OSCE co-organizes 10th annual regional workshop in Kazakhstan on explosive hazards

The 10th annual OSCE regional workshop on explosive hazards reduction and response in Central Asia concluded in Astana on 13 September 2018. This year, the event focused on the emerging threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and best practices in countering them.

Some 60 military and civilian officials from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan presented their strategies and identified challenges in dealing with explosive hazards and steps they have taken to raise awareness of the threats posed by IEDs.

Experts from the United Kingdom, the United States and United Nations organizations shared best practices and discussed emerging challenges in the field. Topics included regional co-operation in promoting explosive hazards reduction, the types of threats posed by IEDs, the challenges associated with IEDs in humanitarian mine action and the emerging threat from the use of small unmanned aircraft (drones) as a delivery mechanism and opportunities to use them in addressing IED threats.  

“The Republic of Kazakhstan has always been and continues to be a consistent and active participant in international co-operation in the area of arms control,” said Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Talgat Mukhtarov. “Raising awareness and strengthening confidence and security-building measures in the OSCE region is certainly an important component of this interaction.”

The Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, György Szabó, said: “It is important to build the capacity of military personnel, security officials and civil sector specialists to counter the threat of IEDs. The exchange of experience between experts, particularly at the regional level, is an effective tool in this effort.”

Johan Dahl, Demining  Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe , said: “In Central Asia, mine action and explosive hazards risk reduction have long been areas of co-operation, through capacity building as well as through the sharing of experiences and best practices among governments, ministries and institutions. This 10th regional workshop is testimony to that tradition.”

The event was organized by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

The workshop is part of the OSCE’s long-term support to the development of a co-operative mechanism among states in Central Asia to address concerns and challenges stemming from the disposal of explosive hazards.