Outputs: This project will produce 3 outputs consist of Research Survey and Background Paper, Workshop and the Preparation Checklist and Guidance Book. Here are the details about these three outputs.

1)  Research Survey and Background Paper

We required this document as the first draft version of the Preparation Checklist and Guidance Book. This project will involve all APEC member economies to compose the Background Paper. It would effectively identify the most essential aspects of GHS implementation and identify the best practice to be discussed and selectively adopted through discussion with all APEC member economies. The Background Paper will be composed during “Meeting to Draft Background Paper” which be held on November 2023. The “Meeting to Draft Background Paper” will be held online through Zoom Meeting Application. The survey results will be incorporated into the Background Paper and shared at the Workshop. The Research Survey will be done through online questionnaires to all APEC economies to ensure the issues experienced by the broader APEC region will be addressed in the Background Paper. 

The Background Paper will consist of 25-30 pages and its outline as below:

1)  Table of Contents

2)  Executive Summary

3) Topics to be covered (APEC Economies GHS implementation table, ASEAN Regulatory Cooperation Project (ARCP) on GHS Implementation checklist, identify the most essential aspects on GHS implementation and identify the best practices)

4) Recommendation

5) Annexes 

2) Workshop

This project workshop will consist of 1 online workshop through Zoom Meeting Application and 1 in person workshops that will be held at a meeting venue in Bali. It will involve the whole APEC member economies to be active in the capacity building and also going to be phase where “the Background Paper is transformed into Guidance Book. This workshop is going to be the phase where “Background Paper is transformed into Guidance Book”. It will also discuss the whole aspects of GHS implementation from different angle of perspectives like from government, industrial player, trader, society, academics and other relevant perspective. This workshop and discussion are going to be tough since there would likely be potential diverse opinions amongst participants on the way they implement GHS. This is absolutely normal and an excellent situation, because we will be able to receive more perspective to make the Guidance Book more acceptable to the whole economies.

This workshop consists of 2 workshops as follows:

a) 1^st workshop will be held by online meeting through Zoom Meeting Application on December 2023. In the 1^st workshop there is a sharing on the Research Survey Results and the Background Paper, the knowledge sharing on ASEAN Regulatory Cooperation Project (ARCP) GHS Implementation Checklist, as well as discussion on the Background Paper and Paper Framework (Draft of Guidance Book). The 1^st workshop would carry out the capacity building regarding GHS implementation through sharing of the survey result and background paper by the expert. The 1^st workshop would also carry out to compose the list of the aspects in implementing GHS from the perspective of government, industries and other relevant stakeholders. It then would be set as an initial Guidance Book. In the 1^st workshop, all APEC economies will participate and we expect they will provide comments, corrections and inputs. This workshop will be followed by 2^nd workshop on the next month. 

The rough agenda for 1^st workshop:

b) 2^nd workshop will be held for a full day meeting in January 2024 after the 1^st workshop. 2^nd workshop would carry out the capacity building regarding GHS implementation and finalize the draft of the Guidance Book. 2^nd workshop would be used for further discussion upon this initial guidance document. 

The rough agenda for the 2^nd workshop:

3)  Preparation Checklist and Guidance Book

This book is the final output of the project that is built from the workshops. From this guidance book, every economy has the opportunity to build their own GHS implementation scheme with the easiest way which is also recommended by experts from APEC economies. Based on our calculation, this guidance book will be from 25 to 30 pages and an APEC publication. The Preparation Checklist and Guidance Book will be submitted to the APEC Secretariat on March 2024. 

Outcomes: The project outcome will give a sustainable advantage to the whole APEC member economies. Since, every time any economy plans to upgrade their GHS regulation, this ‘Preparation Checklists and Guidance’ will assist them based on Best Practices or Key Factors, such as:

1) Developing type of standards/guidelines/regulations that must be developed/compiled by the economies

2) This project promotes coordinated and standardized GHS regulation and implementation. It would address type of standards/guidelines/regulations on GHS to make sure each economy has the same perception about GHS regulation because currently each economy has their own multilevel regulation. Some economies would set GHS regulation on the technical level but there are also economies that set GHS on the higher-level regulation. It all depends on each government and how important this GHS issue in their jurisdiction. However, when it comes to the implementation phase, it’s important to make people aware about this GHS regulation especially for the relevant stakeholders.

3) Simplifying communication of GHS implementation.

4) Sometimes, such an entity may receive different information from the other entities even though they got the same message from one singular source. This potential issue might appear when complicated GHS is communicated, we believe that GHS is a very complicated subject for common people. Whereas the GHS has purpose to help common people to handle chemicals safely through Safety Data Sheets (SDS), label and pictogram as a hazard communication. Therefore, this guidance shall also describe communication aspects to support GHS implementation.

5) Raising awareness and increase people knowledge/capacity on GHS.

6) GHS is created to help common people to handle chemical goods safely through SDS and label. Therefore, any GHS regulation requires awareness and capacity building. This is where society, starting from chemical industry workers, get their opportunity to scale up their capacity. The guidance shall address this aspect as well.

7) Helping economies to identify key stakeholders based on its function for implementing GHS.

8) Strengthen cooperation and interaction among key stakeholders across economies. Implementing GHS is quite challenging because it’s complicated and involves many stakeholders. This is inevitable since chemicals are used in many sectors. The combination of stakeholders are different from one economy to another, but basically the functions amongst these stakeholders remain the same to ensure the smooth implementation. And to strengthen the cooperation between economies This project would identify those key stakeholders based on their function.

9) Accelerating global chemical trades.

10) With this guidance book, the entire economies will be able to implement GHS policies more easily, more consistently and ideally in harmony with one economy to another. This alignment is expected to accelerate and streamline the circulation of chemical trading activities with supervision. This guidance book is also open to use for non-APEC member economies.

11) Giving idea to the economies about transition period during GHS regulation implementation.

12) Encourage smooth transition towards successful implementation of GHS. Each economy has different scheme on regulation implementation. Transition period is also one of the important factors that determine the successful GHS implementation in an economy. The length of transition period will depend on each economy character. This project would figure out what is the best range of transition duration for GHS regulation implementation.

Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries of the project are primary and secondary beneficiaries. The primary beneficiaries will be Workshop participants. Secondary beneficiaries are those that may not attend the event but may benefit from the project impact. The participants are coming from the whole APEC economies, chemical industries/associations, government agencies responsible for GHS, academics and workers/users of chemical products.  Those industries involved in this activity are the chemical industries as well as supporting industries (logistic etc) in the managerial level. Academia in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Industrial Hygiene. This project would deliver direct benefits for every chemical industry in every economy since it offers simplicity in implementing GHS and creates better flow of chemical trading. While indirect beneficiaries are the government from every economy who will eventually speed up the chemical trading and guarantee the stable economic situation. The government who managing GHS or Chemical Sound Management will also benefit as the responsible authorities for public health and safety of their citizens.

We specially encourage the members of APEC Chemical Dialogue GHS Virtual Working Group (APEC CD GHS VWG) and ASEAN Regulatory Cooperation Project GHS Virtual Working Group (ARCP GHS VWG) to participate on this project. Diversity and inclusion will be accommodated in this project (gender: women).

We would run the first phase together with all APEC member economies. We believe we have the same comprehension on the attempt to compose this Preparation Checklist and Guidance Book. Together we would also determine the selected expertise from particular economies which has the complete knowledge of GHS. We believe it’s much better if could also invite the experts from United Nation Sub-Committee of Experts on GHS (UN-SCE GHS). Once we complete the Background Paper, we would continue involving the whole economies to chime in to the next phases. This project will be opened also for other economies who would like to contribute to this GHS Guidance Book.