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The need for an exchange of information and of national and regional
experiences in relation to the environmental aspects of offshore
oil and gas activities, has been emphasized at many international
meetings over the last few years. A first International Expert Meeting
on Environmental Practices in Offshore Oil and Gas Activities was
organized by Brazil and the Netherlands and held in Noordwijk, the
Netherlands in November 1997.
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
at its seventh session in 1999 (Decision 7/1 on Oceans and Seas)
recommended:
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that the primary focus of action on environmental aspects on
offshore oil and gas operations continue to be at the national,
subregional and regional levels;
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that in support of such action, there is a need to share information
on the development and application of satisfactory environmental
management systems, aimed at achieving national, subregional
and regional environmental goals;
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to promote the sharing of that information, to raise awareness
and to provide early warning of offshore oil and gas activities
and projects posing potential threats to the marine environment,
further initiatives should be undertaken, involving governments,
international organizations, operators and major groups.
The Commission on Sustainable Development will at its ninth session
in April 2001 focus its discussion on issues crucial to achieving
sustainable energy development (production, distribution and use
of energy), including offshore oil and gas activities. The Expert
Meeting in Stavanger will provide an useful input to that meeting.
The purpose of the Stavanger Expert Meeting were:
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to encourage a strengthening of environmental practices related
to offshore oil and gas activities within regions of the world,
in particular within less developed regions;
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to contribute to the development of a communication system
to promote and facilitate the sharing of information and exchange
of knowledge within and between regions;
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to provide an input to CSD 9.
The dates and venue have been chosen in order to take the opportunity
to co-operate and draw upon the outcome of the 5th International
Conference on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) in offshore oil
and gas activities, organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers
(SPE) in Stavanger, Norway, 26-28 June 2000. The Expert Meeting
will narrow its scope to some of the issues of highest priority
when it comes to the interrelationship between governments, industry
and other stakeholders on the management of oil and gas activities
and the possible impacts on the environment. The main focus will
be on regional co-operation and in particular on how co-operation
between the more mature and less developed regions can be strengthened.
In order to achieve this, a close co-operation will be established
also with the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.
The main topics for the Stavanger Expert Meeting were:
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Environmental management systems
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Environmental reporting (performance indicators)
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Environmental impact assessments with special emphasis on
social issues
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Information systems and tools
A particular focus on the Stavanger Meeting were on the sharing
of information between regions. As a follow-up measure from the
Noordwijk Meeting a web-site (The Offshore Oil & Gas Environment
Forum - www.natural-resources.org/offshore) has been established.
The Stavanger Expert Meeting looked into how this information tool
can be enhanced and further developed in order to serve as an information
system on environmental aspects of offshore oil and gas activities.
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