The Organizing Committee of the “UN/OECD online seminar in follow-up to the 2020 Beirut port explosion: Lessons learned, experiences and good practices of ammonium nitrate storage and handling, and related accident prevention, preparedness and response” convened for the first time to discuss a draft concept note and draft survey, both of which were prepared by the UNECE secretariat to the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, in close cooperation with the secretariats to the Sub-Committees of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification of Labelling of Chemicals, for the upcoming seminar to be held on 14 December 2021 – and refined, following the meeting, with additional contributions from partner organizations. In particular, the Committee discussed the scope, content, objectives and practical matters of the seminar and the survey to be conducted ahead of the seminar.

The Organizing Committee is comprised of members from the following partner organizations:

- UNECE (Secretariat to the Industrial Accidents Convention (lead), hosted by the Environment Division; and the Sustainable Transport Division)

- International Labour Organization (ILO)

- International Maritime Organization (IMO)

- United Nations Environment Programme/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Joint Environment Unit (UNEP/OCHA JEU)

- United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Arab States

- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)