Project of AGREEMENT between MEPNS/SEMD and UNEP/DEIA on the establishment of Ukrainian GRID Centre

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine (MEPNS), and State Ecological Monitoring Department (SEMD) in the one side; and. The United Nations Environment Programme (hereafter, UNEP) and its Division of Environmental Information and Assessment (hereafter, DEIA), which facilitate environmental assessments in support of sustainable development; and UNEP/DEIA’s Global Resource Information Database (GRID), which in partnership with national, sub-regional and global organisations and agencies, carries out data and information harmonisation, management and dissemination; and institutional capacity building and servicing information technology transfer with developing countries and countries with economies in transition on the other side (and hereafter referred to as "the Parties")

are resolved to conclude the following Agreement.

The Parties agree to work in partnership to establish a DEIA/GRID-compatible and cooperating data centre at the Information technologies group of State Ecological Monitoring Department of MEPNS to be known as "GRID-Kiev", in order to provide information technology and related technical expertise to prepare, analyze and present data and information as inputs to environmental assessments and State of Environment (SoE) reports, with the ultimate aim of supporting environmentally sustainable decision-making.

Annex 1 is an integral part of this Agreement which specifies the major responsibilities of both parties in regard to their mutual support, modalities and obligations for data and information exchange, etc.

The Parties will work in co-operation in identifying and requesting funds from potential donors for activities that may arise from this Agreement and for which a successful implementation requires funding. On any externally funded projects, operational procedures to control the associated funds will be jointly established by the Parties on a case-by-case basis

Article 4

A joint workplan will be elaborated by the Parties, identifying tasks and responsibilities for each partner and setting up a schedule for GRID-Kiev’s initial activities and outputs. This workplan will be done in harmony with both Parties' overall goals and objectives, and will be finalised within two months after the Agreement is signed as minimum requirements. The workplan share contain as minimal contents all of the following information:

	Cooperative activities to establish GRID-Kiev at information technologies group of SEMD;
	Other first-year activities, schedule and deliverables, review dates;
	Nomination of a contact person from each institution (the role of the contact person will be to coordinate the activities of the different components of the Parties towards a mutually beneficial cooperation );
	Exchange of experts and training activities.

An initial progress report and review of the cooperative effort will be jointly produced, after first 3 month of project.

An advisory board will be established as the main oversight group for GRID-Kiev. This advisory board will have at least one member from UNEP, being the undersigned Assistant Executive Director (AED) or his/her representative, and at least one Deputy Minister of the MEPNS. The task of the advisory board shall be to review (at least once per year) the strategy, status and workplan of GRID-Kiev. A further documents will be drawn up within two months after signature of this Agreement describing how the advisory board is to be established and its duties, rights and responsibilities in the oversight of the GRID-Kiev facility.

MEPNS/SEMD shall refrain from any action which adversely affects UNEP or the UN, and shall fulfil its commitments with total regard for the interests of the UN, while for its part UNEP shall refrain from any action which adversely affects MEPNS/SEMD.

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall, if attempts at settlement by negotiations have failed, be submitted to arbitration in the United Nations, New York by a single arbitrator agreed upon by both parties. Should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of their request for arbitration, then each party may request the appointment of a third arbitrator by the President of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. The arbitrator shall rule on the costs, which may be divided between the parties. The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute the final adjudication of the issues in dispute.

This Agreement shall become effective upon signature by both parties, and is concluded for an initial period of two years, it being understood that each party shall have the right to terminate it at any time by giving written notice six months in advance to the other party. The Parties will prepare suggestions leading to the continued functioning of GRID-Kiev as part of the overall global GRID network of centres, no less than six months before the current Agreement is to expire.

The MEPNS/SEMD, together with advisory support from UNEP/DEIA and the existing GRID Network, will create a GRID-Kiev centre which is to be located on the base information technology group of SEMD. The two parties will work together to actively include and ultimately integrate GRID-Kiev in the GRID system.

The operation of GRID-Kiev will be undertaken in close cooperation with interested regional and other institutes and through the establishment of a GRID-compatible network in Ukraine. The activities of GRID-Kiev should both promote the establishment of a network of local (regional and thematic) centres, and ultimately reflect the Ukrainian experience internationally throughout the GRID network.

a). Make every effort to play a catalytic role in the establishment of the centre by, for example, providing including advice and assistance in ensuring that there is adequate hardware and software to demonstrate the concept, potential and practical operation of GRID-Kiev;.

b). Provide GRID-Kiev with all relevant public domain data sets held by UNEP/DEIA free of charge, in accordance with the GRID policy on data distribution and to the extent these are requested by GRID-Kiev;.

c). Provide GRID-Kiev with scientific and technical advice, information and documentation free of charge , including information on hardware and software required to expand the capacities of GRID-Kiev for GIS, image processing and other technical operations;

d). Endeavour to provide for GRID-Kiev, as a GRID cooperating centre, to be provided with GIS and image processing (IP) software at normal concessive or discount prices available to other GRID centres;

e). Endorse the activities of GRID-Kiev in compiling and collating environmental data. The data and information will be shared by the two parties and will be accessible through the GRID network to users through the world, in accordance with the GRID data distribution policy and the relevant legislation of the Ukraine;

f). Provide through the DEIA GRID-Kiev secretariat and via Internet as well as traditional means, with GRID meta-data and periodic updates, newsletters and brochures, GRID reports and other materials available, the latest information products and other GRID services, both routinely and as GRID-Kiev may periodically request these from the GRID network;

g). Assist in arranging support for specialists from other cooperating Ukrainian organisations, with the aim of facilitating training, database development and other applications relevant to GRID-Kiev's activities

h). Assist GRID-Kiev to develop financial strategies for future operations and development

To this end, and within the feasibility of resources and a reasonable timeframe, GRID-Kiev will be expanded into a national network of compatible centres with the GRID-Kiev as a hub. MEPNS will provide UNEP with access to all non-restricted environmental data sets in Ukraine and will support the policy of free exchange of data;

b)Appoint a senior staff member as a full-time GRID-Kiev Facility Manager (Director), with the responsibility of, inter alia, liasing with UNEP/GRID, and will advise UNEP accordingly. MEPNS/SEMD will also provide analytical staff with a background in such fields as information technologies, geography, forestry, ecology, etc., as well as digitising technicians, and administrative support staff. The initial number of fully-devoted professional (with Bachelor or Master of Science or equivalent degrees in relevant fields) staff at GRID-Kiev will not be less than 5;

c). Through GRID-Kiev, provide all non-restricted data sets to UNEP free of charge, including those acquired or developed in environmental monitoring and research activities it manages, and also distribute such data to all public domain clients/users who so request it;

d).Jointly with SEMD/GRID-Kiev, and in cooperation with relevant training institutions, provide technical support for GIS and satellite image processing to specialists involved in environmental research;

In this regard, GRID-Kiev will follow the GRID MdD model in order to act as an effective interface between the Ukraine and UNEP;

f). Support the role of GRID-Kiev in the GRID system by taking partial responsibility for the development of algorithms and the generation of data sets in selected thematic areas determined by mutual agreement;

g). In consultation with UNEP/DEIA/GRID, develop a detailed work plan for 1997 and ultimately, subsequent periods;

h). Insofar as the activities of GRID-Kiev allow, support all general GRID policies including those for data quality assessment and comparison, data exchange standards, the right of possession of data and information on systems development among GRID collaborating/cooperating centres;

i)Pursue financial support and a growth strategy in order to ensure both the establishment and proper functioning of GRID-Kiev

In addition, GRID-Kiev as part of its activities will:

a). Provide the DEIA/EIN/ GRID secretariat with information on its outputs and activities and the general environmental situation in the Ukraine, including for example the preparation of articles for such UNEP publications as "EarthViews", and will also submit materials for the governing body of UNEP if and when this is deemed necessary;

b).Inform UNEP/GRID of any publications, reports and/or research materials that are produced, and copies of those materials will be sent to other GRID centres and entered in the DEIA library;

c).Actively advertise the functions of GRID via contacts with known or potential users within the Ukraine and organise presentations, seminars, visits and the circulation of printed materials to potential users, thus providing information on GRID to Ukrainian users.

Thus logic of presentation and structure of the Ukraine national report, that have the status State (governmental) one and created by collective of experts from more than 20 departments and interested organizations, will be maintained.