Key out comes



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Rotterdam Convention

on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain

Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade |[pic]

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Report of the Consultation with Regional Officers of the

FAO and UNEP on Technical Assistance

for the Implementation of the

Rotterdam Convention

27 – 30 November 2005

Thailand

THE ROTTERDAM CONVENTION

On the prior informed consent procedure

For certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides

in international trade

SECRETARIAT OF THE ROTTERDAM CONVENTION

| | |

|Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) |

|Viale delle Terme di Caracalla |11-13, Chemin des Anémones |

|00100 Rome, Italy |CH – 1219 Châtelaine |

|Tel: (+39 06) 5705 3441 |Geneva, Switzerland |

|Fax: (+39 06) 5705 6347 |Tel: (+41 22) 917 8296 |

|E-mail: pic@pic.int |Fax: (+41 22) 797 3460 |

| |E-mail: pic@pic.int |

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Executive Summary 3

Review technical assistance activities in 2005 3

Identify needs for assistance, regional best practices and regional partners 3

Activity plan for 2006 4

Brainstorming for the technical assistance work programme 2007-2008 4

Development of regional strategy for delivery of technical assistance 4

Agenda 6

Report of the Consultation 9

Session 1 Opening and introduction 9

• The relationship between the Rotterdam Convention and other MEAs 9

• The two-year transition period for non-parties 9

• Definition of “region” 10

Session 2 Review Technical Assistance activities undertaken and experience gained in 2005 10

• Information gathering prior to convening meetings 10

• Tailoring the right approach 10

• Measurable action plan 11

• Regional partners 11

• Targeting information 11

Session 3 Review the status of the ratification and implementation of the Convention, country needs and underlying obstacles 11

Session 4 Introduce the work program of technical assistance for 2006 12

Session 5 Strengthening the regional delivery of technical assistance, elements for possible regional strategies and activities for 2007- 2008. 13

Brainstorming for new focal areas of technical assistance 13

Brainstorming indicators to measure effectiveness and success 13

Session 6 Review and confirm conclusions on future work and follow up 14

Development of Regional strategy 14

Work plan for the preparation of meetings 15

Annex I Meeting Schedule for 2006 16

Annex II List of Participants 18

Introduction

The strategy for regional delivery of technical assistance for the Rotterdam Convention was endorsed by the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) in September 2004 in Decision RC-1/14.

Cooperation with FAO Regional Offices and UNEP and building on regional and subregional institutions are key aspects of regional delivery of technical assistance.

An initial consultation with Regional Officers was held in Bangkok in October 2004 to brief them on the operation of the Convention and discuss how they could cooperate with the Secretariat in implementing the strategy for regional delivery of technical assistance.

Since the 2004 meeting, numerous technical assistance activities have been undertaken with the involvement of the Regional Offices.

A Consultation with Regional Officers of FAO and UNEP on technical assistance for the ratification and implementation of the Rotterdam Convention was convened in Hua Hin, Thailand, from 27 to 30 November 2005. Representatives from seven FAO regional and sub-regional offices and one UNEP regional office attended the meeting.

The Consultation was convened to review technical assistance activities undertaken over the last year to determine what has worked well, the main lessons learnt and how best to follow up at the national level both from the perspective of the Secretariat and Regional Officers. Additional technical assistance needs, regional best practices and potential regional partners were also discussed.

The framework for identifying opportunities for cooperation was the Work Programme on Technical Assistance for 2006, as adopted by the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2005. The Hua Hin Consultation provided an opportunity for brainstorming ideas to be considered in a region-centered programme for 2007-2008, including new focal areas for assistance and measures to evaluate the effectiveness of technical assistance activities.

Executive Summary

Following opening remarks from representatives of the FAO Regional Offices for Asia and the Pacific and the UNEP Regional Offices for Asia and the Pacific, the Secretariat presented a brief review of the Rotterdam Convention to ensure a common level of understanding among the participants regarding the objectives, scope and key operational elements of the Convention. The Consultation comprised a series of presentations by the Secretariat and participants, plenary discussions, brainstorming sessions, a session for drafting regional strategy and a session to consolidate the work programme.

Review technical assistance activities in 2005

The Secretariat presented a review of the strategy for regional delivery of technical assistance and activities undertaken in 2005. This was followed by presentations from Regional Officers on their experience in implementing the activities and lessons learned. The current practices of liaising with countries and conducting national and sub-regional consultations on action plans were considered successful. According to current practice, Regional Officers initiate contact with countries, which is then followed up with formal contact from the Secretariat. Personal contact through Regional Officers is considered essential because it provides opportunities to identify a counterpart’s priorities and interests. Regional Officers have an important role to play in tracking the progress of ratification and implementation of action plans at the national level. Setting specific target dates and timelines facilitates follow up and encourages countries to implement action plans that are developed and agreed to in meetings. Target dates and timelines also helps to keep relevant FAO staff informed and involved in following up on progress.

Regional Officers provided feedback to the Secretariat on the development and dissemination of information materials. In further developing the Resource Kit, there is a need for content that is clearly targeted to specific stakeholders. Information needs to be “packaged” or presented appropriately for different groups of stakeholders. For example, high-level policy makers like Ministers need brief, concise fact sheets, while key influencers and technical staff need information that is more detailed. All stakeholders need to see how ratifying and implementing the Convention benefits them. Understanding the benefits of the Convention is key to progress.

Identify needs for assistance, regional best practices and regional partners

The Secretariat presented an overview of country needs, key obligations of the Convention and the status of ratification and implementation in each region. There are noticeable differences among the regions with regard to the number of countries that have ratified the Convention and the extent of implementation among the Parties. Information on the status of ratification and implementation of the Convention and general experience in working with countries served as a basis for identifying priority areas for assistance in each region. For example, among the small island states in the Caribbean and Pacific, while only a few have ratified the Convention, the degree of implementation is reasonable. In contrast, in the Africa region a number of countries have ratified the Convention but there have been few submissions of notifications or import responses.

It was agreed that the current concepts of technical assistance in facilitating the development of national action plans (national strategy) and follow up with individual countries on progress should be continued. In consideration of the wide range of needs across regions, there are also continued needs for hands-on-training for Designated National Authorities and awareness raising.

New focal areas of assistance were identified including assistance to exporting parties to help them comply with obligations related to export; cross-regional common needs among small island states; facilitating dialogue among major trading partners; promoting Article 6 regarding proposals for Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations; and more contact with the chemical industry, donors and NGOs.

One of the key points to emerge from the discussion on selecting effective regional partners was development of a preliminary list of selection criteria in the form of questions. A number of current and prospective partners were discussed in the context of these criteria and Regional Officers were encouraged to reflect on this discussion in drafting their individual regional strategy.

Activity plan for 2006

Based on the work plan for technical assistance for 2006 adopted by COP 2 (Decision RC-2/4), a detailed meeting schedule has been developed in consultation with Regional Officers. This will be the basis for collaboration between the Secretariat and Regional Officers in the delivery of technical assistance in 2006. The types of meetings scheduled for 2006 can be categorized as:

• One- to two-day national seminars for countries which had participated in subregional meetings in 2005 in order to follow up on the implementation of national action plans developed during those subregional meetings.

• National or subregional meetings

(a) Consultations to develop national action plans for the ratification and implementation of the Convention.

(b) In Africa Region the primary focus of the meeting for 2006 is awareness raising and training, in order to set stage for future work on national action plan in 2007-2008.

In addition to these meetings, Regional Officers will raise issues pertinent to the Rotterdam Convention with respect to ratification and implementation at bilateral meetings with government officials as part of their regular work programme activities. Where appropriate, the Rotterdam Convention will be added to the agenda of relevant regional and subregional meetings. The Secretariat will provide information and materials on request.

Brainstorming for the technical assistance work programme 2007-2008

The results of this Consultation will be an input in designing the work programme for technical assistance for 2007-2008. It was proposed that technical assistance in 2007-2008 should:

• continue national and sub-regional consultations to develop national action plans for ratification and implementation of the Rotterdam Convention,

• follow up with individual countries on their progress in implementing national action plans,

• explore possible focal areas for assistance as identified above, and

• monitor the effectiveness of technical assistance activities.

An initial list of indicators has been proposed for measuring effectiveness and overall success in implementing the Rotterdam Convention. Indicators are divided into those measurable by the Secretariat, those measurable by countries, and measures of the overall objectives of the Convention.

Development of regional strategy for delivery of technical assistance

Building on the outputs of the preceding sessions, participants started drafting individual regional strategy as a way of structuring their approach to working in their regions and planning activities. The Secretariat presented the draft regional strategy developed for Asia and Latin America as examples. The following key elements are considered in these regional strategy:

• overview of regional characteristics,

• current status of ratification and implementation,

• possible regional partners to assist in the regional delivery of technical assistance,

• summary of previous technical assistance activities on the Rotterdam Convention,

• brief review of individual countries and possible clusters,

• priorities for action in 2006, and

• proposed next steps for 2007-2008.

It was agreed that Regional Officers would submit a draft regional strategy to the Secretariat by mid December 2005. As working documents, the regional strategy should help facilitate the ongoing dialogue between the Secretariat and the Regional Officers, provide feedback to the Secretariat on meetings, and flag activities the Secretariat can follow up. The Secretariat can also use the regional strategy to keep Regional Officers informed and involved in relevant activities in their region.

Agenda

Sunday 27 November

|Session 1 Opening/Introduction to the Rotterdam Convention |

Opening remarks – Representative of the FAO Regional Office

Opening remarks – Representative of the UNEP Regional Office

Presentation of Participants

Overview of the agenda and organization of the consultation

• Objectives / Structure of the meeting (Secretariat)

• Local arrangements (Y. Piao)

Break

Introduction/Overview of the Rotterdam Convention (Secretariat)

• Scope and Objective of the Convention

• What it is, what it is not

• Key operational elements of the Convention

Plenary discussion

• Questions and answers on purpose, scope, operational elements of the Rotterdam Convention

Lunch break

|Session 2 Review Technical Assistance activities undertaken and experience gained in 2005 |

Overview of technical assistance (secretariat)

• Regional delivery of technical assistance

• Highlights of activities in 2005

Concept of national and sub-regional consultation on action plan (Secretariat)

Regional Offices brief presentations on some of the activities during 2005

• Latin America (A. Hrushka)

• Caribbean (G. Pollard)

• Asia (Y. Piao)

Break

• Near East (T. El Azzabi)

• UNEP Asia (A. Bagai)

Plenary discussion

• Questions and answers on Technical assistance for regional delivery

• Exchange experience gained, lessons learned (see thought starters)

Monday 28 November

|Session 3 Review the status of the ratification and implementation of the Convention, country needs and underlying obstacles |

Overview of needs assessment (broad – frame work) (Secretariat)

• Analysis of workshop results

• Questionnaire

Overview of Convention key obligations, status of implementation and country needs (specific to the Convention - operational) (Secretariat)

• Ratification

• Notifications of final regulatory action

• Proposal for SHPF

• Import response for chemicals in Annex III

• Obligations related to export of chemicals

Plenary discussion

• Questions and answers to the presentation

Break

Breakout group discussions: Regional Office views/experience on regional/country needs (see thought starters)

Plenary

• Regional Officers present the results of 1st round BOG discussion

Lunch break

|Session 4 Introduce work program of technical assistance for 2006 |

Secretariat to introduce work programme for 2006 on technical assistance (Secretariat)

• Introduce work plan adopted by COP 2

• Seek feedback from Regional Officers

• Identify possible cooperation

Round table: Regional Offices present their work plans for 2006 (if and where possible)

Break

Plenary discussion to further develop work plan for 2006 (see thought starters)

Tuesday 29 November

|Session 5 Strengthening the regional delivery of technical assistance, elements for possible regional strategies and activities |

|for 2007- 2008. |

Review outcomes of the preceding session

Part 1. Identify elements for further development of regional strategy

Secretariat to introduce the regional strategy for technical assistance in Asia as an example (Secretariat)

Plenary discussion (see thought starters)

• The utility of the regional strategy in planning activities

• What are the key elements to be considered?

• Next steps

Break

Part 2. Brainstorming on the future direction of the overall strategy for 2007-2008

Plenary discussions (see thought starters)

• review action plan of 2006

• brainstorming activities and new concept for 2007-2008

Lunch break

Part 3. Brainstorming on indicators to measure effectiveness and success

Plenary discussions (see thought starters)

Part 4. Compile success stories

Plenary discussions (see thought starters)

Wednesday 30 November

|Session 6 Review and confirm Conclusions on future work and follow-up |

Plenary

• Review outcomes of the consultation including programme of work for 2006, elements for 2007-2008, and a list of possible regional partners and next steps in follow up

• Plan further development of regional strategies in collaboration with the regional officers.

Report of the Consultation

Session 1 Opening and introduction

On behalf of the Assistant Director General of the FAO Regional Office of Asia and Pacific, the Regional Plant Protection Officer Mr. Yongfan Piao opened the meeting and welcomed the participants. In his speech he emphasized that the Rotterdam Convention is a further concrete example of FAO’s commitment to addressing the challenging problems associated with pesticide use in developing countries. The Convention is a major step in building a new global approach to control harmful chemicals and pesticides. The entry into force of the Convention in February last year has opened a new phase building on the momentum developed during the interim PIC procedure. At present, there are 100 Parties to the Convention. While substantially fewer than the 165 countries that participated in the interim PIC procedure, many of the world’s major chemical producing and exporting countries are now Parties. FAO Regional Officers have an important role in assisting countries in their region to ratify and to implement the Rotterdam Convention.

Mr Yongfan Piao’s remarks were followed by a welcome speech by Mr Surendra Shrestha, the Regional Director of the UNEP Office of Asia and the Pacific. Mr Shrestha emphasised that safety measures for transport, storage and use of dangerous chemicals was a growing concern among developing countries and these issues needed to be integrated into the Millennium Development Goals along with poverty alleviation. The impact of pesticides on farmers in South East Asia remained a critical issue. UNEP Regional offices were doing their part to facilitate better cooperation at the regional and national levels and encouraging countries to ratify the Rotterdam Convention. UNEP is also working with Customs officials on training programs to raise awareness and helping countries at both the national and subregional levels to develop a framework of legislation. In closing, he wished the participants every success in their discussions.

The Secretariat made a brief presentation on the scope and objectives of the Convention, key operational elements and the benefits to its Parties.

A number of questions were raised during the discussion where further clarification was given by the Secretariat, including:

The relationship between the Rotterdam Convention and other MEAs

Questions are raised about the relationship between the Rotterdam Convention, the Stockholm Convention, the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol. The Stockholm Convention covers 12 specific chemicals, which are highly toxic, persistent, bioaccumulate and move long distances in the environment. It aims to eliminate or restrict their production, use and trade. All but two of these chemicals (intentionally produced) are Annex III chemicals in the Rotterdam Convention. The Basel Convention deals specifically with the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. The three Conventions together provide an international framework governing the environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals throughout their lifecycles. For example, notifications of final regulatory action submitted by Parties might lead to its listing in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention and subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure as the first line of defense. Should this substance prove to be persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic, it might also be targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention. Residual stockpiles would end up as waste and be covered under the Basel Convention. If a chemical is already listed under the Montreal Protocol, it may not be necessary to list it under the Rotterdam Convention because the Protocol already offers a high level of protection from unwanted trade. Taken together, the Conventions offer a framework countries can use to anticipate and deal with the full range of hazardous chemicals issues.

The two-year transition period for non-parties

When the Convention entered into force in February 2004, a number of countries had not yet ratified the Convention but have voluntarily and actively participated in the interim PIC procedure (Participating States). The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) agreed on a two-year transition period for these countries during which they can still participate on a voluntary basis by circulating their notifications and import responses. During this period they continue to receive the PIC Circular and other information materials. The transition period ceases in February 2006 and there is no provision for non-parties to participate in the Convention. The information from non-Parties will only be retained on the Convention website, but will not be updated and circulated until they become Party to the Convention.

Definition of “region”

Whereas FAO, UNEP and other stakeholder organizations define geographic regions differently for different purposes, a working definition of “region” for this meeting and its follow up is according to the “operational responsibility of FAO regional and sub-regional offices”, i.e. those areas for which FAO Regional Officers have direct operational responsibility. This definition is not meant to be restrictive or exclusive of other geographic divisions. It is meant to serve as a practical way of approaching countries in a logical or systematic manner and to allow for maximum flexibility in dealing with countries. Examples offered by participants included: Belize and Dominican Republic having closer ties or affinities with Central American countries on some issues; the Near East Office clustering Russian speaking countries; and the Africa Office clustering English and French speaking countries.

Session 2 Review Technical Assistance activities undertaken and experience gained in 2005

The Secretariat presented an overview of regional delivery of technical assistance and highlights of activities in 2004-2005. The regional offices have played key roles in a number of these activities during the period. Presentations were given by the FAO Regional Offices for Latin America and the Caribbean (A. Hrushka, Chile), the Near East (El Azzabi, Egypt), Asia and the Pacific (Y. Piao, Thailand), the subregional office in the Caribbean (G. Pollard, Barbados) and the UNEP Regional Offices for Asia and Pacific (A. Bagai, Thailand) on their experience in delivering technical assistance on the Rotterdam Convention.

The session provided an opportunity to discuss and share the experience gained in implementing this initial phase of the technical assistance strategy. The following aspects were considered in subsequent discussions:

Information gathering prior to convening meetings

Several participants commented on the importance of gathering information prior to convening meetings with stakeholders at national, subregional or regional levels. “Successful meetings” often fail to produce measurable results because they were predicated on assumptions rather than factual information. Regional Officers can play a pivotal role by identifying relevant political, cultural and social factors and identify a counterpart’s priorities and interests that can determine the outcomes of a proposed meeting. Such information may be useful in determining the appropriate level of the meeting (regional, subregional, national), where the bottlenecks are, who are the key influencers, who should be invited to meetings, the formats, processes and follow up actions.

Tailoring the right approach

Careful consideration needs to be given to what combination of regional, national or subregional meetings for high-level policy makers or technical staff is appropriate at which point in the process. In some cases, a national meeting with high-level policy makers and a broad range of stakeholders may be the most effective way of achieving a goal such as to support the ratification. A different goal may require a subregional meeting to bring three or four countries together to share their experience and work out practical approaches to cooperation.

Participants noted some of difficulties involved in inter-ministerial communication and emphasized the value of current approach in bringing people together from different government ministries and departments as a mean of promoting communication and coordination among the stakeholders.

Measurable action plan

Meeting outcomes should include measurable action points and set specific target dates. which encourages countries to take action to implement action plans that are developed and agreed to in meetings . It also facilitates follow up on progress. Regional Officers have an important role to play in tracking the progress of ratification and implementation of action plans at the national level.

Regional partners

One of the key points to emerge from the discussion on selecting effective regional partners was a preliminary list of selection criteria in the form of questions. These included:

- Do they (the potential partner) have a chemicals programme or do they want to develop one?

- Are they interested in and willing to integrate the Rotterdam Convention into their program?

- Do they have capacity and resources to help move things forward?

- What do they bring to the process?

- Can they ‘pay their own way’?

- Can they work with us?

A number of current and prospective partners were discussed in the context of these criteria and Regional Officers are encouraged to reflect on this discussion in drafting their individual regional strategy.

Targeting information

The meeting also provided an opportunity for feedback to the Secretariat on the development and dissemination of information material. In further developing the Resource Kit, there is a need for material that is concise and targeted to each of the stakeholders. All stakeholders need to see how ratifying and implementing the Convention benefits them. When disseminating information, careful consideration should be given to “packaging” information differently for different groups of stakeholders. High-level policy makers like Ministers need brief, concise fact sheets. Key influencers and technical staff need information that is more detailed.

Session 3 Review the status of the ratification and implementation of the Convention, country needs and underlying obstacles

The Secretariat presented an overview of country needs, key obligations of the Convention and the status of ratification and implementation in each region. The aim of this session was to review the information in different regions as a basis for identifying regional needs, the challenges faced in countries and possible priority areas for assistance.

There are noticeable differences among the regions with regard to the number of countries that have ratified the Convention and the extent of implementation among the Parties. Information on status of ratification and implementation of the Convention and general experience in working with countries served as a basis for identifying priority areas for assistance in each region. For example, among the small island states in the Caribbean and Pacific, while only a few have ratified the Convention, the degree of implementation is reasonable. In contrast, in the Africa region a number of countries have ratified the Convention but there have been few submissions of notifications or import responses.

It was agreed that the current concepts of technical assistance in facilitating the development of national action plans (national strategy) and follow up with individual countries on progress should be continued. In consideration of the wide range of needs across regions, the need remains for hands-on-training for Designated National Authorities and awareness raising.

New focal areas of assistance were identified including assistance to exporting parties to help them comply with obligations related to export; cross-regional common needs among small island states; facilitating dialogue among major trading partners; promoting Article 6 regarding proposals for Seriously Hazardous Pesticide Formulations; and more contact with the chemical industry, donors and NGOs.

Session 4 Introduce the work program of technical assistance for 2006

Based on the work plan for technical assistance for 2006 adopted by COP 2 (Decision RC-2/4), a detailed meeting schedule has been developed in consultation with Regional Officers. This will be the basis for collaboration between the Secretariat and Regional Officers in the delivery of technical assistance in 2006.

Taking into consideration the needs and priorities identified in the previous sessions, the types of meetings scheduled for 2006 can be categorized as:

• One- to two-day national seminars for countries which had participated in subregional meetings in 2005 in order to follow up on the implementation of national action plans developed during those subregional meetings.

• National or subregional meetings

(a) Consultations to develop national action plans for the ratification and implementation of the Convention.

(b) In Africa Region the primary focus of the meeting for 2006 is awareness raising and training, in order to set stage for future work on national action plan in 2007-2008.

A detailed list of meetings scheduled for 2006 can be found in Annex I of the report.

It should also be noted that the PAN-EU project on pesticide poisoning includes Senegal, Tanzania, Benin, Cameroon and Ethiopia. The joint project with UNITAR to assist countries in developing national action plans for the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention includes Mongolia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea Conakry.

In addition to these meetings, Regional Officers will raise issues pertinent to the Rotterdam Convention with respect to ratification and implementation at bilateral meetings with government officials as part of their regular work programme activities. Where appropriate, the Rotterdam Convention will be added to the agenda of relevant regional and subregional meetings. The Secretariat will provide information and materials on request. Some regional or subregional events have been identified where the Rotterdam Convention could be included in the agenda. Details can be found in the regional strategy developed and updated by the respective regional officers.

Session 5 Strengthening the regional delivery of technical assistance, elements for possible regional strategies and activities for 2007- 2008.

The results of this Consultation will be an input in designing the work programme for technical assistance for 2007-2008. It was proposed that technical assistance in 2007-2008 should:

• continue national and sub-regional consultations to develop national action plans for ratification and implementation of the Rotterdam Convention,

• follow up with individual countries on their progress in implementing national action plans,

• explore possible focal areas for assistance as identified above, and

• monitor the effectiveness of technical assistance activities.

Brainstorming for new focal areas of technical assistance

Other areas that might require support in the future include:

• Assistance to exporting Parties to comply with obligations related to export (comply with import decisions, provide export notifications, labels and information to accompany export).

• Cross-regional activities among small island states, e.g. Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

• Dialogue among major trading partners, e.g. meetings among exporting countries and their main trading partners.

• Promoting Article 6 regarding proposal for Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations, which is a common need across regions.

• Transit countries like Singapore, through which large volumes of chemicals pass and traders share experience with the Montreal Protocol and the Stockholm Convention.

• Initiate dialogue and raise awareness with:

o the chemical industry: particularly generic manufacturers and formulators;

o commodity producers: particularly growers of large-scale plantation crops that use large volumes of pesticides (cotton, sugar cane, bananas, etc.). Participants felt that given the volumes of pesticides these producers use and their influence with governments and within communities, that it was important to begin communicating with this group to help them understand the Convention, correct any misconceptions they may have about the Convention, and open discussions about alternative chemicals and farming practices.

o Donors and NGOs providing chemicals as part of their assistance programs.

Brainstorming indicators to measure effectiveness and success

Indicators measurable by the secretariat:

• number of notifications, proposals for SHPF and import responses

• tracking to get an indication of how active a country is in terms of import responses; the age of interim responses and how long they remain interim

• cross check number of notifications received with final regulatory actions taken by a country

• number of proposals on Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations can be cross-checked via reports from NGOs and other sources (e.g. newspaper reports)

Indicators measurable by countries:

In additional to the above,

• national action plans for implementation of the Convention

• number of export notifications sent, confirmations received, information accompanying export shipments, labelling

• agencies that should be receiving export notifications versus agencies that actually are receiving them

• health ministries may have information to report on Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations,

• import responses disseminated by DNAs, who they are sending them to, how they are sending and how often (Convention says they should do it within 6 months)

• accuracy of data on DNAs

• number and quality of national registers and databases established (Article 15)

• imports of Annex III chemicals

• actions taken by countries to further control Annex III chemicals (safer use; better management)

• case studies showing how the Convention or actions under the Convention are being used by different groups

Indicators to measure broader policy objectives in the Convention:

• improved protection of human health and the environment

• trends in use of Annex III chemicals that impact on human health, environment, water and food

Session 6 Review and confirm conclusions on future work and follow up

Development of Regional Strategy

Building on the outputs of the preceding sessions, participants started drafting individual regional strategy as a way of structuring their approach to working in their regions and planning activities. The Secretariat presented the draft regional strategy developed for Asia and Latin America as examples. The following key elements are considered in these regional strategy:

a. an overview of regional characteristics

A brief sketch of the region noting some of the main characteristics.

b. A brief review of individual countries and possible clusters

e.g. chemicals use, production, exporter/importer, management infrastructure.

c. Possible regional partners to assist in the regional delivery of technical assistance

Apply the criteria discussed in Session 2. Some analysis on the mandate and possible inputs of the possible regional partners, types of meetings, content, format and goals.

d. Summary of previous technical assistance activities on the Rotterdam Convention

Some of the information already in the presentation given by the Regional Officers under Session 2.

e. Current status of ratification and implementation

The most current information can be obtained from the Secretariat and its web site pic.int

f. Work plan for 2006,

See Annex I of the report.

g. Proposed next steps for 2007-2008

In preparing their working papers, participants were asked to consider the focus of their efforts in terms of what countries and what types of actions they would prioritize and what approaches they might take in achieving their objectives. The diagram below was offered as an illustration.

- [pic]

Participants were invited to work individually or in small groups and to report back in plenary for comments and feedback. It was agreed that each of the regional officers will continue the work after the meeting and submit a draft regional strategy to the Secretariat by mid December.

As working documents, the notes should:

• facilitate the ongoing dialogue between the Secretariat and the regional officers

• provide a platform for feedback on meetings to Secretariat to flag action points Secretariat can follow up on or might like to know about

• provide a platform to keep regional officers informed and involved in relevant activities in their region on a regular basis

Work plan for the preparation of meetings

For each of the meetings scheduled for 2006, a work plan will help to ensure the smooth coordination among the Secretariat, the respective regional officer and, in some cases, the local institution involved in the logistics arrangements. The preparation of a meeting has to be initiated at least three months before the proposed meeting date. A list of items to be considered in such a work plan was briefly introduced by the Secretariat as follows:

a. Confirmation of dates and venue

b. Administrative arrangements

- Identify participants, resource persons and Secretariat participation

- Invitation to participants and resource persons (formal, signed by Niek Van der Graaff)

- Approve budget

- Initiate FDR or LOA

c. Logistics

- Agree on responsible agency for local arrangements

- Make arrangements for logistics support for the meeting

- Make arrangements for accommodation of participants

d. Substantive preparation

- Develop concept

- Meeting flow

- Agenda

- Structure discussion

- Prepare presentation, speech

- Prepare background documents and workshop binder, arrange shipment

Annex I Meeting Schedule for 2006 (updated February 2006)

| |Q1 |Q2 |Q3 |Q4 |Time to be defined |

|Africa | |Sub-regional workshop for 11 countries |Sub-regional workshop with CSP and |Sub-regional workshop for 8 | |

| | |in Southern Africa, English, type 2(b), |DNAs |countries in East Africa, English, | |

| | |host: South Africa (proposed) | |type 2(b), host: Kenya (proposed) | |

|North Africa | | | |Sub-regional consultation for | |

| | | | |Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, | |

| | | | |French, type 2(a), host Morocco | |

| | | | |confirmed | |

|Near East | |Subregional consultation for Gulf | |Subregional consultation for Turkey,|Follow up on national action plan developed at|

| | |Cooperation States: Bahrain, Kuwait, | |Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and |the subregional consultation for Egypt, UAE, |

| | |Qatar and Oman, type 2(a), host: Oman | |Lebanon, type 2(a), host Syria |Jordan and Saudi Arabia |

| | |(confirmed) | |(proposed) | |

|Pacific Islands | | | | |One day (additional) meeting by regional |

| | | | | |officer for Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, |

| | | | | |Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, |

|Caribbean |Follow up on national action plan | |Sub-regional consultation for Bahamas,| |Follow up on national action plan developed at|

| |developed at the subregional | |Dominic, Guyana and St Vincent and the| |the subregional consultations for Surinam and |

| |consultations for Barbados and | |Grenadines and Saint Lucia, type 2 | |Jamaica if needed |

| |Trinidad and Tobago | |(a), host: Saint Lucia (proposed) | | |

Latin America |Subregional meeting for Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Rep. type 2(b), host: Nicaragua (confirmed, 28-31 March)

▪ Subregional meeting for Cuba and Costa Rica, type 2(a), host: Cuba (pending confirmation) | |Follow up on national action plan developed at the subregional consultations for countries selected form Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay |Follow up on national action plan developed at the subregional consultations for countries selected form Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Cuba | | |

Explanatory note to the meetings scheduled for 2006

For Africa region, two subregional meetings and one meeting of CSP and DNAs have been scheduled.

- Southern Africa meeting (English speaking) may include: South Africa, Namibia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, and Botswana.

- East Africa meeting (English speaking) may include Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritius, Madagascar, Uganda and Seychelles.

- CSP member countries are: Mauritania, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Tchad and Cape Verde

Note: The PAN-EU project on pesticide poisoning includes Senegal, Tanzania, Benin, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. The joint pilot project with UNITAR would include 5-6 countries in total, which are yet to be identified.

Note: The initial meeting schedule was developed at the consultation with Regional Officers of FAO and UNEP in November 2005. To reflect the progress made regarding the preparation of the meetings, the amended version with details such as the dates and host countries identified so far as of February 2006 is presented. The meeting plan will be updated and communicated to Regional Officers on a regular basis.

Annex II List of Participants

FAO (Sub)-regional Offices

Hannah Clarendon

Regional Office for Africa (RAF)

FAO Building

Gamel Abdul Nasser Road

PO Box 1628

Accra, Ghana

Hannah.Clarendon@

Taher El Azzabi

Plant Protection Officer

FAO Regional Office for the Near East (RNE)

Al-Eslah Al-Zerai Street (Next to the Agricultural Museum),

Dokki,

Cairo,

Egypt

Postal Code: 2223

Tel: +20 2 3316000/3316001/3316002

Fax: +20 2 7495981/3373419

Email taher.elazzabi@

Khaled Alrouechdi

Crop Protection Officers

Sub-regional Office for North Africa

PO Box 300

Tunis, Tunisia

telephone (+216 1) 847 553

facsimile (+216 1) 791 859

e-mail Khaled.alrouechdi@

Allan Hruska

Plant Protection Officer

Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC)

Avenida Dag Hammeskjold 3241, Vitacura

Casilla 10095

Santiago, Chile

+56 2 3372100/3372301

Fax: +56 2 3372101/3373102

Email: allan.hruska@

Yongfan Piao

Plant Protection Officer

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP, Bangkok)

39 Pra Athit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

+66 2 697 4268 (abbr 4026 – 4306)

Fax +66 2 697 4445

Yongfan.Piao@

Gene Pollard

Regional Plant Protection Officer

Subregional Office for the Caribbean

PO Box 631-C, Bridgetown, Barbados

+1 246 426 7110 (abbr 4006 – 247)

Gene.Pollard@

Mat Purea

Plant Protection Officer

Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAPA, Samoa)

Private mail bag, Apia, Samoa

+685 221 27 (abbr 4186 – 22)

Mat.Purea@

UNEP Regional Offices

Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director

Atul Bagai

Mahesh Pradhan

UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

United Nations Building

Rajdamnern Nok Avenue

Bangkok 10200, Thailand.

Telephone: 662 288 1870-4

Fax: 662 280 3829/ 524 5365

Email: shresthasu@

bagai@

pradhan@

Rotterdam Convention Secretariat

Bill Murray

The Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

00100 Rome, Italy

Tel: (+39 06) 5705 6289

Fax: (+39 06) 5705 6347

E-mail: william.murray@

Yun Zhou

The Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

00100 Rome, Italy

Tel: (+39 06) 5705 4160

Fax: (+39 06) 5705 6347

E-mail: yun.zhou@

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