On February 8-11, the EU CBRN CoE Initiative, together with the State Committee on Industrial Safety of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the EU Joint Research Center (JRC) and United Nations Interregional Institute for Justice and Crime (UNICRI), held a workshop to review and update the CBRN National Action Plan (NAP) of Uzbekistan.

The online event was attended by representatives of the State Committee on Industrial Safety of the Republic of Uzbekistan, experts from the JRC, UNICRI and CBRN National Team for Uzbekistan, represented by various ministries and agencies and closely involved in the implementation of the NAP.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Bakhtiyor Gulyamov, Head of the EU CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat for Central Asia, who welcomed the participants and briefly highlighted the results achieved within the framework of NAP implementation in Uzbekistan during 2018-2021, as well as the importance of the NAP to ensure the implementation of international commitments and chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear safety and security.

The first day of the working meeting was devoted to aspects of the implementation of the NAP for 2018-2021, where the National CBRN Team of Uzbekistan had the opportunity to outline the main achievements and implementation challenges. The second and third days made it possible for the experts to elaborate on the process of drafting the CBRN NAP based on the lessons learned from the implementation of the previous document and the current COVID pandemics. The sessions covered sections related to chemical and biological (CB), as well as radiological and nuclear (RN) risk mitigation aspects. Throughout the workshop, the JRC experts provided elaborate hands-on training on the methodology of needs identification and prioritization, with a focus on all four areas of work – chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear security. Overall, the workshop was of high interest to the participants and put forward many interesting proposals, spurring participants to investigate them further on their own

Upon workshop completion, the National CBRN Team of Uzbekistan has embarked on the development of the new NAP for 2022-2024. It is expected that the new NAP target several priorities, such as preventing the illicit movement and proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery; improvement of the regulatory framework in the field of chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear safety; strengthening the material and technical base of authorized state bodies; organization of training, retraining and mentoring of personnel; and strengthening international and regional cooperation and active exchange of experience in the field of chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear safety

Background information:

The EU CBRN CoE Initiative is funded by the European Commission and implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). The European External Action Service is also involved in the follow-up to the initiative. The initiative is developed with the technical support of relevant international and regional organizations, the EU Member States, and other stakeholders, through coherent and effective cooperation at the national, regional and international levels. The initiative involves over 60 countries in eight regions of the world.

Press Service of the State Committee of Industrial Safety of the 

Republic of Uzbekistan