SAICM Stories

Tuesday, July 17, United Nations Plaza, New York

The purpose of this event was to provide a platform for participants to discuss and exchange views and perspectives on chemicals and waste in the context of SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production patterns, thus ensuring healthy lives and a healthy planet well into the future. More information can be found here. The event was also covered by IISD and the report can be found on this link

Chemicals management through the development of Electronic distance learning tool (eDLT)

From the 23rd of February 2018, the Special Programme on Institutional Strengthening is open for applications for 4 months. The deadline for submission of applications is Thursday the 21st of June 2018.

International Women’s Day offers an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women around the world, including in the field of chemicals and health. Women have played a significant role in several prominent Quick Start Programme projects. Just one example of this is a recent project lead by Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) in the Balkans.

The draft independent evaluation of the Strategic Approach for 2006-2015 is now available. This report, mandated by the ICCM resolution IV/4, aims to provide an analysis to inform intersessional process, enabling ICCM5 to make an informed decision on the future arrangement for the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020.

In Lesotho, one project funded by the Quick Start Programme Trust Fund, entitled ‘Strengthening the capacity of smallholder farmers, extension staff and agro-dealers on judicious use of herbicides’, helped to increase the knowledge of the safe use of herbicides and other pesticides among these key groups to improve crop outcomes, protect the health of communities and prevent damage to the environment.

The second meeting of the intersessional process will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 13 to 15 March 2018, hosted by the Government of Sweden. Register now !

On 15-16 January 2018, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, with support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany, is hosting a workshop on the Aichi biodiversity targets and their possible relevance for the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020. For more information on the workshop, please consult the information note

We are building a new information platform for SAICM

The survey is now closed ! Thank you for your help.

In May of 2017, the Global Environment Facility approved the concept note for the project ‘Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)’, a $9 million full-size project that is scheduled to begin in 2018 until 2020. The project will focus on the SAICM emerging policy issues (EPIs). These EPIs represent particular environmental and health problems and SAICM aims to forge cooperative action to address these issues. The project will focus on: phase out of lead in paint; lifecycle management in chemicals in products; and knowledge management strategies.

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 was 15 September 2017 and has now been extended until 31 March 2018.

All SAICM stakeholders are invited to submit their input and suggestions to the Intersessional Process considering the Strategic Approach and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020.

The Strategic Approach secretariat and the Government of Germany are organising a side event at the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions on Tuesday 25 April, 6.15 p.m. to 7.45 p.m. / Room 15. The side event will be interactive and provide a platform for participants to discuss and exchange views and perspectives.

Thanks to the funding received from the Quick Start Programme Trust Fund, the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Africa implemented a number of activities with communities in Mali and Senegal to raise awareness and build capacity of civil society organizations and local communities to reduce risks related to pesticides use in agricultural and health sector, and to monitor and gather data on pesticide use and incidents of exposure to chemicals.