Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have faced development challenges since they became independent in the early nineties. Recent years have seen more activities aimed at fostering greater stability, prosperity, sustainability and transboundary cooperation across the region. For instance, there is a growing number of agreements on mutual recognition of borders and greater coordination on a wide range of issues, including in the field of emergency preparedness and response. However, cooperation on – the prevention of industrial/chemical accidents still lags behind.
At present, Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country that is a Party to the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, while the other four countries of the subregion confront challenges in joining. This situation is unique as in all other UNECE subregions the vast majority of countries (if not all) are Parties to the Convention and are, thus, benefitting fully from its advantages.
To help Central Asian countries enhance their level of industrial safety and transboundary cooperation, UNECE has been implementing a Project on Strengthening Industrial Safety in Central Asia (2016-2019). Aiming to provide a platform for subregional information exchange and transboundary consultations, within the framework of this Project, UNECE hosted a Subregional Workshop on Strengthening Industrial Safety in Central Asia on 25 – 26 September 2018 in the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The aim of the workshop was not only to support the Central Asian countries in enhancing the levels of implementation of the Convention but also to explore synergies and possibilities for future cooperation. The workshop served as a forum for bilateral and multilateral information exchange, notably on the needs and challenges of these countries and ways of addressing them with the support of international organizations active in the region.
The Workshop brought together over 40 participants, representing competent authorities of the beneficiary countries, operators, international and non-governmental organizations as well as international experts and members of the Convention’s bodies and the secretariat. Participants shared their experiences and discussed progress made on the implementation of the Convention and the preparation of national self-assessments and action plans.
All beneficiary countries confirmed their willingness and need to continue working towards the accession to the Convention and/or enhanced level of its implementation. UNECE and its partners committed to continue providing support to countries with economies in transition with the aim of allowing them to better protect their population and the environment from the dangerous consequences of industrial accidents.
For more information on the Workshop, please visit: https://www.unece.org/index.php?id=49346