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Workshop in Cambodia to prepare National Action Plan to mitigate chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks

EU CBRN Risk Mitigation CoE Initiative

Phnom Penh -






Funded by the European Union

Today, the Minister of Defence, H.E. Tea Banh, and the European Union Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Jean-François Cautain, have closed the First Workshop on the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) National Action Plan, where more than 60 high-level officials from different Cambodian Ministries and international experts have exchanged experience in the mitigation of and preparedness against risks related to CBRN materials and agents.The two-day workshop is part of the European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE) Initiative and is organised by the EU, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in cooperation with the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical, Nuclear, Biological and Radiological Weapons of Cambodia (NACW).

Jointly implemented by the European Union and UNICRI, and entirely financed by the EU, the EU CBRN CoE Risk Mitigation Initiative Union facilitates regional cooperation and enhances CBRN policies and capabilities by creating a network of regional initiatives to promote and support the development and implementation of a national CBRN policy. The initiative aims at strengthening regional security by increasing local ownership, local expertise and long-term sustainability. This includes sharing good practices and capabilities, developing guidelines as well as identifying, collecting, analysing and deploying resources to respond to the needs identified by partner countries.

Worldwide, more than 40 partner countries covering eight regions are participating in the initiative – and South-East Asia is a success story with the ASEAN member states as participating countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 6 countries out of these 10 have already established their National CBRN Team – among them Cambodia. Regional Secretariats are envisaged for each region to assist partner countries in identifying national needs, facilitating the implementation of projects and providing technical support to National CBRN Teams. This applies particularly to the development of National CBRN Action Plans and integrated policies.

The two-day workshop in Cambodia included participants from the Cambodian National CBRN Team, the National Authority for the Prohibition of Chemical, Nuclear, Biological and Radiological Weapons of Cambodia, national CBRN stakeholders and international experts to discuss specific risks and their relevance to the country. High-level officials from, inter alia, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health participated in the event. The workshop is part of a series of interrelated workshops to be held in Cambodia with the aim of supporting the drafting of a National CBRN Action Plan by the country.

This Action Plan will be designed to ensure that separate efforts are incorporated into one coherent approach, strengthening national CBRN capacities for prevention, detection, preparedness and response to CBRN threats.

 

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