The Regional Symposium on Sustainable Waste Management

Venue: Novotel Sharm El-Sheikh

Address: Naama Bay, 46627

Background:  The sustainable waste management topic is of prime importance for their impact of implementing the ESM of wastes on the implementation of Basel Convention.  The topic of the symposium crated the first opportunity of synergy between BCRC-Egypt and another centre through the participation of its director in this symposium.  Experience the participants should gain through the technical support provided by BS, that will expose the participants to strategic topics such as PACE and the BA.

Working Language: English only

Organizer: BCRC-Egypt with the assistance of BRS Secretariat 

Meeting Objectives:  The workshop objectives were to identify difficulties and defects faced by a number of countries to apply the most effective measures for management of hazardous waste, discuss the feasible ways to overcome those difficulties and the most applicable alternatives that could raise the efficiency of waste management in the Arab countries.

On the sideline of the workshop, three side sessions took place with the help of BRS Secretariat (through video conference facility). The first session targeted Introducing the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment Initiative (PACE) to the participants, to encourage the Arab countries to join that initiative. The second session addressed Facilitation of the entry into force of the Ban Amendment, in which the Arab participants were introduced to that issue to encourage the Arab countries entry into force of the Ban amendment. Finally, a third session took place as a follow up for the two previous workshops that addressed the national reporting.

Also in the framework of BCRC-Egypt policy of holding synergies between BCRC-Egypt and other Basel Convention regional centers, Mr. Taelo Letesla, the Director of Basel Convention Regional Center for the English speaking African countries (South Africa) was invited as a keynote speaker in the symposium.

Finally, the symposium witnessed participation form different sectors of the society, whom are concerned with the ESM of waste, such as the private sector (Environics), Industry (Mobinil) and NGOs (HEPCA).

Target Audience:  The workshop that took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, June, 2014, targeted the official National Focal points assigned by the Parties under article (5) of the Convention; or those, responsible for management of waste in their countries. The workshop was attended by 20 participants from 14 Arab countries namely; Algeria, Comoro, Republic of Djibouti, Arab Republic of Egypt, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanese Republic, Kingdom of Morocco, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of the Sudan, Tunisian Republic, and Yemeni Republic. Among 20 participants, there were 6 females participants in the workshop.

 Outcome

The workshop successfully managed to support participants in defining the defects in the measures they follow nationally in waste management, and to introduce them to international experience and successful models that they can adopt in their countries.

 Recommendations

• BCRC-Egypt should keep importing international experts and consultants to the workshops and trainings.
• The center should play more role in the national legislations
• There should be more focus on environmental awareness in the workshops
• More focus is needed on regulations and the guidelines in the Arab countries, especially for the e-wastes and PACE…etc
• More focus is needed on the air and liquid wastes rather than the solid waste
• Networking between national focal points to communicate about wastes movement under the supervision of the center. A full proposal should be prepared by Mr. Shafei.
• The financial sustainability of the center should be considered, through addressing the political forums such as the Arab league.
• The Arab countries should seek for sponsors to sponsor the Center activities that may take place in their own countries.
• The Arab delegates should study all the CLI items, deadline is the 30^th of June to unify the Arab situation through the center and the Arab league
• Work on pushing the Arab countries to ratify the ban amendment

 Conclusive Remarks

• The proposed network between the national focal pints shall be set up under the supervision of the Center to facilitate communication between the Arab countries.
• The Arab states should have more solid contribution in the Center financial sustainability so that the center can proceed with its proposed activities.
• Arab Countries are encouraged to host any of the Center activities, after arrangement with the Center.
• The center agreement should be changed to make the financial contribution of the members obligatory and not voluntarily as it is now.

Meeting Documents

Photo Gallery