Nairobi,
23 August 2010 - The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), at the request of the
government of Nigeria, is conducting an
environmental assessment of the impacts
of oil spills in Ogoniland, in the Niger
Delta, and options for remediation.
UNEP's decision to respond
to this request by a member state recognizes
the human and environmental tragedy associated
with oil contamination in Ogoniland and
the fact this needs to be addressed.
The UNEP study represents
an unprecedented effort to examine the location,
nature and extent and implications of oil
contamination in Ogoniland. It is part of
a longer term goal to clean up contaminated
sites for the benefit of local communities
and people living in parts of the Niger
Delta and for the region's sustainable development.
The fieldwork by UNEP's
scientific teams collecting samples of water,
soil, sediment, air and plant and animal
tissue is due to be completed in October
2010, and will be followed by laboratory
analysis. As this process of sample collection
is still under way no draft or final report
currently exists. Once finalized, the report
will provide a compilation of all results
and present options to the government and
all interested parties on the most appropriate
measures to clean up the area's environment.
It is due to be presented to the government
of Nigeria and interested parties in early
2011.
Media reports over the
past days and weeks have indicated that
it is UNEP's determination that 90 per cent
of oil spills are linked with so-called
'bunkering' and criminal activity.
In referring to this
data, UNEP clearly indicated that these
figures represented official estimates of
the Government of Nigeria, based in part
on data supplied by the oil industry.
They therefore do not
represent nor reflect results of UNEP's
current assessment process which is still
ongoing. To link this data with UNEP's study
or indeed any future attribution of responsibility
is incorrect.
UNEP would ask all parties
within and outside Nigeria to recognize
this fact and to respect the multi-disciplinary
team carrying out this important task. UNEP
wishes to assure all concerned that the
assessment will be concluded to the highest
standards of independence, integrity and
transparency.
UNEP has over several
years secured the confidence of the international
community in many challenging regions of
the world from the Balkans and Afghanistan
to Gaza and Sudan.
The same professionalism
and independence shown in these situations
is being exercised in respect to UNEP's
work in Nigeria.
The funding of the assessment
was negotiated over a period of one and
a half years to ensure the independence
and integrity of the assessment. In keeping
with the polluter pays principle the Government
of Nigeria, the Shell Petroleum Development
Company (SPDC) of Nigeria and UNEP agreed
that costs of USD 9.5 million would be borne
by SPDC.
