OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports Parliament’s capacity building activities on ecology and climate change

On 20 September, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro concluded a two-day workshop on ecology and climate change for the staff of parliamentary working bodies, with a focus on quality of water and environmental monitoring.

The workshop gathered ten staff of the Committee on Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning, Committee on European Integration, Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget, Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, Gender Equality Committee and Commission for Monitoring and Control of the Privatisation Procedure.

Two Montenegrin consultants provided an overview of international and national legal framework and policies on environmental protection and, water quality management, and the necessity to harmonize the national legal framework with international and EU standards. Participants learnt how to report on policies and monitoring programmes, focusing on  nature protection and air quality. Challenges in monitoring implementation were also discussed, and recommendations for further and active involvement of parliamentary committees in the process of monitoring the environment and solving of the key issues were shared.

Deputy Head of the Mission, Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, stated environmental and climate challenges are numerous. “The OSCE participating States, governments, international organizations, civil society and citizens face them daily, adapting and learning how to respond to them. We recognize the importance of including climate change considerations into national strategies, planning, processes and documents, as well as the importance of building resilience against its impact,” said Leirtroe.

This was the second workshop for the staff of parliamentary working bodies organized in 2023. The first one took place in March, focusing on nature protection, energy and climate change in the context of spatial planning.