UN/OECD Seminar in Follow-up to the 2020 Beirut Port Explosion

Time

12:00 - 16:30 CET

Introduction

The “UN/OECD seminar in follow-up to the 2020 Beirut port explosion: Lessons learned, experiences and good practices in managing risks of ammonium nitrate storage, handling and transport in port areas, preventing accidents and mitigating their consequences” will be held online on 14 December 2021 from 12:00–16:30 Central European Time (with a 30-minute break). It will be a global seminar and have interpretation in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

The seminar will address the effective risk management of the storage, handling and transport of ammonium nitrate (AN) and AN-based fertilizers in port areas and beyond, especially when in proximity to high density areas. It will also address related accident prevention, preparedness and response topics, including transboundary elements. The seminar will include an exchange of information on lessons learned from the Beirut port explosion and other accidents involving AN and AN-based fertilizers. In this respect, the outcomes may also serve to highlight the available instruments and control measures that are essential for controlling risk associated with the handling, storage and transport of all hazardous. More information about the seminar, including its objectives, content, target audience and the international organizations organizing it, is available in the concept note (AR) (EN) (FR) (RU) (SP).

The agenda of the seminar features a diverse range of speakers. Experts will provide information on AN and AN-based fertilizers, past accidents involving AN and lessons learned. International organizations will present on international legal instruments and recommendations addressing AN and AN-based fertilizers, their work in responding to accidents involving AN and on the results of a global UN/OECD survey recently conducted to collect information on managing the risks of AN and AN-based fertilizers, which included 101 responses from all five UN regions and informed the preparation of the seminar’s agenda. Member States and industry associations will exchange information on their related experiences, good practices and lessons learned. A panel discussion will also be held. More details are available in the agenda (ENG) (RU) (SP) (other language versions to be made available soon).

Organizing Committee

UNECE, under the leadership of the secretariat to the Industrial Accidents Convention and in close cooperation with the secretariats to the Sub-Committees of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), formed a unique partnership to organize the seminar. This included forming an Organizing Committee with the following partners:

• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• United Nations Environment Programme/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Joint Environment Unit (UNEP/OCHA JEU)
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Arab States
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

In addition to the Organizing Committee, an advisory group, composed of expert members and industry association observers, convened to guide the seminar’s organization.