Environmental risks and emergencies focus of training course conducted in Austria for OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine environmental focal points

A training course aimed to protect members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) against environmental risks and strengthen their environmental emergency preparedness was held from 1 to 5 July 2019 in Vienna. 

The course, organized jointly by the CBRN Defence Centre of the Austrian Armed Forces and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in close collaboration with the SMM, brought together 13 SMM environmental focal points as well as other SMM members and several international experts.  

“In order to ensure the safety and security of the members of the OSCE SMM, we aim to equip SMM environmental focal points with the basic knowledge and skills they need to be prepared and able to provide early warning for environmental risks,” said Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

Colonel Jürgen Schlechter, Commanding Officer of the CBRN Defence Centre of the Austrian Armed Forces, said: “This training gives us the opportunity to contribute to the OSCE efforts for enhancing the safety and security of the SMM members through being prepared for possible environmental threats in the region. We welcome the OSCE SMM environmental focal points to this training and we are pleased to share with them the accumulated knowhow and practical experience of our Centre in this field.”

The course increased the capacity of the SMM environmental focal points to respond to relevant environmental risks and emergencies and familiarized them with applicable safety rules, early warning, monitoring and reporting instruments, and tools for rapid assessment.

The five-day training course also included site visits to selected industrial facilities in Austria.  A follow-up workshop will take place in the second half of the year in Kyiv.