Transcript Template for POWERPOINT 2010

UNDERSTANDING SAICM
Dr. Ahmed Al-Hazmi
GM, Environmental Affairs
OUTLINE
 What is SAICM?
 What areas are covered by SAICM?
 How does SAICM interact with other agreements?
 What are the key objectives of SAICM?
 What are the challenges in implementing SAICM?
No. 1
SAICM DEVELOPMENT
The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was
mandated by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and endorsed
by the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and the
New York World Summit in September 2005.
It has been developed by a multi-stakeholder Preparatory Committee, co-convened
by UNEP, the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) and the
Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC).
No. 2
UNEP: GLOBAL CHEMICALS OUTLOOK
No. 3
SAICM: WHAT IT IS
• SAICM is a global policy framework.
• By 2020, chemicals should be produced and used in ways that lead to the
minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment
• Has a broad scope, covering but not limited to:
 Environmental, economic, social, health and labor aspects of chemical safety
 Agricultural and industrial chemicals
 with a view to promoting sustainable development and covering chemicals at
all stages of their life cycle, including in products
• Should take account of instruments and processes already developed
• Should be flexible enough to deal with new ones without duplicating efforts, in
particular the efforts of forums dealing with the military uses of chemicals
Source: UNEP
No. 4
SAICM AREAS
Socio-Economics
• Groups at risk
• Pesticides
• Stakeholder participation
• Protected Areas
Government
• International agreements, policy &
operational measures
• Trade controls
• Information
• Emergency response
• Wastes and remediation
Industry
• Risk reduction and worker safety
• Information & hazard data generation
• Cleaner production & chemical leasing
• Trade & movement
• Liability & compensation
Chemicals in focus
• Highly toxic pesticides
• Lead in fuel
• Persistent bioaccumulatives, carcinogens,
mutagens, and reproductive toxins,
endocrine disruptors, heavy metals
Source: UNEP
No. 5
SCOPE OF CHEMICAL MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS (MEAS)
SAICM:
Strategic Approach
To Chemicals
Management
Other
chemicals
of concern
Rotterdam
Convention:
Prior
informed
consent
Basel Convention:
Control Of
Transboundary Movements
Of Hazardous Wastes
And Their Disposal
Chemical
‘coverage’
Specific
Chlorinated
Compounds
Stockholm Convention:
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Production
Trade
Use
Waste & disposal
Chemical ‘life cycle’
Source: UNEP
No. 6
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Achieve sound management of chemicals throughout life-cycle by 2020
Five (5) objectives:
• Risk reduction
• Knowledge and information
• Governance
• Capacity-building and technical cooperation
• Illegal international traffic
No. 7
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Objective 1: RISK REDUCTION
• To minimize risks to human health, including
that of workers, and to the environment
throughout the life cycle of chemicals
• To ensure that humans and ecosystems
that are vulnerable or subject to exposure
to chemicals are protected and taken into
account in making decisions on chemicals
• To implement transparent, comprehensive,
and effective risk management strategies
based on appropriate scientific understanding,
including of health and environmental effects,
and appropriate social and economic analysis
No. 8
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Objective 2: KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION
To ensure for all stakeholders:
• That information on chemicals throughout
their life cycle is available, user friendly, adequate
and appropriate to the needs of all stakeholders.
(Information include effects on human health and
the environment, potential uses, etc.)
• That such information is disseminated in
appropriate languages by making full use of
the media, hazard communication mechanisms
such as the Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and
relevant provisions of international agreements.
No. 9
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Objective 3: GOVERNANCE
• To strengthen enforcement and encourage the
implementation of national laws and regulations
regarding chemicals management
• To promote relevant codes of conduct, including
those relating to corporate environmental and
social responsibility
• To promote mutual supportiveness between
trade and environmental policies
• To provide and support enabling frameworks for
business to develop and improve products that
advance the objectives of the Strategic Approach
No. 10
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Objective 4: CAPACITY-BUILDING & TECHNICAL COOPERATION
• To develop and implement sustainable capacitybuilding strategies and to promote cooperation
among countries
• To promote coordination of and access to
information on capacity-building for the sound
management of chemicals and to enhance
transparency and accountability
• To encourage stakeholders to develop and
promote programs on chemical safety and
scientific research and analysis
No. 11
SAICM: OVERARCHING POLICY STRATEGY (OPS) OBJECTIVES
Objective 5: ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC
• To prevent illegal international traffic in toxic,
hazardous, banned and severely restricted
chemicals
• To strengthen mechanisms and domestic and
regional implementation supporting multilateral
agreements relating to the prevention of illegal
international traffic
• To promote information sharing and to
strengthen the capacity of countries at the
national and regional levels for the prevention
and control of illegal international traffic
No. 12
SAICM IMPLEMENTATION: QUICK START PROGRAMME (QSP)
Strategic Priorities
•
National chemical profiles & identification of capacity needs
•
Strengthening national chemicals management institutions, plans, programs and
activities to implement SAICM (building upon work conducted to implement
international chemicals-related agreements)
•
Undertaking analysis, inter-agency coordination, and public participation activities
to implement SAICM by integrating sound management of chemicals in national
strategies
No. 13
GLOBAL CHEMICAL PRODUCTION
•
Global chemical production is continuing to
increase in volume and complexity
•
Production of chemicals is becoming more
evenly distributed internationally
•
Growth in production and use of chemicals in
developing countries is outpacing the ability to
implement regulatory regimes for sound
management of chemicals.
•
Hazard information is lacking for the vast
majority of chemicals
•
Sound management is critical to protecting
human health and the environment
No. 14
CONCLUSIONS
•
Some countries have not yet developed and submitted their National
Implementation Plans on chemicals or not even ratified all major chemicals
conventions
•
There is a general lack of information on chemicals and hence limited
advocacy on environmental and health aspects, in turn contributing to
mismanagement and continued use of chemicals banned elsewhere
•
Lack of comprehensive records of health impacts as a result of poisoning
with chemicals and heavy metals, although some data on pesticides
poisoning exist
•
Insufficient comprehensive monitoring of chemical contaminants (e.g. POPs)
in the environment prevents effective planning of remediation activities
No. 15
CONCLUSIONS
•
Limited collaboration of government with private sector and civil society
presents a barrier toward sound chemicals management
•
More awareness and advocacy activities in the GCC countries to educate the
public on adverse effects of hazardous chemicals
No. 16
No. 17