The usage of chemical weapons, or chemicals as weapons, by non-State actors has become a realistic threat. Given the current security environment, the threats and risks of an unauthorised use of chemicals or attacks against chemical installations pose a serious challenge to security, the economy, health and the environment in Ukraine. Therefore, and with a view to supporting the development of an integrated chemical safety and security programme (‘ICSSP’) in Ukraine, projects prepared by the OSCE in cooperation with the relevant Ukrainian authorities aim at: (a) improving Ukraine's regulatory system on chemical safety and security; (b) establishing a Ukrainian national reference centre to identify controlled and toxic chemicals; (c) strengthening controls over cross-boundary movement of controlled and toxic chemicals.
Background
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the support of the United Nations (UN) Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Ukrainian Chemists Union (UCU) and the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS), held a national round-table on capabilities in the domain of chemical safety and security in Ukraine and the development of an integrated chemical safety and security programme (‘ICSSP’) in Ukraine, including the promotion of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (‘UNSCR’) 1540 (2004), in Kyiv on 11 and 12 December 2014.
As a follow-up, a meeting on the development of an ICSSP in Ukraine was held in Vienna from 24 to 26 February 2015. The national participants agreed on a roadmap for the ICSSP. As a first stage, a comprehensive review of chemical safety and security in Ukraine (‘the Comprehensive Review’) was conducted by international experts. The Comprehensive Review analysed, inter alia, the overall chemical safety and security policies in Ukraine, the safety and security of the transportation of hazardous chemicals, infrastructure and technical capacities for the analysis of hazardous chemicals, border and customs controls on the movement of hazardous chemicals, and the safety and security of the manufacture, storage and use of chemicals by the national industry.
As a result, with a view to supporting the ICSSP in Ukraine projects were prepared by the OSCE in cooperation with the relevant Ukrainian authorities.
Objective
The overall objective of projects is to strengthen chemical safety and security in Ukraine in line with UNSCR 1540 (2004) and to reduce the threat posed by the illicit trade of controlled and toxic chemicals in the OSCE region, in particular in Ukraine.
Project 1: Improving Ukraine's regulatory system on chemical safety and security
In order to support Ukrainian government agencies in addressing the threats of misuse of toxic chemicals, the OSCE and the competent authorities of Ukraine have identified four priority documents related to the enhancement of chemical safety and security legislation will be developed in the framework of the project:
- Technical Regulation on safe and secure management of chemical products,
- Technical Regulation on classification and labelling of hazardous chemical substances,
- Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on high-risk establishments,
- Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Decree on identification and declaration of security on high-risk establishments.
Expected results of the project:
- The project will produce the aforementioned four documents for adoption into the regulatory and legislative framework.
Project 2: Establishing a Ukrainian national reference centre to identify controlled and toxic chemicals
The project will assist with the establishment of a fully functional national reference centre, including the procurement of high-resolution chemical analytical instruments and the appropriate training of laboratory personnel.
Expected results of the project:
- National reference centre for the identification of controlled and toxic chemical substances is established and integrated into national and international systems of responses to chemical threats.
- Laboratory equipment of the research centre is upgraded.
- National reference centre is incorporated into international framework.
- Trained laboratory personnel.
Project 3: Strengthening controls over cross-boundary movement of controlled and toxic chemicals
The project intends to establish duly formalised national training systems and train the trainers from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine on the detection and identification of controlled and toxic chemicals crossing the State border of Ukraine. It will provide the Ukrainian authorities with sustainable knowledge and best practices on procedures in chemical safety, security, and crisis management in relation to controlled and toxic chemicals.
Expected results of the project:
- Developed national training programmes for the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on procedures in chemical safety, security, and crisis management in relation to cross- boundary movement of controlled and hazardous chemicals through land-border crossing points, seaports and airports
- Trained personnel, including national trainers from the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, as well as the transportation authorities, at regulatory, managerial and operational levels.
- Strengthened export-control and enforcement capacities to control cross-boundary movement of controlled and hazardous chemicals through land-border crossing points, seaports and airports.
