UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Release

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The fifth meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention examines current challenges and looks to the future

Geneva, 12 December 2008 --

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Industrial Accidents Convention) – which entered into force in 2000 – was created to protect human beings and the environment from the consequences of industrial accidents. The Convention’s main objectives are to prevent these accidents where and whenever possible and to mitigate their effects should they occur. The Convention devotes particular attention to the transboundary context, since cross-border coordination is more difficult.

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention recently held its fifth meeting (25–27 November 2008) in Geneva. Thirty-two of its 37 Parties participated. The main item on the agenda was the progress of the Assistance Programme (launched in 2004) for countries with economies in transition, which often face problems in implementing the sometimes complex requirements of the Convention. The Assistance Programme is characterized by a bottom-up approach in which assistance activities are organized according to the needs expressed by participating countries. The Parties have also adopted a Strategic Approach to help these countries monitor their progress and better identify their needs. This Strategic Approach aims in addition to ensure the Assistance Programme’s future sustainability by providing support for financial planning. The first assistance activity organized for 2009 is a training session in early February in Prague, focusing on an integrated approach to major hazards prevention. This activity will be the first to see the participation of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, following the Parties’ decision that that country was now ready to receive assistance with more complex tasks.

At the Geneva meeting, the Parties discussed the activities related to accidental water pollution being jointly pursued by the Industrial Accidents Convention and the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). Earlier in November, the governing bodies of the two Conventions decided to draft a strategy to strengthen support for and the work of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents.

Participants also heard reports on communication procedures under the Industrial Accidents Notification (IAN) System. The System was created to enable countries to inform potentially affected neighbouring countries in the event of an industrial accident, and to facilitate mutual assistance. At their last meeting in 2006, the Parties decided that the IAN System should operate with a Web-based application; they were thus briefed on progress made vis-à-vis the application. They further recommended that the national authorities charged with managing the System carry out analytical exercises to test not only the application but also the functioning of the System as a whole, and that they could provide comments and recommendations for future improvements.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Albena Karadjova
Secretary to the Convention
UNECE Environment, Housing and land Management Division
Palais des Nations
8-14, avenue de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 23 45
Fax: +41 (0) 22 907 01 07
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/teia/welcome.htm


Ref: ECE/ENV/08/P20