I. SUMMARY OF THE UNEP, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASE DISCUSSIONS HELD IN THE PREVIOUS REGIONAL MEETINGS
UNEP Databank
1ST Regional Cooperation Meeting, 13-14 September 2005, Kuwait: The participants at the meeting expressed a preference that the UNEP environmental databank should be kept, maintained and updated by the claimant Governments, rather than in Geneva. Iraq will also provide information to the databank. Iraq and the UNCC (and any successor to the UNCC) will have access to the databank.
It was proposed that the databank be transferred to the claimant countries after holding a meeting of technical representatives from the claimant countries, Iraq, and UNEP, to take place in early (10-15) November to discuss the contents and capabilities of the databank. Kuwait will coordinate with the other claimant Governments, Iraq and the UNCC will coordinate with UNEP to set up the meeting.
F4 Follow-up Meeting, 22-23 November 2005, Geneva: The meeting was hosted by UNEP and chaired by the UNCC Secretariat. The UNCC Secretariat and the participating countries thanked UNEP for their efforts in developing and maintaining the regional environmental databank, and the countries for their support and cooperation.
The meeting was briefed on the status of the databank by the UNCC and a presentation was given by UNEP on the structure and content of the databank. A copy of the presentation and technical paper prepared by the UNCC/UNEP was distributed to the participants.
The meeting agreed that there is a need to preserve the existing UNEP databank and integrate it with the databases to be developed for the environmental remediation projects.
The meeting was also informed by Kuwait that it had developed and maintained an Environmental Data Management Reporting and Assessment System (EDMRAS) in support of its M&A studies. Kuwait further explained that EDMRAS can be enhanced, so as to include any data pertaining to the rehabilitation projects.
3rd Regional Cooperation Meeting, 15-16 February 2006, Jordan: The UNCC recalled the willingness of the UNCC to transfer the contents of the UNEP databank to the claimant countries as well as the continued interest of the UNCC Governing Council in some public access to the database.
4th Regional Cooperation Meeting, 02 May 2006, Geneva: The UNCC summarized the evolution of the UNEP environmental databank requesting the Members to provide the UNCC with a written request for the return of their own data.
The UNCC expressed its readiness to provide the Members with their data. The Members also agreed to screen the data and to incorporate the screened data into the regional environmental database.
It was also agreed that the UNCC should consider the request made by the Members in the meeting to transfer their own data as a formal request to initiate the transfer process. The Members anticipated receiving the data files by the end of May 2006.
Once the data is screened by each of the Member State, the data files must be transferred to Kuwait, as the host country, to be included as part of the Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Database (RERD). Transfer of the screened data to the host country was to be completed by end of June 2006.
Status after the 4th Meeting todate: UNCC has completed the transfer of the UNEP data to the individual Member States. Kuwait NFP has till date received the screened data from Jordan only. It is still awaiting data from Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Database (RERD)
F4 Follow-Meeting, 22-23 November 2005, Geneva: A rehabilitation database is to be developed by each claimant country (Iraq as well if it decides to do so). The countries agreed that the UNCC/UNEP will migrate to each country, its section of the databank. Each country will then filter the components of the databank, removing data that it deems confidential.
It was suggested by Kuwait that EDMRAS be expanded to become a regional database (a paper was distributed in this regard). Each country would import into EDMRAS the data it received from UNCC/UNEP, once it has been filtered. In the scope of the remediation phase, each country would also import into the EDMRAS any and all information pertaining to the remediation projects, so as to allow for the follow-up of the remediation projects. Independent Reviewers would have access to the regional database within the scope of their work under the UNCC guidelines. This will also facilitate a number of things in the frame of regional cooperation.
A paper entitled “Elements of Relevance Pertaining to Items Included in the Provisional Agenda for the Meeting of Claimant Governments, Iraq, UNCC, and UNEP Regarding the Databank was presented to the meeting.
It was agreed that a final decision will be taken in this respect, during the meetings to be held in Kuwait on 17 December 2005.
2nd Meeting, 21 December 2005, Kuwait: The need for the formation of the Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Advisory Group (RERAG) was discussed. The meeting agreed that regional cooperation would include exchange of information, exchange of expertise, relevant joint ventures and the establishment of a Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Database (RERD).
The meeting discussed the benefit of the establishment and operation of RERD.
Dr. Sami Yacoub made a presentation of the EDMRAS and Mr. Ahmed Jeraidan explained that the EDMRAS system could be enhanced to serve the needs of environmental cooperation.
The participants decided to appoint their database experts and inform the other members by 1 February 2006.
Participants also agreed that the appointed database experts will meet in Kuwait on February 8th, to discuss the following:
National Environmental Databases
-Hosting country of the Regional Environmental Database (RERD)
-General hardware/software specification
-Funding implications
-Data confidentiality as communicated by the participating members
-Other relevant issues.
It was further agreed that the next regional cooperation meeting with the appointed NFPs, database experts, and the UNCC as observer, will be held in Amman, at the kind invitation of the Government of Jordan, on February 15th, 2006.
3rd Regional Cooperation Meeting, 15-16 February 2006, Jordan: Kuwait presented the various elements of the proposed database which will allow participating members to decide on the appropriate structure of the RERD. Kuwait circulated a paper entitled the "Proposed Mechanism for the Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Databank".
II. IDENTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE UNEP DATABANK AND NATIONAL/REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASES
UNEP Databank
To arrange for the migration of the existing UNEP databank to individual claimant countries. Individual claimant countries will screen the data and transfer all non-confidential information to the national environmental rehabilitation database which will be developed to support the environmental rehabilitation programs.
National and Regional Environmental Databases
-To develop/enhance existing databases to support a National Environmental Rehabilitation Database (NERD) to track and monitor the technical, administrative and financial aspects of the rehabilitation programs approved under the F4 awards follow-up programme (see Annex 1 of UNCC Governing Council Decision 258). The information available on NERD to be screened, and any confidential data to be dealt with under the procedures for handling confidential data agreed by claimant countries. The screened data to be transferred to the RERD.
-To set-up RERD to support the regional cooperation programme. To be able to migrate, after screening by individual members, relevant environmental data, images, and application that are found to be beneficial to the region.
With the above objectives in mind it is hoped that the database experts could model NERD on the lines of the RERD to facilitate:
a) migration/transfer of information and data to RERD
b) access of applications and information; and
c) management of information
III. PROPOSED MECHANISM FOR THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL REHABILITATION DATABASE (RERD)
The UNEP data files returned to the Member States by UNCC, with each country receiving only its part of the databank are to be filtered/screened by the individual claimant countries as per the laws, rules, regulations and policies applicable to each Member State.
The filtered/screened data is to be transferred to the regional database under the supervision of the UNCC to be administered by the host country Kuwait, through a regional arrangement.
Kuwait will be responsible for maintaining RERD. The structure of the database would be simple, comprised of one centre to act as host and custodian of all the data that would be produced/submitted by each Member State.
Each Member State would designate one organization within the country to act as custodian of all the data which is produced/submitted by that country to the central host RERD.
The designated organization receiving the portion of its UNEP databank comprised of data produced/submitted by that country would be referred to as a "Node".
Each Member State would migrate to RERD data such as the filtered UNEP databank and individual databanks developed by each claimant country in support of its environmental M&A studies (e.g., EDMRAS by Kuwait), remediation projects and other national environmental damages.
Iraq as a Member State would also have the opportunity to migrate any national environmental databank into the regional database.
The national data designated to be transferred to the central host would have to be formatted to be fully compatible with the configuration of the central host.
RERD would include modules covering technical, contractual, and financial aspects of the environmental remediation work.
Access to the RERD would be layered and made available to UNCC, independent reviewers, claimant countries, Iraq, other regional countries and the public.
Recognizing that some of the information contained in the UNEP databank is of confidential nature (as notified to the UNCC by Member States during submission and in various correspondence through the review and processing phase), Member States may agree on layers of accessibility to various entities and what will be available in the public domain.
Once the data is transferred to the Nodes, each Node would have the capability to screen/filter the information, and decide what part of the information could be shared and with whom, adopting a layered structure of accessibility.
The decentralized Nodes would be linked together by standard search and access protocols.
Decentralization would resolve issues of ownership, intellectual property rights, currency, and choice of hardware/software, would permit faster mobilization of information resources for national or local objectives, would provide easy storage and retrieval capabilities, and would allow easy integration with other databanks at a local, national or regional level.
Decentralization without subsequent sharing through access protocols or reassembly of a single databank at a central host (either a regional organization or Kuwait) would deprive Member States of the opportunity to enhance their own data by access to the data of the other countries in the region.
The State of Kuwait is proposing the Kuwaiti model (see Annex - 1) as a model, to develop the national database for the rehabilitation projects with the possibility of integrating them into a regional database. Accordingly Member States may decide to agree on the following:
-Establish RERD;
-Assign the operation of RERD;
-Identify the terms of reference (TOR) requirements, and expected cost of RERD, taking into consideration the expertise of Kuwait and UNEP in this regard;
-Appoint a group of experts to develop the TOR and system specification requirements of the RERD;
-Funding of RERD; and
-Data confidentiality
IV. STRUCTURE OF THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMETNAL REHABILITATION DATABASE
The structure of the database would be simple, comprising of one centre to act as host (RERD) and custodian of all the data that would be produced/submitted by each Member State. Each Member State, would designate one organization within the country to represent it in producing and submitting all the data to the central host RERD. The designated organization would be referred to as a "Node".
Each "Node" should identify the information/data submitted to host (RERD) and decide what information/data can be accessed by whom at the layered structure of accessibility in the host. The national data identified by claimant countries and Iraq, to be transferred to the central host will have to be formatted to be fully compatible with the configuration of the central host (RERD).
The State of Kuwait has developed a flow chart (See Figure 1) which summaries the proposed Mechanism for the Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Databank (RERD). The chart includes the flow of information, the nature and the source of the data to be submitted to RERD, the users who will access RERD, and the type of information/data on which RERD will be structured.
Nature of the Data
Each Member State would transfer to RERD data such as the filtered UNEP databank and individual databanks developed by each claimant country in support of its Environmental M&A Projects (EM&AP), and the Environmental Remediation Projects (ERP).
Iraq either on its own or with the assistance of UN/Other organizations such as UNEP, ESCW, FAO, WHO, NGOs, and Others will transfer to the RERD its EM&AP and ERP.
At a date to be decided later, other Member States could also be invited to submit other environmental EM&AP and ERP data.
The Central Host
The data transferred by the nodes to the central host referred to as the RERD will be resident in the host country. Access to RERD will be given to Member States, UNCC (Independent Reviewers and Experts), other regional countries, the public and other entities as agreed upon by Member States and UNCC and all access to the RERD would be layered.
Type of Information
The data on RERD will be structured into three types (see Figure 1 Proposed Mechanism RERD).
Type 1: Reports
Will comprise of reports submitted by Member States and other UN/Non-UN Organizations on behalf of Iraq to UNCC in relation to their completed and on-going M&A Projects and Environmental Remediation Projects, other environmental M&A reports/environmental remediation reports submitted to non-UNCC organizations/entities, and reports on other national activities on environmental monitoring and assessment, and/or environmental damages rehabilitation programmes.
Type 2: Processed Data
Will comprise of processed data submitted by Member States, Iraq and other UN/Non-UN Organizations on behalf of Iraq to UNCC in relation to their completed and on-going M&A projects and Environmental Remediation Projects, other Environmental M&A projects/Environmental Remediation projects submitted to non-UNCC organizations/entities, and data on other national activities undertaken on environmental monitoring and assessment, and/or environmental damages rehabilitation programmes.
Type 3: Raw Data
Will comprise of raw data (maps, satellite images, field data, environmental data, meteorological data, and other data) submitted by Member States and other UN/Non-UN Organizations on behalf of Iraq to UNCC used in the support of their completed and on-going M&A projects and Environmental Remediation Projects, other Environmental M&A raw data/Environmental Remediation raw data submitted to non-UNCC organizations/entities, and raw data on other national activities on environmental monitoring and assessment, and/or environmental damages rehabilitation programmes.
