UNITAR’s Chemicals and Waste Management Programme supported and participated in a Regional Awareness Raising Workshop on Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in Central and Eastern European Countries in Bratislava, Slovakia from 2 to 4 November 2010 in conjunction with the three Secretariats and Basel Convention’s Regional Center. The meeting was vital in enhancing coordination and implementation of the Conventions and gave countries in Central and Eastern Europe an opportunity to come together and discuss the implementation at both the national and regional level as well as to share their experiences and accomplishments at the national level. The workshop provided an overview on the decisions made by the Secretariats on their improvement on cooperation and coordination followed by an introduction to the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). Further presentations were given on practical training on development of project proposals for a more harmonized approach to the implementation of the Conventions. Furthermore, UNITAR’s participation provided an in depth session on resource mobilization in the field of chemicals and hazardous wastes as a tool to aid countries in acquiring potential resources – both human and financial. The guidance presented shows that numerous countries are working towards meeting the many international, national and other commitments related to protecting the environment and human health from the negative effects of chemicals and wastes and unfortunately have long been limited by lack of resources. At the international level, the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions attempt to find synergies that can, in part, result in the more efficient and effective allocation of such limited resources in a manner that can further assist countries in achieving their commitments. Other international agreements such as SAICM also assist countries with achieving the same goals by acting as an umbrella agreement for the sound management of chemicals and wastes. In this regard, the main objectives of the guidance are aimed towards assisting countries and other stakeholders both inside and outside the government to: 

• Understand their current, internal (within the country) situation regarding resource mobilization issues, and identify resource-related priorities
• Understand and appreciate the various opportunities (including sources and tools) for resource mobilization at the international level (through financial mechanisms of conventions, other funding sources – both bilateral and multilateral, and through entities which can offer human resources-related technical assistance)
• Coordinate at the national level to ensure efficient and effective pursuit of resources;
• Develop a strategy, endorsed at a high level, to assist with ensuring a coherent and strategic approach to resource mobilization is realized at the national level Convention Secretariat.

The guidance presented was then put into practice with countries coming together to share and design their own resource mobilization strategies. The following synergies workshop will be held for the Latin America and Caribbean region in El Salvador from 6 – 8 December 2010.