Integrating Environment, Development, and Conflict Prevention – European and National Approaches and Challenges

European Conference hosted by the German EU Council Presidency 2007, March 29 and 30, 2007

Interdependencies between environment, development, and conflict prevention have gained significant importance on the international agenda over the past years. Energy and climate policy and responsible resource management are priorities of the German EU Council and G8 presidencies in 2007. Putting climate, energy, and natural resource management into the broader context of foreign and security policy opens up new perspectives for environmental and development policy making. A comprehensive strategy on environment, development, and conflict prevention should address not only root causes and triggers of conflicts, but also their governance context.

Under the German EU Council Presidency, a European conference on „Integrating environment, development, and conflict prevention – European and national approaches and challenges “ will be held in Berlin on March 29 and 30, 2007. The conference is intended to facilitate a dialogue among key officials from EU member states and the European Commission, civil society, the private sector, and the scientific community to identify and discuss key issues, policies, and best practices. It will provide recommendations for the European Commission / European Union and individual Member States to address interdependencies between environment, development, and conflict prevention in policies and programmes.