A workshop on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation took place at Dar es Salaam on 2 November 2015, within the framework of the European Union (EU) CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative.
The EU CBRN CoE initiative is aimed at strengthening national and regional security by developing instruments and policies for the mitigation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks. This includes sharing of good practices and capabilities in terms of expertise, training, technical assistance and equipment, in order to collect and deploy resources to respond to the needs identified by partner countries.
Activities, within the framework of this initiative, have been taking place in Eastern and Central Africa since 2012. There are currently ten partner countries in the region, namely: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
In March 2014, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Tanzania nominated the Director-General of Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC), Prof. Iddi S. N. Mkilaha, as its National Focal Point (NFP) for the EU CBRN CoE Initiative. The meeting at Dar es Salaam was organized by the NFP’s Office in collaboration with the Regional Secretariat for Eastern and Central Africa (ECA).
Local CBRN stakeholders as well as the Regional Coordinator of the EU CBRN CoE Initiative attended the workshop which additionally presented an opportunity to introduce the recently appointed key expert providing technical assistance to the Regional Secretariat in Nairobi, Mr Ram Athavale. The EU CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat plays a crucial role in the implementation of the Initiative by supporting partner countries in various activities such as the creation of National CBRN Teams; the preparation of National CBRN Action Plans, the development of new project proposals and the organisation of Regional Round-Table Meetings.
Among the participants in the workshop were representatives of the Government Chemist Laboratory Agency (GCLA); the Ministry of Defense and National Service (MoDNS); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC); the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA); the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR); the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC), Dar Es Salaam Zonal Office; the TAEC Arusha Office; the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS); the Tanzania Food and Drugs Regulatory Authority (TFDA) and the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI).
The workshop was opened by the Director of Europe and Americas Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Joseph Sokoine. In his speech the Ambassador presented the Government efforts to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework for mitigating risks associated with CBRN materials. The Ambassador encouraged and urged participants to identify gaps to be addressed and recommend the best responses to address them in a sustainable manner.
Furthermore, the UNDP Country Deputy Director, participated in the event and in his statement expressed gratitude to the Tanzanian authorities for their constant support and commitment on behalf of the United Nations family. In, particular he highlighted the crucial role played by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and of Communication Science and Technology. Mr. Osundina commended the National Focal Point and his team for their commitment to the Initiative.
The EU CBRN CoE Initiative is funded by the European Union and is implemented by the European Commission and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). The initiative is developed with the technical support of relevant international and regional organisations, the EU Member States and other stakeholders, through coherent and effective cooperation at the national, regional and international level.
For more information:
CBRN Centres of Excellence website:
http://www.cbrn-coe.eu/
European Commission, Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace website: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/fpi/what-we-do/instrument_contributing_to_stability_and_peace_en.htm