The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a global policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals. The SAICM Secretariat is hosted by the

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...

. ''"The sound management of chemicals is essential if we are to achieve sustainable development, including the eradication of poverty and disease, the improvement of human health and the environment and the elevation and maintenance of the standard of living in countries at all levels of development." ''- Dubai, 2006 It was adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 6 February 2006. The first session of the Conference and the process to develop the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management were co-convened by the

(UN Environment), the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) and the

Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety Intergovernmental can refer to: *Intergovernmentalism *Intergovernmental immunity (disambiguation) *Intergovernmental Risk Pool *Intergovernmental organization Globalization is social change Social change is the alteration of the social ...

(IFCS). The Strategic Approach supports the achievement of the goal agreed at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development of ensuring that, by the year 2020, chemicals will be produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on the environment and human health. It acknowledges the essential contributions of chemicals in the current societies and economies, while recognizing the potential threat to

sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...

if chemicals are not managed soundly. (As of 12 June 2015) The Strategic Approach focal points include 175 Governments, 85 NGOs, including a broad range of representatives from industry and civil society.

Overarching Policy Strategy

SAICM commitments are expressed through the Dubai Declaration, Overarching Policy Strategy and the Global Plan of Action.

Scope

The Strategic Approach has a scope that includes: a. Environmental, economic, social, health and labour aspects of

chemical safety Chemicals as elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions and emulsions are very widely used and transported in the modern industrial society. Of necessity, they are also used in schools, universities and other training facilities to educate pupils in ...

, b. Agricultural and industrial chemicals, with a view to promoting sustainable development and covering chemicals at all stages of their life-cycle, including in products.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Strategic Approach are: A. Risk reduction B. Knowledge and information C. Governance D. Capacity-building and technical cooperation E. Illegal international traffic

Quick Start Programme

The Quick Start Programme (QSP) is a programme under SAICM to support initial enabling capacity building and implementation activities in developing countries, least developed countries, small island developing States and countries with economies in transition. The QSP includes a voluntary, time-limited trust fund, administered by the

, and multilateral, bilateral and other forms of cooperation. The QSP Trust Fund portfolio includes 184 approved projects in 108 countries, of which 54 are Least Developed Countries or Small Island Developing States, for an approximate funding $37 million.

International Conference on Chemicals Management

The International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) undertakes periodic reviews of SAICM. The first session (ICCM 1) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 4–6 February 2006, finalized and adopted SAICM. The second session (ICCM 2) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, 11–15 May 2009 and undertook the first periodic review of SAICM's implementation. The third session (ICCM 3) was held in Nairobi, Kenya, 17–21 September 2012 and reviewed progress in the implementation of SAICM with tangible data on 20 indicators of progress adopted at ICCM2, addressed emerging policy issues and adopted the Health Sector Strategy. The fourth session (ICCM 4) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 September to 2 October 2015. The overall orientation and guidance towards the achievement of the 2020 goal is the strategic policy outcome of ICCM4, setting the stage for action to 2020. ICCM4 was also reviewed implementation aspects of emerging policy issues and other issues of concern, considered the

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

, discussed sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, and reviewed the proposed activities. ICCM4, through resolution IV/4, initiated an intersessional process to prepare recommendations regarding the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020. The First meeting of the intersessional process considering the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020 was held in Brasilia, Brazil, from 7 to 9 February 2017. The fifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management is scheduled to be held in Bonn, Germany, 25 - 29 September 2023.

Emerging Policy issues and Other Issues of Concern

The ICCM provides a platform to call for appropriate action on emerging policy issues (EPI) as they arise and to forge consensus on priorities for cooperative action. So far, resolutions have been adopted on the following issues: A. Lead in paint B. Chemicals in products C.

Hazardous substance Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllab ...

within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products D.

Nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

and manufactured

nanomaterial * Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 100 nm (the usual definition of nanoscale). Nanomaterials research takes a materials science-based approach to nan ...

s E. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals F.

Environmentally Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutant The term environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants (EPPP) was first suggested in the nomination in 2010 of pharmaceuticals and environment as an emerging issue in a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) by th ...

s Other issues of concern have been acknowledged: G. Perfluorinated chemicals H. Highly Hazardous

Pesticides Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...

References

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