The Joint Expert Group of the Water and Industrial Accidents Convention was established in 1998, under the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) and the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Industrial Accidents Convention), both serviced by UNECE. Regular meetings of the Joint Expert Group have been held since 2001, when the first meeting took place in Berlin, Germany.
The mission of the Joint Expert Group is to assist countries in drawing up and implementing measures aimed at strengthening the prevention of and preparedness for accidental water pollution, especially in a transboundary context. In 2009, both Conventions agreed on a JEG Strategy, regulating the mandate, activation and functions of the Joint Expert Group. JEG’s work on strengthening the prevention of accidental water pollution, including its potential transboundary effects, is in line with the Industrial Accidents Convention’s long-term strategy until 2030 and the principles of the Water Convention being open for accession to all United Nations members States.
Workplans of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents
The Joint Expert Group’s key activities
In 2018, the Joint Expert Group celebrated its 20th anniversary, which provided an opportunity to celebrate the Group’s key achievements since its establishment, such as the following:
1. Development of guidance materials and cheklists:
The mission of the Joint Expert Group is to assist countries in drawing up and implementing measures aimed at strengthening the prevention of and preparedness for accidental water pollution, especially in a transboundary context. In 2009, both Conventions agreed on a JEG Strategy, regulating the mandate, activation and functions of the Joint Expert Group. JEG’s work on strengthening the prevention of accidental water pollution, including its potential transboundary effects, is in line with the Industrial Accidents Convention’s long-term strategy until 2030 and the principles of the Water Convention being open for accession to all United Nations members States.
Workplans of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents
| Recent workplan periods | Language | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | ENG | RUS |
| 2017-2018 | ENG | RUS |
| 2015-2016 | ENG | RUS |
The Joint Expert Group’s key activities
In 2018, the Joint Expert Group celebrated its 20th anniversary, which provided an opportunity to celebrate the Group’s key achievements since its establishment, such as the following:
1. Development of guidance materials and cheklists:
- Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for the Management and Retention of Firefighting Water (October 2019)
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Checklist for Contingency Planning for Accidents Affecting Transboundary Waters (November 2016)
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Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for Oil Terminals (published in October 2015, developed in 2013)
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Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for Pipelines (published in May 2015, developed in 2006)
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Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for Tailings Management Facilities (published in May 2014, developed in 2008)
2. Facilitation of international response exercises, workshops and seminars:
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Polish-Russian Transboundary Response Exercise “KOTKI 2002” (June 2002)
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German-Polish exercise on the Joint Management of Transboundary Emergencies (September 2009)
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Romanian-Ukrainian-Moldovan field exercise in the Danube Delta (September 2015)
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German-Polish transboundary response exercise and International Seminar on Fire-Water Retention (September 2017)
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Hungarian accidental water pollution exercise on the Danube River (October 2018)
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Project on assistance in safety improvement of Tailings Management facilities in Armenia and Georgia
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Project on improving the safety of industrial tailings management facilities based on the example of Ukrainian facilities
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Project on hazard and crisis management in the Danube Delta (2011-2015)
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Review of the location criteria related to the water path for identifying hazardous activities for the purposes of the Industrial Accidents Convention
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Guidelines to facilitate the identification of hazardous activities for the purposes of the Convention (Guidelines for Location Criteria) – see amendment (decision 2018/1 in ECE/CP.TEIA/38/Add.1)
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Facilitation of information exchange, such as the organization of the Seminar on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Sandoz accident (Bonn, Germany, 8-9 November 2011)
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Awareness-raising on the issue of accidental transboundary water pollution and best-practice prevention and response measures
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Support to the Working Group on Civil Liability in its drafting of the Protocol on Civil Liability
Promotional materials
A brochure on the Joint Expert Group provides an overview of its history and purpose, why the Group is important, the key areas of work, achievements and outputs, and how to get involved.
A series of Postcards have been developed, available on the Industrial Accidents Convention’s publication webpage, which provide a brief overview of the safety guidelines and good practices developed by the Joint Expert Group, including the:
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Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for the Management and Retention of Firefighting Water
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Safety Guidelines and Good Practices for Tailings Management Facilities
Current JEG Members, stakeholders and contacts
The Joint Expert Group brings together the industrial safety and water management communities and cooperates with international river commissions, universities, operators, NGOs, national and local authorities and other stakeholders.
| Country | JEG Member | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Belarus | Ms. Lubov Hertman | Head of Hydrology and Water Protection Territories Department of the republican unitary enterprise "Central Research Institute for the Complex Use of Water Resources" |
| Czech Republic | Mr. Pavel Dobeš | R&D and academic worker, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava Faculty of Safety Engineering |
| Czech Republic | Mr. Pavel Danihelka | Professor, Head of Laboratory of Risk Research and Management, Faculty of Safety Engineering, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava |
| Finland | Ms. Tuuli Tulonen | Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) , Finland |
| Germany | Mr. Gerd Winkelmann-Oei | WOR, German Federal Environment Agency |
| Ghana | Ms. Esi Esuon Biney | Chief Ecologist of the Water Resources Commission, and Alternate National Focal Point for the Volta Basin Authority |
| Hungary | Mr. Péter Kovács (Co-Chair) | Head of Department, Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the UNECE Water Convention, Department of River Basin Management and Water Protection |
| Kazakhstan | Mr. Serik Akhmetov | Director, International Water Assessment Centre |
| Kyrgyzstan | Mr. Maratbek Ermatov | Specialist of the Department of Industrial Safety Regulation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision |
| North Macedonia | Ms. Lendita Dika | State Counsellor for Industrial Pollution and Risk management, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning |
| North Macedonia | Mr. Ylber Mirta | Head of Department for Waters, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning |
| Rep. of Moldova | Mr. Vitalii Mutaf | Head of the Security and Prevention Service of the Technical University of Moldova, University lecturer and colonel of the service rescue (reserve) |
| Romania | Mr. Zoltán Török | Assoc. Professor, Manager of Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management, Babes-Bolyai University |
| Serbia | Mr. Bojan Srdic (Co-Chair) | Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia |
| Serbia | Ms. Radojka Radojevic Stojilovic | Ministry of Interior |
| Slovakia | Ms. Danka Thalmeinerova | Ministry of Environment |
| Ukraine | Mr. Yevhen Morshch | Chief inspector of the emergency and rescue services and interaction with the executive authorities unit of the Technogenic Safety Division, Emergency Prevention Department, SESU |
| Ukraine | Ms. Iryna Grokhovetska | Chief of the Division on Organization of Work within Hydrometeorology Department, SESU |
| Observer | Mr. Adam Kovacs | Technical Expert - Pollution Control, ICPDR |
All United Nations Member States are encouraged to support and take part in the activities of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, and to promote and make use of its guidance materials, in order to enhance prevention, preparedness and response to accidental transboundary water pollution across the globe.
For more information about the Joint Expert Group, its current and planned activities and its guidance materials, please contact the:
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Secretariat of the Industrial Accidents Convention: [email protected]
- Secretariat of the Water Convention: [email protected]