The Preparatory Regional Workshop on the Inventory of the Chemicals and Hazardous Waste in the Arab Countries

Venue: Novotel Sharm El-Sheikh

Address: Naama Bay, 46627

Background:  Starting the inventory and prepare a unified lists of wastes and hazardous chemicals in the Arab countries. The workshop was organized as a first step towards the creation of a unified list for chemicals and hazardous wastes in the Arab countries, which is an important goal for BCRC-Egypt. For a start, BCRC has sent a questionnaire for 22 Arab countries concerned with their current situation on the inventory and classification of hazardous waste and chemicals. According to their response, the workshop was arranged to showcase the actual situation of the Arab countries in regards to the hazardous lists and present the Egyptian experience in creating 6 unified lists of hazardous waste that were put together by six different ministries in the cabinet.

Working Language: English only

Organizer: BCRC-Egypt with the assistance of BRS Secretariat 

Meeting Objectives: 

• Overview of the international conventions that control the management of chemicals and hazardous waste
• Defining the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)
• Presenting the lists of hazardous waste of the participating Arab countries
• 4-Presenting the Egyptian experience and the lists issued by a number of Egyptian ministries

Target Audience:  The National technical officials responsible for or involved in hazardous Waste Management.  There were 11 participants from 9 Arab countries attended this workshop: Arab Republic of Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanese Republic, Palestinian Authority, the Republic of Sudan, Jordan, Mauritania and Yemen.

Outcome:

• Benefit from showcasing the Egyptian experience of creating a unified list of hazardous waste through the coordination between 6 different ministries
• The Arab countries presented their current status and challenges regarding the creation of a unified list of hazardous waste

Recommendations

• BCRC-Egypt must become responsible for creating a comprehensive list of the chemicals and hazardous waste in each country that is to be printed and distributed
• BCRC-Egypt must become responsible for the technical and financial aid of the Arab countries that did not develop lists
• -The creation of a committee that meets periodically to assess the situation in regards to the management of hazardous waste in the Arab countries.

Conclusive Remarks: Two sessions were held;  

• The First Session: Discussion of the final draft concerning the legislations concerning electronic waste
• The Second Session: The environmental media and the Arab institutions that are concerned with the environment as partners in development

Meeting Documents

Photo Gallery