IPEN MENA Participating Organizations Convene for Regional Meeting in Tunisia
The IPEN MENA Regional Meeting convened from October 31st to November 2nd, 2017 in Hammamet, Tunisia
The IPEN Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Meeting was hosted and organized by Association d'Education Environnementale pour la Future Génération (AEEFG), the IPEN Hub for the MENA region. Topics covered at the meeting focused on the Stockholm and Minamata Conventions, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management (SAICM), lead in paint, women and chemicals, building capacities, and the GEF Small Grants Program. Participating Organizations (POs) in attendance were also updated on the outcomes of the Minamata Convention’s 1st Conference of the Parties (COP1) and the Stockholm Convention’s 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8).
Working groups were set up so that POs could have an in-depth exploration of each topic. The working groups discussed a broad range of goals from bridging contacts between POs of the MENA region, to brainstorming together and developing achievable plans for work on the ground. During each session, IPEN documents were used to support regional planning. It was also an educational opportunity to flip through the pages of different booklets and to explore the richness of data already available.
All POs participated in the success of the meeting and provided presentations on their activities in their respective countries. Educational videos were shown and websites were explored to facilitate the use of their data.
Tunisian coordinator of UNIDO, Mr. Saber Ben Mbarek, was invited to participate in the meeting, to explain the Small Grants Program (SGP).
POs shared that the meeting was a positive experience, and left with goals to expand their activities.
Meeting overall goal: Raise awareness of chemical issues, improve collaboration between NGOs in the region, and exchange information on NGO priorities
Expected key outcomes: A better understanding of the IPEN 2020 Agenda; greater familiarity with the Stockholm Convention, Mercury Convention, and SAICM; Stronger capacity to
implement National Implementation Plans; and Stronger relationships between POs in the region.
Language: Arabic
Participants:
Bahrain:
Mahnez Kadhemi - Women's Association for Human Development
Egypt:
Andrassy Banislav – Kenana NGO for Sustainable Development
Essam Nada – Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE)
Jordan:
Ziyad Alawneh– Land and Human to Advocate Progress (LHAP)
Oruba Ahmad AL-Refa’I – Land and Human to Advocate Progress (LHAP)
Iraq:
Saadiyah Hassoon– Together to Protect Human & the Environment Association
Ghayda Hassoon – Together to Protect Human & the Environment Association
Lebanon:
Hiam Kreidie – Window to Environment
Marie Therese Merhej Seif – Human Environmental Association for Development (HEAD)
Rebecca Baissari – Lebanese Environment Forum (LEF)
Sudan:
Sumaia Mohamed Elsayed – Sudanese Environment Conservation Society (SECS)
Tunisia:
Rim Bouhrizi – Association Tunisienne d'Agriculture Environnementale (ATAE)
Najwa Bourawi – Association de la Protection de l'environnement et de Développement de
Bizerte (APEDDUB)
Ramzi Mezlini – Association Tunisienne de Biosécurité et d’Education Environnementale
(ATB2E)
Moez Gharsalli – APEP
Semia Gharbi – Association d'Education Environnementale pour la Future Génération (AEEFG)
Ibtissem Hajri – Association d'Education Environnementale pour la Future Génération (AEEFG)
Tarek Gharbi – Association d'Education Environnementale pour la Future Génération (AEEFG)
Wided Nasri – Association d'Education Environnementale pour la Future Génération (AEEFG)
USA:
Tiffany Tool - IPEN
The youth representation of the meeting (24-30 in age range) was 40%.
The IPEN MENA Regional Meeting enjoyed successful outcomes and a better understanding of different IPEN goals and activities.
For further details please contact: semia.gharbi@laposte.net; hajri.ibtissem91@gmail.com
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