Africa-Press – Uganda. The commissioner of employment services at the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development Mr Lawrence Egulu has said there is a need for EAC regional states to have a collective understanding of chemical risks to bolster their preparedness and response mechanisms to protect their citizens from chemical harm threats.
“We are all well aware of the indispensable role that chemicals play in numerous economic and essential activities essential to our daily lives. However, these very cherished substances present substantial risks to our nations and economies if mishandled or if safety and security protocols are not rigorously adhered to throughout their life span” he said.
Mr Egulu made the remarks during the opening of the regional Workshop on enhancing national and sub-national protective programmes against the use of chemical weapons agents and toxic industrial chemicals in the East African Community partner states on Tuesday in Entebbe.
“On a global scale, significant chemical incidents have been experienced for instance the tragic Bhopal gas leak disaster (1984), which resulted in the deaths of thousands and inflicted lasting effects on survivors. The catastrophic explosions involving ammonium nitrate in Beirut, Lebanon (2020), led to considerable loss of life and extensive property damage. There are also allegations that chemical weapons were used during the Syria-Iraq war” he said.
Mr Egulu who was representing the Permanent Secretary Dr Aggrey Kibenge said such risks may span from accidental explosions to deliberate exploitation by terrorists for the production of weapons of mass destruction.
“In Uganda, we have also experienced various chemical-related accidents which included fires in industries handling flammable chemicals, explosions of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, instances of pesticides, alcohol, and food poisoning,” he said.
According to a statement released by the technical secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the organisation has intensified its focus on preventing the re-emergence of chemical weapons, strengthening chemical safety and security in member states, and achieving universality of the convention since July 2023 when the last declared chemical weapons stockpile was destroyed.
“Rapid advances in science and technology present both challenges and opportunities for the effective implementation of the convention. The organisation is currently engaging with science and technology experts to better understand the impact that advanced technologies could have on the implementation of the convention” the statement read.
The representative of the UK government, wing commander Mr Neville Clayton said the OPCW- Online Self Assessment Tool (OSAT) will help states develop national protection plans at the sub-regional and national levels by assessing the chemical safety and security risks posed by hazardous chemicals, reviewing existing response capabilities, and identifying necessary improvements.
“The UK condemns any use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances. Tragically, we have had direct chemical weapon attacks in recent years,” he said.
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