Over 150 government officials and industrial and chemical accidents experts attended the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) to the Convention.
The meeting included a joint seminar by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on how industrial accidents prevention, preparedness and response can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.
1 December 2016: Forty Parties to the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents adopted a workplan for the next two years and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in preventing industrial accidents and being better prepared to respond promptly if accidents occur.
Over 150 government officials and industrial and chemical accidents experts attended the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) to the Convention, which took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 28-30 November 2016. The meeting included the launch of a project aimed at strengthening industrial safety in Central Asia.
Participants shared experiences and expectations in integrating global goals into national policies, initiatives and programmes in different regions. They also discussed sustainable infrastructure, climate-related hazards, natural-hazard triggered technological accidents and land-use planning for enhancing disaster resilience. Participants recognized the role of States in preventing accidents and the role of international organizations in assisting countries to achieve relevant SDGs, as well as targets from the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), through policy dialogue, preparation of guidance materials and technical assistance on the ground.
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provided a joint seminar on how preventing, preparing for and responding to industrial accidents can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. Speakers noted that a number of the SDG and Sendai targets have direct relevance to efforts towards the prevention, preparedness and response to industrial and chemical accidents. SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), for instance includes target 3.9 (By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination) and target 3.d (Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks). Other relevant targets are included under: SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
UNECE presented a new guidance document on land-use planning, the siting of hazardous activities and related safety aspects, which aims to support countries in avoiding disasters and achieving sustainable development. Two side events took place on the margins of the meeting. The Joint Ad hoc Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents hosted an event that focused on UNECE tools and approaches for preventing accidental water pollution and its transboundary consequences. The European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General on Migration and Home Affairs facilitated a discussion among policymakers, first responders and researchers on approaches for strengthening their cooperation in technological DRR.
Parties to the Convention decided to meet again in 2018. [UNECE Press Release] [Meeting Website] [Video Streaming of Seminar Morning Session] [Video Streaming of Seminar Afternoon Session]