6Th EU-JUSSCANNZ Regional Meeting on the Strategic Approach

SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/3

6th EU-JUSSCANNZ regional meeting on the Strategic Approach

to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)

Paris, 9 February 2018

Item 2 of the provisional agenda[* ]

Report of the fifth EU-JUSSCANNZ[1] regional meeting on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), Paris, 14 February 2014

Note by the secretariat

The secretariat has the honour to circulate in the annex to the present note, the report of the fifthEU-JUSSCANNZ regional meeting on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) held in Paris, 14 February 2014 for the information of participants.

ANNEX

/ SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/3
/ Distr.: General
20 March 2014
English only

Fifth EU-JUSSCANNZ regional meeting on the Strategic Approach

to International Chemicals Management

Paris, 14 February 2014

Provisional report of the fifth EU-JUSSCANNZ[2] regional meeting on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management

1.Opening of the meeting

The fifth EU-JUSSCANNZ regional meeting on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) took place at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, on 14 February 2014. The meeting was opened at 9.15a.m. by Ms. Elizabeth Williams, the SAICM regional focal point, and Ms. Leonor Alvarado, the Coordinator of the SAICM secretariat. Ms. Fatoumata Keita-Ouane, Head, Chemicals Branch, UNEP/ DTIE also provided welcoming remarks, encouraging participants to contribute to an important phase for SAICM in the lead up to ICCM4, with 2020 fast approaching, and thanked the OECD for hosting the meeting. The representative of the secretariat welcomed participants and proceeded to organizational matters.

Organizational matters

(a) Election of officers

The meeting elected Ms. Williams (United Kingdom), the SAICM regional focal point, to chair the meeting and Ms. Alison Pierce (United States of America) was elected as rapporteur.

(b)Adoption of the agenda

Due to logistical restraints for breakout rooms, an amendment to the order of the provisional agenda, set out in document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/1, was proposed and adopted by the meeting participants. Items three and four were reversed, with discussions on “towards the 2020 goal of sound chemicals management”taking place in the morning, with “updates from the secretariat” in the afternoon. No other items were added to the agenda and it was adopted as follows:

1.Opening of the meeting.

2.Organizational matters:

(a)Adoption of the agenda;

(b)Organization of work.

3.Towards the 2020 Goal of Sound Chemicals Management.

4.Updates from the secretariat:

(a) Emerging policy issues;

(b)Financing the implementation of the Strategic Approach.

5.Preparing for a Post-2020 Chemicals and Waste agenda – Options for identifying the challenges and further enhancing cooperation and coordination within the chemicals and waste cluster in the long term.

6.Preparations for the second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management.

7.Other matters.

8.Closure of the meeting.

(c) Organization of work

The participants agreed to meet in plenary session from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to
6 p.m, with break-out sessions in groups during the morning session.

(d) Attendance

The meeting was attended by representatives of the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia,Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel,Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Representatives of the following intergovernmental and regional organizations attended: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union (EU), and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The meeting was attended by representatives of the following non-governmental organizations (NGOs): Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), International Council of Chemicals Associations (ICCA), International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX), and Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF).
The following observer was also present:Chemical Watch.

Towards the 2020 Goal of Sound Chemicals Management

The ICCM at its third session requested the secretariat to develop Overall Orientation and Guidance (OOG),including some concrete elements to facilitate achievement of the 2020 goal of sound chemicals management. A workshop discussion was organised to facilitate and support input on the OOG.

The representative of the secretariat introduced the logistics of the workshops, with participants splitting into six groups, discussing six questions as indicated below, and requested to report back two main points per question. The questions had been provided to participants in advance of the meeting, within SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/1.

Questions for meeting participants:

1.What are the basic elements required at the national level to achieve sound chemicals management?

2.Looking back on the achievements of SAICM to date from your perspective and region, what concrete success has already been achieved towards the 2020 goal of sound chemicals management?

3.What are the remaining gaps to achieve to manage chemicals? Please identify three to five gaps.

4.From your perspective, what are the priority actions to fill these gaps?What are the obstacles / challenges to fill these gaps?

SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/3

5.Looking at the governance model of the strategic approach, what elements are most effective? What areas require strengthening?

6.What areas of expertise could you or the stakeholders you represent offer to enhance support in your region to achieve the 2020 goal of sound chemicals management?

To prepare for the workshop discussion, participants were asked to respond to an informal questionnaire, prepared by the secretariat, in advance of the meeting. Seven governments and one NGO responded to the secretariat. A collationof responses to the questionnaire was developed by the secretariat and was made available to participants in order to inform the workshop discussions.
The representative of the SAICM secretariat presented on the motivations and process behind developing the OOG document, and related background of SAICM. The document is intended to have retrospective and prospective elements, propose concrete actions, and emphasise those actions to be taken quickly and most effectively to address the most pressing challenges under the Strategic Approach. The development of the orientation and guidance is based on the fundamental principles that gave origin to SAICM as outlined in the Overarching Policy Strategy, mainly the evidence of growing gaps in capacities between countries, the need to improve synergies across existing processes, and a growing sense of urgency to achieve the 2020 goal. Building on existing data sources, the secretariat will synthesise the information and work collaboratively with the Bureau to develop a paper containing the overall orientation and guidance to be presented at the second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group in December 2014 for further input before it is presented in its final version to the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management for possible endorsement . Extensive input has been sought from the regions, seeking to build a picture of the basic building blocks of sound chemicals management, what the achievements of SAICM are, and what the gaps and priorities are to 2020.
The secretariat also presented on the methodology for the development of the overall orientation and guidance, outlining its nature as a processthat will analyse where the issue of management of chemicals is today, and what progress relevant stakeholders would like to see by 2020; the “vision” of sound management of chemicals. It is widely acknowledged that there has been some progress under SAICM, though it may be more challenging to assess the global situation. Through consultations with the region, the secretariat is hoping to hear its thoughts on the effectiveness of SAICM and how work under SAICM should progress in the years up to 2020.
The UNEP representative commented that participants may wish to focus on the vision of how progress can be made, and on how the region can “pull” other countries up to its level of chemicals management. She emphasised that experience of pulling some CEE countries, now members of the EU, up to the level of OECD, is highly relevant as an example of what is effective.
The chair adjourned the formal aspect of this agenda item and participants split up into their assigned groups for the workshop discussion. The workshop was set up as follows: (i) break-out groups discussed the path towards the 2020 goal of sound management of chemicals according to the assigned questions, and (ii) a universal report-back session aimed at sharing workshop conclusions before the lunch break.
The meeting was resumed at 2.15 p.m. The Chair opened the meeting inviting comments from participants on the discussions held during the morning session.Many participants noted their support for greater involvement with health ministries at the national level, but also wished to see integration of sound management of chemicals at the World Health Assembly.The representative of the WHO was pleased to see support for health sector involvement in SAICM. She informed participants that the implementation of the health sector strategy could be further supported, and the World Health Assembly already has a resolution on SAICM. These elements provide an opportunity to include chemicals in the upcoming assembly, 19-24 May 2014.
A participant commented that they still see the Overarching Policy Strategy (OPS) as an effective tool and that the 2020 goal is a good policy for reducing risks and managing chemicals. However, the lack of legal and regulatory infrastructure in many countries remains an important gap. According to the Global Chemicals Outlook, poor progress has been made on some fronts, with low probability that the 2020 goal will be achieved. Given that many tools are available, from OECD and the IOMC organizations, greater uptake and usage may be an important step. A suggestion was made to promotethe use of many of these tools under SAICM, thereby fostering global use of existing toolsand increasing thesound management of chemicals.A participant commented that in their country, tools had been useful within education, both to show the importance of chemicals management at schools, and within the education curriculum for children.
One participant provided strong support for integrating sound management of chemicals into the SDGs process, and highlighted that the structure of SAICM continues to provide a positive framework. A larger role for SAICM in mainstreaming was encouraged, particularly in national development and agency plans, focusing commitment on chemicals and waste. The participant also took the opportunity to acknowledge the window in GEF for funding for SAICM activities, which should be considered as an achievement.
A participant noted while there have been achievements from SAICM, with only six years left, there now needs to be a conversation not just about new activities, but on how to set priorities with short and medium-term goals for the period. It is hoped that results from the second SAICM reporting process can be used to identify successes and priorities in countries, which could further serve as a source of information and to support national implementation of SAICM frameworks. Several participants agreed with the notion of setting intermediate goals for “on the ground”, concrete activities. This would overcome the imprecise nature of the 2020 goal, with more defined steps providing a clearer sense of what is being targeted.
A few participants noted that there is still a need to address the fundamentals of sound management of chemicals, with relatively weak regulatory frameworks and structures in place, inhibiting chances to assess and address particular issues. There is therefore a need to build the core capacities to deal with chemicals issues.
Some participants, in support of the need to set up legal frameworks and the need to link chemicals activities to resources, emphasized the need for mainstreaming across ministries and international cooperation mechanisms. Setting up a legal framework in developing countries can be subject to funding limitations, and is often project-based and lacks sustainability. By raising awareness of the costs of inaction and by emphasizing cost-savings, particularly in non-chemicals sectors of governments that are critical to decision-making, it is possible to show how developing and implementing the regulatory framework can be self-financing.
One participant also urged the region to acknowledge that the 2020 goal is also relevant within the EU-JUSSCANNZ region. By committing to the goal, not only will it be positive for the region, it can also serve as a vehicle pulling other countries along.
The chair summarised common themes that had been discussed under the agenda item: SAICM has proven to be a positive tool to develop political awareness and to raise the knowledge in-country of chemicals issues; as a vehicle for collaborative regional activities; and the QSP has helped countries access funds to start implementing activities. The chair also outlined needs related to sound management of chemicals: greater transfer of knowledge; transformation of available guidance and information into a usable format enables the necessary structures to develop; compliance remains an important element, and in terms of regulatory frameworks; broader points of view beyond environment need to be integrated, such as social and health; the profile of sound chemicals management needs to be raised. The chair emphasised the group’s feeling that a roadmap with small and intermediate goals should be developed to build a step by step process to achieve sound management of chemicals. The chair further stated that there are opportunities to adapt how SAICM works and how stakeholders work within SAICM. There is an opportunity for developing countries to demonstrate what they need to do under SAICM and how they will effect these changes. Furthermore, the health sector can play a great role, with WHO as an important part. The chair thanked WHO for the opportunity to bring attention to chemicals management at the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2014, and encouraged participants to work with their health counterparts in their own countries to raise awareness on sound chemicals management at the WHA.
In closing the agenda item, participants agreed that the discussion within the workshop context had been very enriching and helpful to them. Participants agreed that a summary of the workshop discussions should be developed, under the guidance of the chair, and annexed to the meeting report. The workshop summary is available as Annex I to the current meeting report. This summary contains a collection of views expressed by participants at the meeting, but does not represent a negotiated or agreed outcome.

Updates from the Secretariat

(a) Emerging Policy Issues

Participants had before them document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/8, Progress on emerging policy issues and other issues of concern, which provides information on progress to date on lead in paint, chemicals in products, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, hazardous substances within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs),and managing perfluorinated chemicals. A revised workplan for endocrine disrupting chemicals has been developed based on input received from the Bureau for ICCM4 and was available to participants as meeting document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/9.Document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/13 was also available to remind participants of the process to nominate new emerging policy issues in the Strategic Approach context.Finally, the report of the consultation meeting on the proposed Chemicals in Products Programme was available as document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/12.
The representative of UNITAR updated the meeting on progress on nanomaterials. Since 2009, UNITAR has implemented a range of activities to support developing countries to raise awareness on nanosafety issues and consider the implications of nano-based and nano-containing products traded across borders. Since 2011, a second round of workshops has been organised, focusing on developing consensus on new work areas and activities to be included in SAICM’s Global Plan of Action. Pilot projects in nanotechnology and nanomaterials have taken place in Nigeria, Thailand and Uruguay. A second phase of pilot projectsstarted in late 2013 in Armenia, Jordan, and Vietnam. To support a country-driven processes, UNITAR has developed a guidance document entitled “Developing a National Nanotechnology Policy and Programme”, also available in Spanish and Russian. There has been a request from a number of countries to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to start a process to establish if the GHS criteria are applicable to the management of nanomaterials. Thanks were provided to Switzerland and UNITAR for their support in this area.
Two participants noted the limited membership of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP) from the represented governments, with only Switzerland and the USA as contributors from the EU-JUSSCANNZ region. A call for more participants in the Alliance was made. The participant from Canada offered in-kind support for GAELP from their national Product Safety Group. In doing so, she indicated that a letter from her government would be forthcoming to the GAELP secretariat.
Elimination of lead in paint was proposed by one participant as an achievable target and an area that could form a specific achievement of SAICM, noting that it remains a topical concern for all countries.
The representative of WHO thanked partners in GAELP and referenced the international lead poisoning prevention week of action, 20-26 October 2013, whereover 100 cities participated in 44 countries. She noted that this could be considered as a significant response, especially for a first time campaign. The next campaign is due to take place on 19-24 October 2014. The 3rd GAELP meeting will take place on 23-25 September 2014 in Delhi, India.
One participant noted that the intention from UNIDO to host a global workshop in 2014, subject to availability of resources, on hazardous substances within the life cycle of electric and electronic products was welcomed, though UNIDO was urged to ensure the sustainability of the outcomes.
The participants then discussed EDCs, with some division over the extent of ambition of the workplan set out in document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF/9. One participant noted that establishing a baseline of activities within EDCs is a useful tool to initiate work. Through the regional meetings held so far, 87 countries have had the opportunity to participate in the EDC awareness raising workshops. Denmark was thanked for its funding of EDCs work.
The participant from Japan provided an update on their study on the improved information transfer scheme throughout the supply chain, which could contribute to the Chemicals in Products programme. He commented that Japan is happy to share findings and outputs, and to work together to find solutions with other countries and groups. Japan is also contributing to the Guidance Document developed for the Chemicals in Products programme.
In discussing chemicals in products, a representative from UNEP thanked Denmark and Sweden for their support of the work. During the meeting, the UNEP representative provided an update to document SAICM/RM/EUJ.5/INF8, communicating that the US$1 million proposal to the GEF had been approved for funding on 13 February 2014. The representative reiterated that the project outcomes will support the textile industry to practise sound chemicals management and to take the appropriate measures to reduce the use of less desirable chemicals in their products.
One participant noted that the Chemicals in Products programme is relevant to all countries, and is therefore important for all to support. To ensure success, it is a programme that will need to encourage participation and to be accessible to those that have the information, such as industry stakeholders, especially medium-sized companies.
One participant reflected on the use of the term ‘emerging’policy issues and whether or not it is the correct term for all issues currently designated as such. Severalparticipants indicated that, in general, there was a feeling that the current attention on emerging policy issues and how they are currently addressed in the Strategic Approach context may be crowding out other important aspects of achieving the SAICM 2020 goal, such as elements needed to address basic chemicals management needs.
In closing this agenda item, the chair noted progress has been made in many areas currently described as emerging policy issues thanks to the Strategic Approach. She thanked those involved with the emerging policy issues for the commitment to Strategic Approach implementation and proposed that information continue to be shared to promote progress. She noted that the issue of whether all of the emerging policy issues could really be considered “emerging” remains and that further reflection of this could be discussed at the second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG2) to be held in December 2014.

(b) Financing the implementation of the Strategic Approach