Orientation workshop for the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention, 18 - 20 April 2016

Following the rotation of membership in May 2016, about half of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) members will serve for the first time as experts on this scientific body. In view of the upcoming twelfths meeting of the CRC in September 2016 and of the substantial contribution required of members towards the intersessional work, it is important to enable new members doing so and to provide them with respective tools.

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 24 members of the CRC participated in the 3-day orientation workshop in Rome, Italy. The workshop intended to familiarize new members with the role and mandate of the CRC, as well as its operational procedures and policy guidance. It also provided a platform to exchange experience and transfer knowledge among the members.

Besides the presentations in plenary, a series of group exercises were undertaken using case studies, which allowed for active participation by the members and stimulated in-depth discussions .  

Some members noted that the programme was very comprehensive, the discussions and case studies helped a lot for better understanding the work of the Committee. One member stressed that the policy guidance and working procedure collected in the Handbook is a treasure for the Committee that ensures the consistency and transparency. Another member said that the knowledge gained during the workshop would also be relevant to her day-to-day work and she would share it with her colleagues.

Yun Zhou, from the FAO part of the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, noted that “participants were extremely interested and motivated. The workshop also helped fostering efficient working relationships among the members.  We got great feedback from them. The new members feel that the workshop enabled them to effectively participate in the work of the CRC and they are “ready to go”.

For more information, please contact: Ms. Yun Zhou at Yun.Zhou@fao.org or Mr. Gamini Manuweera at gamini.manuweera@brsmeas.org.