The programme is designed to help communities in risk areas to deal with emergencies. It gives them tools to put in place an overall effective emergency plan.

The first step of the programme is to provide the community with information about APELL by giving all stakeholders (community, industry and local government) handbooks and technical reports and then promoting seminars and workshops for comprehensive understanding.

These seminars and workshops bring local partners together to discuss how the process described in the APELL Handbook will allow them to start addressing their common problems and hazards. The main objective is not just to offer management knowledge of APELL to key decision-makers, but also to develop their ideas into a co-operative programme which becomes their own. This encourages local implementation and follow-up.

APELL seminars/workshops should be arranged by local host organizations, usually an association of government and industry. They arrange the venue and conference facilities and invite 50 to 60 senior individuals from industry, government and the local community. UNEP may arrange the international experts/speakers for the APELL seminar presentation during the workshop.

Typically, a four-day programme integrates the seminar discussions with the participative workshop.

The first part of the seminar presents the APELL programme. Speakers from industry, government and local authorities/community present their views on their complementary roles in promoting technological safety, health, environmental protection, accident prevention and response programmes. The second part of the seminar focuses on specific elements and issues related to the local implementation of APELL. This session is complemented by the presentation of APELL-like case studies and special topics.

The workshop sessions broaden the discussions of the previous two days. Working groups identify needs, priorities and possible actions which should be pursued for the implementation of APELL. The working groups present their findings in a final presentation to a panel of national/local decision-makers. Such recommendations and conclusions are summarized in a final report, and serve as a basis for follow-up action.