KUWAIT CITY, May 25: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) affirmed on Saturday that hosting the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for West Asia underscores Kuwait’s leading role in advancing global environmental initiatives and solidifies its status as a key regional hub for chemical and waste risk management.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Otaibi, Coordinator of the Regional Centre and a scientific researcher at KISR, told KUNA that the center provides technical and training services to countries across West Asia. It serves as a vital link between three major environmental agreements—most notably the Stockholm Convention—and the member states, offering technical support, technology transfer, regular updates, and assistance in implementing national action plans and submitting periodic reports.

Since its inception, the center has conducted numerous regional training workshops, Al-Otaibi noted. It is now preparing to host an expanded workshop in October 2025 at KISR’s headquarters. The event will bring together participants from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, other West Asian nations, and international experts to address recent updates to the convention, including chemicals such as PFAS, UVA-328, and PCBs, as well as the latest testing and reporting mechanisms.

He highlighted that the center recently completed an updated national survey of banned chemicals in Kuwait in coordination with relevant agencies, including the Environment Public Authority, which fully supported the effort. A comprehensive report was submitted to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat. The center is now working on a new inventory of newly added substances to be submitted according to the required timeline.

Al-Otaibi outlined the center’s strategic work plan for 2024–2027, which is built around eight key areas: organizing advanced training workshops, implementing national research projects, updating national implementation plans (NIP), building a regional chemical database, evaluating new chemicals, and facilitating regional coordination and periodic reporting.

He stressed that collaboration with donors and international organizations — such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — has strengthened the center’s capabilities. These partnerships help facilitate technology transfer, expand regional influence, and enhance Kuwait’s environmental commitments while creating valuable opportunities for national capacity-building.

Al-Otaibi also emphasized the importance of KISR’s participation in the recent Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, held in Geneva from April 28 to May 9, 2025. Kuwait's involvement, he said, showcased the country’s environmental efforts and contributed to key decisions, including the addition of new chemicals to the conventions, updates to technical guidelines, and the launch of joint environmental compliance programs.

He added that the regional center provides strategic value for Kuwait, not only as a scientific and training hub but also as an essential mechanism for protecting public health and the environment. The center’s success, he noted, has been made possible by the support of the Kuwaiti leadership and collaboration with national partners.

Additionally, Al-Otaibi said the center plays a critical role in developing national human resources, proposing scientifically validated alternatives to banned substances, and reducing environmental pollution costs—ultimately supporting Kuwait’s economy and promoting sustainable development.

Kuwait ratified the Stockholm Convention in March 2006. In May 2009, during the Fourth Conference of the Parties in Geneva, KISR was officially approved as the Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for West Asia, making it the first internationally accredited Arab center of its kind.

Since its formal launch in 2011, the center has served as a scientific and technical cornerstone for advancing environmental policy and fostering coordinated regional efforts.