation
Council and Partnership for Peace countries.

Opening remarks by the cochairs, Mr. Gary Vest, Principal
Under Secretary of Defence for Environmental
Security, and by Mr. William Nitze, Assistant
Administrator for International Activities of the
Environmental Protection Agency, set the tone for the
growing working relationship between military and civilian
agencies in the environmental area.

The keynote address was given by the Vice President's
National Security Advisor, Mr. Leon Fuerth, who
underscored the importance of environmental issues to
national security. In drawing attention to the recent
agreement between the US and Russia to share intelligence
sources for environmental purposes, he pointed to
the new political and technical opportunities that were
becoming available to deal with contamination on a global
scale. He also drew attention to the possibility of
including environmental considerations in the Partnership
for Peace programme.

Admiral William Owens, Vice Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of
Staff, emphasized the view that environmental issues
had become a mainline theme in contemporary security
planning.

Ms. Sherri W. Goodman, Deputy Under Secretary of Defence
for Environmental Security, also stressed that
environmental factors must be considered in formulating
defence policy and that this policy must include a
partnership between government agencies.

Dr. J.-M. Cadiou, NATO Assistant Secretary for Scientific
and Environmental Affairs, pointed out that
defence-related environmental problems could be most
effectively addressed in the unique forum that NATO
provided for sharing experience and exchanging information
throughout the extended North Atlantic Community.

In its plenary session, the NATO Committee on the
Challenges of Modern Society considered proposals for two
new pilot studies, the first on "Environmental Management
in Military Organizations" would be led by the
Netherlands and possibly also by the United States and
Germany, and the second, entitled "Environmental
Security" would be led jointly by the US and Germany.

For further information please contact Dr. Deniz
Yuksel-Beten, NATO/CCMS Programme Director, 1110 Brussels
(Tel. Int'l + 32-2-728.4846, fax: 728.4232)