On 9 March 2022, UNECE hosted an extraordinary inter-agency coordination meeting on the industrial threats facing Ukraine and opportunities for cooperation in prevention and preparedness efforts. This meeting was attended by representatives from several international organizations part of the Inter-agency coordination group, incl. ICRC, ILO, OECD, UNEP/OCHA JEU, UNDRR, UNEP, UNIDO, UNITAR, WHO and the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine.  

The meeting’s main goal was to exchange information about chemical and industrial facilities/hotspots in Ukraine, as well as each organization’s related on-going/planned activities in Ukraine, and to discuss possibilities to prevent and mitigate the consequences of war-related releases of chemical and hazardous substances. It helped share information with organizations supporting the humanitarian response on the ground, such as the ICRC. The meeting also aimed to consider options among international environmental and humanitarian organizations to coordinate action to protect people and the environment from the effects of industrial/chemical accidents, including in response to expressed needs and possible incidents.