Transcript International Developments Since Awareness Raising Workshop Rob Visser UNITAR Senior Advisor Nano African Regional Meeting April 2011, Nairobi.

International Developments
Since Awareness Raising Workshop
Rob Visser
UNITAR Senior Advisor
Nano African Regional Meeting
April 2011, Nairobi
Mandates for the Series of Workshops
• ICCM-2 (May, 2009)
Resolution II/4 of ICCM-2
Endorsement of Nanotechnology/Manufactured Nanomaterials as an
“Emerging Issue” for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management (SAICM) “[ICCM-2]…encourages Governments and other
stakeholders to assist developing countries and countries with economies in
transition to enhance their capacity to use and manage nanotechnologies
and manufactured nanomaterials responsibly, to maximize potential
benefits and to minimize potential risks”
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Mandates for the Series of Workshops (cont’d)
OECD Joint Meeting (June, 2009)
Resolution II/4 of ICCM-2
The June 2009 Joint Meeting of the OECD instructed UNITAR, in
cooperation with the OECD Secretariat, to undertake awareness raising and
other related activities in developing countries regarding the potential risks
(e.g. to the environment or human health) and benefits (e.g. decreased
costs of low-maintenance products, or use in environmental remediation) of
nanotechnology and nanomaterials.
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Workshop Schedule
•
Asia-Pacific Region (Beijing, China) on 27 November 2009;
•
Central and Eastern European Region (Lodz, Poland) on 11 December
2009;
•
Africa Region (Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire) from 25-26 January 2010; and
•
Latin America-Caribbean Region (Kingston, Jamaica) on 12 March,
2010.
An additional, sub-regional meeting was also held for Arab Region countries
from 11-13 April, 2010 in Alexandria, Egypt.
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Workshop Participation
Over 250 individuals attended from: some 108 countries that were
represented from within the regions; 19 observer countries;
41 non-governmental organizations and 9 international organizations
This included:
•
32 individuals from 23 countries for the Asia-Pacific Workshop;
•
19 individuals from 15 countries for the CEE Workshop;
•
41 individuals from 34 countries for the Africa Workshop;
•
29 individuals from 21 countries for the Latin America-Caribbean Workshop
•
24 individuals from 15 countries for the Arab Workshop
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Original Workshop Objectives
 To inform national experts on nano within governments and other
key representatives of governments and stakeholders in the UN
regions with developing and transition countries about potential
applications for (benefits) and risks from nano
 To apply the information gained, above, on a technical level, to
enable political decision-making feeding into ICCM-3
 Focus: general chemicals management professionals that have to
address nano issues as part of their work
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Workshop Agendas
In general, workshop agendas covered the following topics:
 Introduction, review of mandates, expectations of participants;
 Overview of nano applications
 Overview of environment and human health issues related to
manufactured nanomaterials
 Potential risks from manufactured nanomaterials throughout their
life cycle
 Workplace issues
 Overview of international activities related to nano (through OECD
and other institutions)
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Workshop Agendas (cont’d)

Go-round on national activities in the region

Review of a draft table of contents of a “Nano” chapter in a
National Chemicals Management Profile

Overview of Nano Pilot Projects (Swiss-sponsored through
UNITAR/OECD)

NGO, Industry, and Labour perspectives

Discussions related to ICCM-3

Conclusions and next steps
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The Workshops
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Outcomes of the Workshops
 Increased understanding of the participants of the implications of
nano for their daily work as general chemicals management
specialists in their countries;
 Inputs received from participants on their anticipated country needs
in order to be able to address nano as part of a sustainable general
programme for the sound management of chemicals at the national
level;
 Understanding of the requirements of ICCM-3 for reporting on nanorelated activities to protect human health and the environment in
countries and among stakeholders; and,
 Understanding of the outcomes of ICCM-2 as a first step towards
deliberations for “furthering the nano agenda” at ICCM-3
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Observations
 Resolutions developed at Africa and Latin America/Caribbean
workshop;
 Unanimous recommendations (from each workshop) for another
round of workshops pre-OEWG/ICCM-3 with focus on preliminary
outcomes of pilots and ICCM-3 preparations;
 “Excellent” overall ratings from workshop participants in workshop
evaluation forms; usually near-unanimity
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Next steps
 The development of guidance and training materials/methodologies
for national pilot projects on incorporating nano as part of a
sustainable general programme for the sound management of
chemicals (initial results of the pilots will be presented by participating
countries at ICCM-3);
 The undertaking of a planned second round of nano workshops for
UN developing and transition country regions in advance of ICCM-3
 The development of networks of chemicals management experts
interested in and/or assigned to address nano issues in developed,
transition and developing countries;
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Next steps (cont’d)
 The development of inputs (e.g. resolutions, INF documents, formal
reporting and further identifications of country needs) for a meeting of
the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), to be held in Belgrade,
Serbia, in August, 2011, and ICCM-3 in Geneva (May or June 2012);
 Beyond ICCM-3, the further development of capacities and
capabilities in countries and at the national, regional and international
levels to address nano issues.
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OECD
• Database on EHS research
• Guidance on exposure mitigation: laboratories and
workplace
• Sponsorship programmes continue
• Guidance on dosing in toxicity test
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Thank you!
www.unitar.org/cwm/nano
[email protected]
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