Several meetings took place on 3 June - in the Ministries building in Astana, Deputy Minister Zhomart Aliev, Director of Chemicals Management department Ruslan Tukenov and Zhasyl Damu CEO Nurzhan Kabdolganov discussed with the RECETOX team possible support in preparing a framework legislation on waste and also elaborated on the waste disposal options that will become available in Kazakhstan in September. Next meeting took place in Kazgydromet, hydrometeorological institute nearby the ministries.
The team met with the Director, Ms. Danara Alimbaeva and discussed reestablishment of the air sampling via MONT passive sapling, to follow up on the activities performed in 2008 and 2014-2015. Further, possible cooperation in sampling water from large water bodies was also discussed. In addition, the RECETOX visited Kazgydromet laboratories and their director was greatly interested in possible training at RECETOX. The launch of the sampling cooperation is underway to support the Global Monitoring Plan. New samples and data will also contribute to the regular Article 15 report due in August 2026 and to the updated National Implementation Plan. The RECETOX is ready to support the POPs monitoring in collaboration with the RECETOX research infrastructure.
And, the most importantly, a formal inception meeting of NIP update project took place in Hilton Garden Inn, Astana on 4 June 2025 even if the expert team is working on inventories for almost a year. This first meeting welcomed 45 participants from all regions of Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of academia and civil society. Meeting was opened by the Deputy minister Aliev who confirmed KZ dedication to continue implementing the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants and build on previous work on hazardous pesticides. He reiterated it is necessary to remediate existing contaminated sites and start destroying hazardous wastes containing POPs in the Stepanogorsk region.
Two members of the expert team, Ms. Amina Beibitova and Saltanat Bayeshova provided participants with the context of the National Implementation Plan that was prepared in 2007, 2014 and 2017 and on the most recent pesticide inventory and contaminated sites detailed investigation that took place in the collaboration with the FAO in 2023 and 2024.
In addition, everyone present received training on the procedure of the update of the National implementation Plan, linkages to other related international instruments, and learned basic information about newly listed chemicals. In the final part of the meeting, the participants worked on identification of necessary stakeholders to exchange information with and had possibility to exchange their on the ground experience with regional authorities, organizations and individuals.
Assel Rakhymova, head of the waste management thanked everyone for their engagement, reminded on the implementability of the NIP underway and wished everyone a happy World Environment Day. We are looking forward to come back to Astana in September 2025 to share and validate the POPs inventory results.
