IPEN NGO Regional Assessment: NGO Survey

 March 2nd DRAFT 

IPEN NGO Regional Assessment: NGO Survey “Promoting a Regional NGO dialogue for future collaboration”

AIM: Prepare a description of the present state of the regional chemical safety situation from IPEN Regional Hubs, including data from a wide range of local NGOs on NGO strategies, needs, and opportunities. This exercise should promote dialogue between the Regional Hubs and the NGOs in their region. In addition, this will help establish ongoing regional NGO communication systems (including a regional list serve) and an NGO inventory data base.

OUTCOMES: The submitted responses to the IPEN NGO Regional Assessment survey will be consolidated by the Regional Hub and contribute to the development of a Regional Assessment Report. All eight regional reports will be compiled into a Global IPEN Report at the conclusion of 2007.

1- CONTACT INFORMATION

Region: Country: NGO Name: NGO Website: Contact: name Email: Telephone number: Physical Address Postal address (if different from above)

2- CURRENT SITUATION

NOTE: Chemical Safety is a broad term that relates to the prevention of short and longer term adverse effects caused by chemicals, and the potential threats to human health and the environment due to chemicals throughout their life cycle (including production, storage, transport, use and disposal/destruction of industrial, agricultural and domestic chemicals).

IPEN is committed to chemical safety and working towards achieving a Toxics-Free Future, where all chemicals are produced and used in ways that eliminate significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. IPEN aims for the elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of equivalent concern, so these chemicals no longer pollute our local and global environments, and no longer contaminate our communities, our food, our bodies, or the bodies of our children and future generations.

2.1- What are the main chemical safety problems that your NGO is concerned with (please note up to 5 issues)?

1 Chemical Safety Problems/Theme Note if issue is a priority topic for your NGO (note up to 5) Pesticides Dioxin Waste Incineration Contaminated sites (hot spots) Health effected communities Labor conditions Indigenous Peoples Polluted communities/ natural areas Body burden (biomonitoring) Children & chemical safety Women’s Health Reproductive health effects Poverty & Pollution Polluting industries/factories

2.2- List up to 3 of your NGO’s activities or projects that related to the priority problems/themes noted above. In addition, please give the goal/aim that your NGO is working on in reference to the problem/theme noted.

1. Problem/theme: Project/Activity: Aim/goal:

2 3- STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

3.1- What strategies and activities has your NGO implemented to address the priority problems listed above? Please be sure to describe the main outcomes (not more than 100 words for each project).

3.2- What strategies, tools and/or activities have been the most useful in your NGO work? Please mark the appropriate boxes, and add items if an activity is not listed. Successful Activity/Strategy Types Check successful items Raised public and or stakeholder attention to the issues by disseminating information materials such as booklets, brochures, posters, etc. Organized multi-stakeholder meetings/events with government officials, NGOs, local community members and/or private sector members to address chemical problem. Organized public hearings with local community and/or local authorities. Prepared pubic statements addressed to decision makers. Organized fact-finding mission. Conducted or organized with academic and/or other experts research/reports on specific issues or case. Organized media events for press (radio, newspaper, television, etc.). Organized information and awareness workshops and trainings. Conducted or organized protest or direct actions. Engaged schools and youth programs via creative arts for popular education (ie. Community/school theater, street play) Produced film documentaries and powerpoint presentations. Conduct community monitoring exercises. Provided or organized expert testimonies in policy hearings.

Other Activities:

3.3- Do you get your messages out to the public? If yes, describe how.

3 3.4- Is your NGO participating in the country National Implementation Plan (NIP) such as the National Committee or a specific project for the Stockholm Convention? If yes, describe how and detail how effective the public participation mechanism has been.

4- NEEDS and EXPERTISE

4.1-What does your NGO need to better address priority chemical safety problems?

4.2- What expertise needs does your NGO have to offer other NGOs and/or the public?

4.3- What expertise needs does your NGO seek? Please check box Expert needs in: Check box Policy/legal Scientific review (ie: assessment of polluted area/resources))

Scientific advice (ie: new chemicals & risk/alternative assessment) Technical (ie: dioxin emissions, non combustions technologies) Health/Medical (ie: disease-chemical relationships) Economic or financial advice (ie: valuation/assessment of a polluting practice or situation)

Other expertise needed (please describe below):

5- COLLABORATION & NETWORKING

5.1- What international environmental health or chemical-related networks are you associated with (please check)? International Networks Participating ? International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) Pesticide Action Network (PAN) –note region Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Other:

4 5.2- If you have participated in IPEN (or IPEP), how has IPEN helped advance your work?

5.3- How could IPEN better serve your needs?

5.4- Has your NGO participated in national, regional and/or international meetings on chemical safety? (If yes, please list up to 5 of the meetings including the meeting title and dates.)

5.5- If so, would you attend again? Please explain why and your general evaluation of the meetings.

5.6- How would you describe the level of collaboration with your NGO and other NGOs in your region? (please check one) A) Dialogue ______B) Monologue ______C) Competitive ______

Please provide input or a scenario to describe the situation.

5.7- How would you describe the level of engagement with your NGO and government representatives? (please check one) A) Dialogue ______B) Monologue ______C) Competitive ______

Please give examples of best and/or worst experiences.

5.8 - How would you describe the level of engagement with your NGO and private sector (industry) representatives? (please check one) A) Dialogue ______B) Monologue ______C) Competitive ______

Please provide input or a scenario to describe the situation.

5.9 - Would you be interested in joining a regional IPEN list serve functioning in the regional language?

5 6- WORK ON IPEP & GEF SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

6.1- Did your NGO implement an IPEP Project? If so please include project title(s): 1- 2-

6.2- Did your IPEP project create new opportunities for your NGO? If so, please explain what has changed and the impact of the project.

6.3- Do you know about the GEF Small Grants Program (SGP) on POPs? If yes, is your NGO interested in submitting a project proposal? If so, please outline the themes of your proposed SGP project:

7- FINANCIAL RESOURCES for CHEMICAL SAFETY

7.1- Have you received financial support for your work on chemical safety (ie: POPs, pesticides, waste, hot spots) at some point from 2004 to present? If yes, what is the typical length of a project?

7.2- Please note if your chemical safety activities are funded by: Type Yes/No Private Foundations (foreign or national) United Nations Agencies (ie: UNEP, UNITAR, FAO, UNDP, UNIDO, WHO) World Bank or Regional Development Bank Foreign governments National government Local government Membership fees NGO Networks Other sources

7.3- What is your NGO’s top priority for funding in regard to chemical safety work?

6 7.4- What is your NGO’s top priority for funding in general?

7.5- If funding became available, what would be the first project that your NGO would initiate?

8 – Additional Input & Comments

8. If you have any additional or closing comments to help us better understand the present state of your regional chemical safety situation, including NGO strategies, needs, and opportunities, please let us know:

Lastly, please feel free to attach relevant papers that may provide further insight to the chemical safety situation in your country and/or region, including papers/documents on NGO strategies, needs, and opportunities.