29 September 2008: SAICM-OELTWG (Rome, 21-24 October)

Subject: SAICM-OELTWG (Rome, 21-24 October) (final list of countries that receive funding and alternate to the regional focal point at OELTWG)

Dear SAICM National Focal Points for Asia Pacific countries,

(1) Participants in the OELTWG
Last week I sent you a message about the finalization of the list of countries that receive funding for the participation in the SAICM Open-ended Legal and Technical Working Group (OELTWG). In addition to the countries that I listed in my message last week (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Palau, Syria and Yemen), I also received a cc of a pre-registration letter Pakistan. Taking into account all the information I had received, I finalized the list as follows, and forwarded it to the SAICM Secretariat.
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- China
- Indonesia
- Kiribati
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Vietnam
- Yemen

It should be noted that the following countries will also receive support for extended stay of their participants in the Conference of the Parties to Rotterdam Convention.
- Iran
- Jordan
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Samoa
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Thailand

There are also countries that participate without travel support, including the Republic of Korea, Qatar and Japan.

(2) Alternate to the Regional Focal Point at OELTWG
With this e-mail I have to let you know that I will not be able to attend the OELTWG meeting in person, due to other domestic commitments. My colleague Ms Keiko Segawa is going to attend representing my Ministry. I would like to ask her to act as alternate to the Regional Focal Point at the meeting, by co-ordinating the Asia Pacific regional meetings etc. This decision is based our agreement at our regional meeting in Bangkok that "If the regional focal point is unable to carry out his functions, the Government from which the regional focal point was nominated may provide an alternative." I think this provision foresee situations such as the departure of the regional focal point from his office, but I think we can understand that this applies also to the current situation where I cannot fulfill my functions at a meeting. Some of you may already know Keiko since she has been quite active in SAICM, mercury and other chemicals issues. Please let me know whether there is any problem with this.

I think you have already received a message from the SAICM Secretariat that documents for the Rome meeting are available from the SAICM website. I recommend that you give your thoughts to these documents well before the meeting, and I look forward to the success of the meeting.

Best regards,
Esak

Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp