BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 1. UNECE is currently implementing several projects regarding industrial safety in Central Asia, which will still be under implementation in 2023, Secretary of the UNECE’s Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents Franziska Hirsch told Trend.
The new work plan for 2023-2024 of the Convention on Industrial Accidents foreseen certain activities within the Convention’s Assistance and Cooperation Programme:
1) National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) for industrial safety in Central Asia;
2) Developing joint measures to prevent and respond to pollution in the Syr Darya River basin (Phase II);
3) Supporting Central Asian countries’ efforts to strengthen policies and governance for the safety of tailings management facilities, including integrating climate change impacts into Natech risk management - subject to availability of the funds.
In the framework of the "National Policy Dialogues for Industrial Safety in Central Asia (Phase I: Launch)", which was launched in 2020, UNECE has carried out the review of national policies and legislation related to industrial safety in five Central Asian countries.
"These reports reflect the current situation and suggest recommendations to the national authorities on how to better align the national legislation with the Convention’s requirements to enhance the implementation of the Convention on Industrial Accidents and strengthen the policy linkages and coherence regarding industrial safety," Hirsch said.
Notably, UNECE has been actively supporting strengthening tailings safety and governance in Central Asia, also regarding disaster risk governance and the management of multi-hazard risks, including risks from hazardous industrial activities and natural hazard-triggered technological accidents.