The Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-Chemical Development in Small Island Developing States (ISLANDS) Programme seeks to address the sound management of chemicals and waste in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This ISLANDS Programme covers four (4) geographical regions including the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Islands, and Atlantic Ocean Islands, and is being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean) is currently executing two (2) Caribbean Child projects (GEF 10279 and GEF 10472) which involve twelve (12) countries – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
During the Project Preparation Grant Phase, the capacities of the project countries’ customs and border control agencies to identify chemicals and products containing chemicals such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), mercury and Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) were assessed. It was observed in some countries that the existing national and regional institutional and analytical frameworks related to the control of trade in these chemicals and products containing these chemicals require strengthening, and that the awareness among border control agencies and the public on restricted chemicals is limited. This is compounded by the lack of, or inconsistent communication and collaboration between agencies, and enforcement when illegal trade of hazardous chemicals is detected. Most countries in the region also lack legislation related to labelling requirements, as well as methods for the identification and quantification of imported chemicals and products containing chemicals.
In this regard, the BCRC-Caribbean, as the executing agency for the GEF 10279 and 10472 Projects, is seeking to recruit a suitably qualified and experienced consulting team to conduct a regional assessment on the capacity of customs and border control agencies and other affiliated regulatory agencies to identify and manage trade in products containing restricted and prohibited hazardous chemicals, and wastes containing or contaminated by POPs, mercury and HHPs, and develop a regional training programme to improve capacity.
Open to: Regional and International Experts
Consultancy Duration: Eighteen (18) months
Expected Consultancy start date: November 2024
Language: The proposal, including all supporting documentation, shall be written in English
Deadline to submit proposals: 11:59 pm (GMT – 4) on Sunday 8th September 2024
Applications must be sent to submissions@bcrc-caribbean.org. The subject of the email should clearly state the consultancy for which you are bidding in accordance with the following template:
BCRC_ISLANDS+2024_003_Customs_NameofConsultingTeam
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