Dear SAICM National Focal Points in Asia and the Pacific,
Further to my message to you earlier this week, the SAICM Secretariat informed me that the planning teleconference has been postponed, in the hope that we can have it on Monday 26th May. Therefore, we have a little time to confirm the additional representation of our region.
I contacted Iran and Thailand to ask if they are willing to participate in the planning process. I heard positive response from both countries, although these they may need to some time to get their response authorized.
Therefore, I would like to hear whether other countries are happy with asking Iran and Thailand to provisionally act as additional representatives from our region at the next extended teleconference of the planning for ICCM2 and OELTWG. If you have any other opinion, please let me know by Thursday this week, 22nd May.
When I sent my e-mail, it bounced back from some of your e-mail accounts. IGES (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies), assisting me in playing the regional focal point role, is going to send this message to those of you whose e-mail address did not work. So if you received this message by fax, I would appreciate receiving your e-mail address that works.
The original email addresses were taken from the NFP list on the SAICM website, so when we receive your correct address we will also let the SAICM secretariat know that.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
Monday, May 19, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
14 May 2008: Planning for ICCM2 and Open Ended Legal and Technical WG on SAICM
I think you received my message below last week with regard to the planning for the ICCM2 and OELTWG.
After the message was sent, there was a request from the Secretariat, based on a proposal from one regional focal point and an e-mail consultation among the other regional focal points, to identify two more participants from each region in the telephone conference for the planning of the ICCM2 and OELTWG. The next telephone conference will take place on 19 May.
Due to the short time for identifying two more participants, and following suggestions from other regional focal points, I decided to ask Thailand and Iran, which already sit on the Executive Board for the SAICM Quick Start Programme, to consider their participation as additional participants. I am aware that these two countries will not be sufficient to represent all the subregions, since this region has, to my knowledge, six subregions (West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the Pacific). However, I also agree that having three representatives from each region would improve the country representation in the planning process.
I would appreciate hearing from you if you have any other views on this. Also, if you have any idea about how the regional representation should be in a longer term, I would appreciate hearing about it. Based on what I hear from you, I may come back to you with an idea for the planning process.
And also, as I wrote in my last message, I would appreciate hearing about views from any of you on the issues discussed at the last teleconference or any issues in the teleconference papers, to be conveyed to the next teleconference.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
After the message was sent, there was a request from the Secretariat, based on a proposal from one regional focal point and an e-mail consultation among the other regional focal points, to identify two more participants from each region in the telephone conference for the planning of the ICCM2 and OELTWG. The next telephone conference will take place on 19 May.
Due to the short time for identifying two more participants, and following suggestions from other regional focal points, I decided to ask Thailand and Iran, which already sit on the Executive Board for the SAICM Quick Start Programme, to consider their participation as additional participants. I am aware that these two countries will not be sufficient to represent all the subregions, since this region has, to my knowledge, six subregions (West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the Pacific). However, I also agree that having three representatives from each region would improve the country representation in the planning process.
I would appreciate hearing from you if you have any other views on this. Also, if you have any idea about how the regional representation should be in a longer term, I would appreciate hearing about it. Based on what I hear from you, I may come back to you with an idea for the planning process.
And also, as I wrote in my last message, I would appreciate hearing about views from any of you on the issues discussed at the last teleconference or any issues in the teleconference papers, to be conveyed to the next teleconference.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
Saturday, May 10, 2008
10 May 2008: Planning for ICCM2 and Open Ended Legal and Technical WG on SAICM
Dear national focal points in Asia-Pacific countries,
You may be already be aware, but the unofficial record of the teleconference of the regional focal points and other stakeholders is available from the SAICM website.
(http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/OELTWG/Open-ended.htm)
The next teleconference is planned on 19th May. At the next teleconference, we are expected to solve the issue on the extension of the OELTWG agenda, and further discuss details of the planning for the ORLTWG meeting. At the past teleconference, I tried to represent the regional views based on my understanding from our regional meeting in Bangkok last year. I understand that we are flexible about using the time at OELTWG in the most efficient way by dealing with other issues than rules of procedures for ICCM, but we are mindful that OELTWG should not deal with substantial decision items that are the business of the ICCM2 itself. I think the current discussion among the regional focal points is in line with this view.
If you have any issues that you would like to convey to this teleconference, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will try to keep you updated on this planning process.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
You may be already be aware, but the unofficial record of the teleconference of the regional focal points and other stakeholders is available from the SAICM website.
(http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/OELTWG/Open-ended.htm)
The next teleconference is planned on 19th May. At the next teleconference, we are expected to solve the issue on the extension of the OELTWG agenda, and further discuss details of the planning for the ORLTWG meeting. At the past teleconference, I tried to represent the regional views based on my understanding from our regional meeting in Bangkok last year. I understand that we are flexible about using the time at OELTWG in the most efficient way by dealing with other issues than rules of procedures for ICCM, but we are mindful that OELTWG should not deal with substantial decision items that are the business of the ICCM2 itself. I think the current discussion among the regional focal points is in line with this view.
If you have any issues that you would like to convey to this teleconference, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will try to keep you updated on this planning process.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
