SAICM Stories

This policy brief aims to explore the barriers Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face to transition to paint with no added lead while highlighting the importance of multistakeholder collaboration.

This policy brief explores the issue of plastics and chemical additives in products as well as microplastics pollution.

55 policies from 36 countries enter the race for the “Oscar on best policies”: The Future Policy Award (FPA) 2021 is looking for the world’s best policies that protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals.

This policy brief highlights examples of governments around the world using legal measures and tools to balance the many benefits of chemicals production and use with some of their socio-economic, human health and environmental costs.

Global policy frameworks like SAICM are among the key tools to protect biodiversity from the harmful impacts of pollution arising from unsound management of chemicals and waste

This policy brief provides some key lessons learned since 2006 that SAICM’s stakeholders may consider in moving forward beyond 2020

SAICM invites you to visit the just-launched website www.chemicalswithoutconcern.org. This is a place to learn about emerging policy issues and their linkages with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continuing to spread and its impacts upon human health and the economy intensifying day-by-day, governments are urged to treat waste management, including of medical, household and other hazardous waste, as an urgent and essential public service in order to minimise possible secondary impacts upon health and the environment.

Reporting on SAICM implementation is a key tool in assessing progress towards the achievement of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation's goal of sound management of chemicals by 2020. Stakeholders across all sectors are encouraged to complete the survey so that their activities are reflected in the report. The deadline to complete the survey is 30 April 2020.

SAICM’s mandate expires in 2020. Read our factsheet on the progress and future importance of SAICM.

Check out our new videos on EPI, EPPs, HHPs, and PFCs

QSP put in motion a project implemented by the Jordanian Royal Scientific Society and UNEP from 2016 to 2018 to help address the issue of the elimination of lead in paints – an emerging policy issue for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management.

The fourth round of applications was launched on 29 November 2019. The deadline for submissions was extended to 4 September 2020. It is now closed.

The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a catalyst, connecting sectors and stakeholders, towards the goal of a chemical-safe, clean and healthy future by 2020.

“Research on the growing impact of emerging issues on human health and the environment is crucial for building effective development plans. Likewise, assessments of risks and monitoring of environmental trends can play a decisive role. Making that research available to a wider audience allows us to act sooner on the most urgent issues, and in doing so to bridge science to policy and policy to science.”

As one of the most ambitious international chemicals management programmes undertaken draws to a close in December 2019 after 13 successful years – here is what you should know about it.

Costa Rica is home to more animal species per hectare than any other place on Earth. Yet until relatively recently, Costa Rica has remained one of the countries with the highest intensities of pesticide use in the world with many of the pesticides being highly hazardous in terms of acute toxicity, chronic health risk and/or environmental contamination. The SAICM-funded QSP project on ‘Highly Hazardous Pesticides phase out and alternatives in Costa Rica’ has been an important player in recent years improvement of the situation.

Sri Lanka’s economy has been shaped in recent years by the industrial sectors of rubber, tourism, and textiles and apparels. Though these industries provide financial benefits to the economy, they are not always managed with environmental sustainability in mind. Therefore, the potential to cause damage to human health and the environment exists. To address the issue, the Quick Start Programme (QSP) funded a project in Sri Lanka to strengthen national capacity for applying ‘SMART Chemicals Management’.

On this International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, themed “32 years and healing,” we can rightfully celebrate over three decades of remarkable international cooperation to protect the ozone layer. Ozone layer protection efforts have not just helped drive ozone healing but have also contributed to the fight against climate change by averting an estimated 135 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This shows that solutions can be advantageous on multiple fronts without watering down the benefits.