The Protocol of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN-ECE) introduces the concept of civil liability for enterprises using hazardous products capable of polluting trans-frontier waterways in the event of industrial accidents. The protocol is based on a Swiss initiative, which was developed at the international level directly after the industrial accident which occurred at a gold mining site in Baia Mara (Romania) and polluted the Danube with cyanide.

"The current situation, in which nobody is responsible for pollution caused by accidents such as the one that occurred in Baia Mara, is not acceptable,” said Mr. Philippe Roch during the session of the World Water Forum he chaired. He called on countries to do everything within their power to implement rapidly the Protocol that will be signed in May in Kiev. Mr. Kaj Bärlund of the UN-ECE underlined the importance of the Protocol which will make a significant contribution to reducing the serious pollution of rivers. ”This Protocol is a real economic instrument which creates an incentive for enterprises to take into consideration the risks of polluting the environment. It is a real anti-pollution-stimulation instrument,” said Mr. Klaus Töpfer, Director of the United Nations Programme for the Environment, who welcomed the Swiss initiative and Switzerland's commitment to this issue. There was strong interest in the presentation, and many remarks and questions were raised from the floor.

Swiss Cooperation with the EU Water Initiative

On the Day of Europe of the World Water Forum, Mrs. Dora Rapold, Vice-Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), announced Switzerland's cooperation with the EU Water Initiative in Central Asia. Seco and the SDC have been supporting water projects in Central Asia for many years because water is considered to be a key factor for stability and economic development throughout the region. Switzerland intends to invest about USD 28 million in the water sector in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the next few years. Representatives from the EU and the guest speaker, Michael Gorbachev, welcomed Switzerland's programs, which are making an essential contribution to the concretization and further development of the EU initiative.

Kyoto: Philippe Roch calls on European countries to sign the Protocol