Dakar, Senegal from 4 to 6 February 2020
Highlights: The 3-day sub-regional training workshop on enhancing skills of negotiators for meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention took place from 4 to 6 February 2020 in Senegal. It brought together 22 participants from countries in Western Africa that are Parties to at least two of the BRS conventions.
Meeting objectives: The three-day training workshop aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of government officials to effectively negotiate at various types of meetings across the three conventions, and to improve the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention. The training addressed practical and procedural issues encountered by negotiators of international meetings, including preparations for meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the rules of procedure and operations of the meetings of the three conferences of the Parties, as well as negotiating basics and communication techniques and skills. The training also addressed the process for listing chemicals under the Convention, the work of the Chemical Review Committee, and negotiations of listing of chemicals at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. The training included presentations, group discussions and simulation exercises. Senior negotiators and Chemical Review Committee experts shared their experiences, lessons learned, and best practices.
Organizers: The workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in cooperation with the Basel and Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in Senegal (BCRC-SCRC Senegal) and with generous financial support provided by the European Union and the Governments of Australia and Germany.
Working language: English and French were the working languages of the training.
Target audience: The sub-regional workshop targeted government representatives from Western African countries which are Parties to at least two of the conventions. Candidates were selected by the Secretariat based upon the strength of their applications, as well as due consideration for gender equality. Members of the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention from the region were also invited to participate in the workshop.
Outcome: 22 participants from the following countries attended the training: Algeria, Benin, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea- Bissau, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia.
The participants benefited from the experience of senior negotiators and Chemical Review Committee experts who lead various BRS processes, including the conferences of the Parties, meetings of subsidiary bodies, contact groups and informal consultations. Through the combination of lectures, case studies, videos and simulation exercises the participants learned firsthand how to effectively negotiate during intergovernmental meetings and guide them toward consensual outcomes.