OSCE regional workshop in Osh for Aarhus Centre representatives discusses public engagement in remediation of uranium legacy sites

A two-day regional workshop organized by the OSCE on 17-18 March 2016 in Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan, brought together representatives of Aarhus Centres and other local partners from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss how to promote the engagement of stakeholders in the stabilization, restoration and disposal of uranium mill waste, also known as uranium tailings remediation.

Some 15 participants were trained by international and national experts on the risks of uranium legacy sites and use of community mobilization tools in remediation activities.

The workshop was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities together with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek as part of the ENVSEC project on Engaging Stakeholders in the Remediation of Uranium Legacy Sites in Central Asia.

The project is funded by the European Union and implemented jointly by the OSCE, the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme. The project aims to engage and inform stakeholders concerning the remediation of seven uranium tailings in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. For the project’s public awareness and outreach activities, which are being implemented by the OSCE, the project partners closely co-operate with the Aarhus Centres in Osh and in Khujand.

Aarhus Centres provide platforms to engage citizens, civil society, governments and the private sector in a dialogue on environmental challenges and facilitate access to information, public participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. 

The project is conducted within the framework of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC), a partnership of  OSCE, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme, the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the Regional Environment Centre for Central and Eastern Europe which provides an integrated response to environment and security challenges.