The Joint third meeting for BCRC-Egypt Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Center Steering Committee (CSC)

The Detailed Tentative Agenda of the Joint meeting for BCRC-Egypt Project Steering Committee and Center Steering Committee

Wednesday, 6^th of May, 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

1. Opening of the meeting, welcoming the attendees and explaining the meeting objectives

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC (The representative of the KSA) will welcome the PSC and CSC members and the representatives of the other Arab countries who will like to attend the meeting as observers.
• He will overview the objectives of holding this meetings which are:
• Updating the PSC and the CSC members of the activities, events and agreements that took place over the past year, so they can approve and endorse.
• Overviewing the members about the future activities that shall take place in 2015 so they can approve and endorse.
• Discussing the issue of the Center resources mobilization to find more efficient trends to fund the Center future activities.

2. Introduction of the meeting attendees

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the meeting attendees to introduce themselves to the others.

3. Introduction about BCRC-Egypt

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Mostafa Kamel, BCRC-Egypt Director, to brief the attendees about BCRC-Egypt, its objectives, its mission, its vision and the progress of its establishment.

4. The past year Activities

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel to make a full PowerPoint presentation for the PSC and the CSC members to explain:
• The official kick off of the second phase of the Finnish project
• The establishment of the new premises of BCRC-Egypt and the progress of its institutional development.
• All the activities that were conducted under the umbrella of the second phase of the project for the past period, since the official kick of the second phase of the project in May, 2013 till the first quarter of 2015.
• Kamel will present summaries of the past activities reports to the members.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to approve and endorse the past activities reports.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel to brief the attendees about the past meetings of the Steering committees and to explain the new trend that was initiated and followed by BCRC-Egypt since the kickoff of the second phase of the Finnish project to enhance holding of those meetings.
• Kamel shall overview the attendees about the recommendations of the past steering committees that shall be discussed among the members in order to approve and endorse them.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to approve and endorse the past Steering committee meetings reports.
• Kamel shall encourage the attendees to communicate with each other to exchange views and attitudes and success stories, and through the means of social communication Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Arab States of the Basel Convention on the following links:
• bcrc-egypt.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BCRCEgyptOfficialPage
• Presenting and Discussing the Recommendations that were adopted by the Arabic team during its meeting that took place in Tunisia in April, 2015.

5. The project work plan for 2015

• The PSC and the CSC members shall receive a soft copy of the work plan for 2015 by e-mail few days before the meeting day.
• Kamel will present to PSC and the CSC members, the full detailed project work plan that is proposed by BCRC-Egypt for the activities that shall take place in 2015.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will open the floor for discussion and questions between Prof. Kamel and the members, concerning the 2015 work plan.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to approve and endorse the work plan.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will discuss with Prof Kamel and the members the feasibility of hosting any of the project activities 2015 in any of the Arab countries and Prof. Kamel shall explain in details all the requirements that BCRC-Egypt requires in a country to host ne of its activities.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to strongly adopt the recommendation of encouraging the Arab countries to host the future activities of 2015.

6. The extension of the project till 2016.

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel, to brief the members about the project progress Vs. the budget expenditure.
• Prof Kamel shall briefly present the project expenditure report to the members.
• Kamel shall also explain BCRC-Egypt new policy of efficient and wise expenditure of the project budget, to the members, with emphasizing on the consequence of that policy on the project progress.
• Accordingly, Kamel shall explain the importance of extending of the project till 2016, emphasizing this will be at no cost to the donor.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to approve and endorse extending the project till 2016 at no cost to the donor.

7. The capacity building trainings

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel to brief the members about the capacity building trainings.
• Kamel shall explain to the members, the new vision that BCRC-Egypt adopted to enhance the capacity building of youth in the Arab countries through these trainings, emphasizing the impact of that new vision on the efficiency of these training.
• Kamel will update the PSC and the CSC members with BCRC-Egypt plan for conducting full capacity building trainings through 2015 in Finland, Nigeria and may be Netherlands and Belgium.
• He will brief the PSC and the CSC members about the preparations progress for these trainings, with focusing on their objectives, selection process and impact.
• Also he will bring to the table the age issue as an important criterion in these trainings selection processes with explaining the difficulties BCRC-Egypt faced with selecting candidates from the Arab countries in the center first attempt to conduct such training in Finland.
• The financial issue, concerning covering the training expenses of candidates from the Arab countries shall also be visited; especially how BCRC-Egypt will cover the major part of the training expenses for all the countries with less developed economy, but candidates from the developed countries (the Gulf countries) will not be covered according to the donors` request.
• Prof Kamel will explain to the attendees the importance of the Arab states to find ways to coordinate and cooperate with universities and research centers in the Arab countries to expand the role of science in integrated safe management of chemicals and hazardous waste application in order to achieve sustainable development. This follows the recommendation that were endorsed in the 32^nd meeting of the Arab Group that took place in April in Tunisia.

8. Synergies with other Basel and Stockholm centers

• BCRC-Egypt (represented by its Director) initiated synergies with other Basel and Stockholm centers in China and India that resulted in official MoUs that were signed between BCRC-Egypt and these centers. The objectives of these synergies will be presented by prof. Kamel.
• Kamel will explain the impact of signing those agreements on the implementation of the project with also discussing the best ways the Arab countries can benefit from these agreements.
• The PSC members shall receive soft copies of these MoUs by e-mail few days before the meeting day.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask the members to approve and endorse the MoU that were signed between BCRC-Egypt and the other centers in India and China.
• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC shall lead the discussion about the Coordination for future synergies agreement with other Basel/Stockholm centers.
• The PSC and the CSC shall adopt a recommendation of encouraging making such synergies with other international entities especially Basel and Stockholm centers.

9. The Analytical Services for HW Identification and Classification

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel to brief the members about the progress of establishment of a lab for analytical services.
• Kamel shall overview BCRC-Egypt proposal that was previously approved by the PSC and the CSC, to reallocate the budget that was supposed to cover renovation of the lab that already exists in CEHM through only buying new equipments and setting up new analyses preparations. However, BCRC-Egypt thought that since CEHM infrastructure, in its current state, may lack the standards required by the BCRC-Egypt. Meanwhile, Cairo University allocated BCRC-Egypt a whole building to serve its increasing demands and needs for expansion. Accordingly, BCRC-Egypt strongly recommended that the new building to be used to host a new HW testing lab, on which the allocated budget could be spent.
• Kamel, then, will brief the members about the progress of establishment of that lab, emphasizing that work on establishing the lab shall take place in the second half of 2015.
• Prof Kamel shall explain the importance of that lab as a world accredited service that BCRC-Egypt can present to its Arab members. Also he will explain how important that lab for the center resources mobilization is. Finally it will help in the capacity building of Youth in the Arab countries that can be trained in that lab.

10. BCRC-Egypt Resources Mobilization

• The chairman of the PSC and the CSC will ask Prof. Kamel to brief the members about the BCRC-Egypt efforts for mobilizing financial resources other that the Finnish project.
• Kamel shall brief the members about these efforts that include:
• All BCRC-Egypt attempts to secure funding through the Arab members, with a strong stress on re-discussing that particular issue with the PSC Arab members.
• The idea of changing the PSC members’ selection process on geographical and economic bases rather than random rotation shall be proposed for discussing and endorsement if approved.
• BCRC-Egypt proposals for grants such as PACE and GEF
• BCRC-Egypt benefits from signing MoUs with other Basel and Stockholm centers in setting up joint proposals for grants application
• The PSC and CSC shall strongly adopt a recommendation that encourage the Arab members to pay annual membership fees to the center according to the economic status.

11. BCRC-Egypt other activities

• Prof Kamel shall overview the members about BCRC-Egypt activities that are conduced beside the project activities, such as:
• Agreements with International (such as UNESCO), Regional and local NGOs and GOs to conduct more activities related to HW management
• Agreements with other Basel and Stockholm centers.
• Preparation of Basel guidelines in Arabic.
• Coordination with the Arab league in issues related to the implementation of the Basel convention in the Arab countries.
• Setting up for producing BCRC-Egypt periodic newsletter.
• The Coordination between BCRC-Egypt and the Arab countries so official visits could be paid by Prof. Kamel to some of these countries to facilitate visions and knowledge exchange and help BCRC-Egypt toe be updated with these Arab countries needs for the future.