Warsaw-Kyiv International Forum held on 24th April 2017 at Ministry of Environment in Warsaw, agreed to further enhance the cooperation with Ukraine to reduce chemical threats, support chemical safety and security, with an emphasis on the region of the East of Ukraine, and to assist in the development of the voluntary fire service in Ukraine, based on the Polish experience. The expansion of the cooperation with Ukraine in chemical safety and security was considered as an important element to promote national and regional security.

The Warsaw-Kyiv Forum was co-organized by the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS), Warsaw, Poland,  Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection of Poland and the Ukrainian Fire And Technological Safety Union (USPTB), and support of the , including the Organisation for Security and C-operation in Europe Project Coordinator in Ukraine.

The Forum, chaired by Amb. Vaidotas Verba, OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, gathered more than 80 representatives from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus, representing government agencies, industry and academia. Min. Marek Haliniak,  Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection of Poland, stressed the importance of the cooperation with Ukraine in chemical and environmental security and confirmed support it these regards. Amb. Vaidotas Verba presented the OSCE ongoing cooperation with Ukraine and international partners to develop and support projects to reduce chemical threats in Ukraine. Dir. Marek Kuberski from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland outlined the Polish assistance to Ukraine to enhance public security, including support to expand Ukraine fire service. Mr. David Wulf, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for infrastructure protection at the United States Department of Homeland Security  expressed in video address support for the increased international cooperation to promote chemical security worldwide and confirmed the on-going US support in enhancing chemical security in Ukraine. The Ukraine representatives from Cabinet of Ministers and Ministry of Interior outlined the preparatory work in Ukraine to develop voluntary fire service in Ukraine. They highly assessed the ongoing international cooperation and support of Poland in this regards, including from Polish Aid, and the continued cooperation with the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) a as leading international provider of best practices and capacity building in chemical safety and security. Mr. A.Danik from the State Service for Emergency Situations of Ukraine in Donetsk region, informed about growing chemical threats in the East of Ukraine. He invited Warsaw-Kyiv Forum and international participants to assist in mitigating these threats and introducing chemical safety and security. Professor Vasil Karabyn, from Lviv State University of Life Safety, presented the negative environmental Impact of burning coal piles in Sokal region in Ukraine.

The participants welcome the very positive role of and requested the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine to continue leading role in developing concrete programs aiming at enhancing chemical safety and security and improving the first response capacity in emergency situations.

The participants supported the initiative to create the nation-wide program “Ukraine system of voluntary fire service. The Forum declaration on the cooperation in the development of Voluntary Fire Brigades in Ukraine confirmed as priority the development and introduction of comprehensive legislation and administrative and technical regulations to enable the functioning of the system of voluntary fire service, introduction of a comprehensive training system and model voluntary fire service stations, to train and certify the personnel for voluntary fire service. The Declaration confirmed that the Ukraine and Polish participants established partnership for the development of Ukraine system of voluntary fire service, based on the Polish model.

The Ukraine participants supported the introduction in Ukraine of the program for local awareness and responsibility in chemical safety and security.

The Ukrainian Fire and Technological Safety Union" – UFTSU and the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) in Warsaw were invited to continue close cooperation and lead efforts  to enhance chemical security and the development of Ukraine system of voluntary fire service.

Finally, the participants agreed to meet in the summer 2017 in Kyiv to discuss and review further the concrete activities to enhance chemical security and to develop further the system of voluntary fire service in Ukraine.