OSCE promotes UN conventions on oil spill preparedness and response
ASTANA, 27 April 2011 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on enhancing international oil spill preparedness and response through the promotion, ratification and implementation of key UN conventions was held in Astana today.
The one-day event focused on the Kazakhstan’s hydrocarbon-rich Caspian region and brought together 60 participants from state institutions, oil companies, international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
It was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana in partnership with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Communications, and Oil and Gas to assist Kazakhstan in assessing the implications for the country if it ratifies key UN conventions. A study presented at the roundtable discussion assessed Kazakhstan’s compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions.
“Caspian Sea countries have yet to take advantage of certain international agreements on oil spill response, liability and compensation for environmental damages. We hope that this workshop will aid preparations for the ratification of such internationally-binding instruments for the benefit of Kazakhstan. The OSCE Centre assists this process by providing international expertise and timely legal advice,” said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.
“The growth of hydrocarbon extraction in Kazakhstan and related risks underscore the importance of today’s event. We will discuss such topics as protecting the marine environment, emergency response for oil spills and overall ecological safety,” said Ambassador-at-Large Serzhan Abdykarimov, Director of the European Co-operation Department of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The ratification and implementation of IMO conventions are very important, particularly in light of an increasing number of oil spills and last year’s Mexican Gulf catastrophe, which demonstrated such incidents’ tremendous environmental and financial costs,” said Azat Bekturov, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications.
The event follows other OSCE-organized training activities and roundtable meetings aimed at improving Kazakhstan’s environmental protection legal framework, encouraging trans-boundary co-operation and promoting environmental security in the region.