Reinforcing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation capacities in Rwanda
Ruhengeri, 6-8 February 2018
A Needs Assessment Questionnaire workshop with the National Team of Rwanda took place in Ruhengeri, district of Musanze, from 6 until 8 February, within the framework of the European Union (EU) CBRN Centres of Excellence (CoE) Risk Mitigation Initiative.
The meeting was organized and sponsored by the Government of Rwanda with the expert support provided by the European Commission Joint Research Centre. The On-Site Assistance expert and the Regional Coordinator attended as well representing the Regional Secretariat for Eastern and Central Africa (ECA). In their opening remarks the National Focal Point from the Ministry of Defence, Maj. Pascal Munyangabe and the Head of Political, Press and Information Section, in the Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda, Mr Ondrej Simek reflected on the commitment of Rwanda to invest into better CBRN preparedness, safety and security in Rwanda which in turn means better preparedness, safety and security elsewhere. They pointed out that that presence of representatives from various Ministries is witness to the fact that the Government of Rwanda is committed to making progress in strengthening prevention, mitigation and response to CBRN risks.
The purpose of the workshop was to undertake a detailed assessment of needs in the areas of legislation and regulations; state CBRN managing authorities; risk mitigation strategy; prevention measures; detection of CBRN material; preparedness for potential CBRN incidents and response; recovery measures; sustainability; and strategic trade control.
Representatives of the following institutions actively participated over the course of the three days: Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI); Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR); Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community; Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA); Ministry of Trade, Industry Affairs (MINEACOM); National Council for Science and Technology (NCST); National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR); National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS); Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC); Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA); Rwanda National Police (RNP); Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA); and Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).
The overall technical discussions were facilitated by the EC Joint Research Centre experts who supported the National Team in their completion of the questions in nine NAQ chapters.
The final result was a first draft of the National Action Plan which the country will continue working on to capture their priorities and immediate actions to be undertaken to mitigate the CBRN risks they are facing.
The EU CBRN CoE Risk Mitigation Initiative involves 56 countries in 8 regions of the world, is funded by the European Union and is jointly implemented by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). The initiative has been 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 level. The EU CBRN CoE Risk Mitigation Initiative aims at strengthening regional security and safety by sharing good practices and capabilities, by developing guidelines, by identifying and deploying resources to respond to the needs identified by partner countries and by supporting the development of national CBRN policies.
For more information:
CBRN Centres of Excellence website: http://www.cbrn-coe.eu/
European Commission, Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace website (see section about "Stable Situations"): http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/node/7350