FORUM: Environment Commission Sub-Commission 1

QUESTION OF: Measures to mitigate excessive chemical waste in developed nations

SUBMITTER: Nigeria

THE ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION I,

Recognizing the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) as an organization collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to establish a scientific basis for the safe use of both natural and manufactured chemicals and the management of the production, use, transport, and disposal of toxic chemicals,

Emphasizing the importance ofthe Basel Convention as an international treaty that reduces the movement of chemical wastes from More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) to Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), assuring the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes as close as possible to the source of generation,

Noting with regret the numerous negative effects on human health caused by chemical waste ranging from acute poisoning to long term diseases, such as cancer and birth defects as well as the abundance of environmental effects such as sensitive ecosystems and eutrophication of bodies of water caused by chemical contamination,

Further noting with regret the scarcity of disposal facilities in developed nations and therefore the need to target developing nations as “dumping grounds” for chemical wastes,

1.Urges member states to improve the efficiency of chemical waste disposal in ways such as but not limited to:

a)establishing more chemical waste disposal facilities to ensure that chemical waste is dealt with as close as possible to its source of generation

b)requesting corporations to recycle and reuse chemicals by reusing raw materials and other resources that are still viable to produce energy or manufacture goods in order to reduce the output of hazardous wastes

c)informing the public sector of the negative effects of the improper disposal of chemical waste in ways such as but not limited to:

  1. creating and promoting awareness programs such as advertisements within the media to improve awareness of the significant effects of different hazardous wastes amongst the population
  2. including information regarding the proper disposal and treatment of chemical waste, among other relevant topics, within the curriculum of schools in member states

d)encouraging individual households to properly dispose of all types of chemical waste in ways such as but not limited to:

  1. making waste disposal facilities more common and easily accessible by the public
  2. creating a separate waste group for hazardous wastes if it has not been done so already and distributing specific disposal means to households such as specially made containers
  3. requiring all industries that produce consumer goods to properly label their products, notifying consumers of any chemical or hazardous components used in the creation of said product
  4. imposing fines on households that do not properly separate and dispose of chemical wastes;

2.Calls for the creation and installation of the United Nations Chemical Waste Committee (UNCWC) as a sub-committee of the UNEP which would enable all nations to openly, consistently, and frequently discuss matters such as, but not limited to:

a)supplying separate guidelines for MEDCs and LEDCs by revising currently outdated guidelines, such as the grounds of the Basel Convention, that do not comply to contemporary expectations

b)supporting member nations without specific and achievable national environmental plans or agencies to devise them, regardless of the degree of economic development, mainly aiming to establish such plans or agencies and ensuring their sustainability

c)setting forth stronger regulations regarding the installation or implementation of nuclear run power plants or the storage of nuclear energy and monitoring and assisting the initiation when the usage of nuclear energy is necessary,

d)taking heavy national responsibility to safely manage chemical wastes within nations and avoid the movement of hazardous wastes including both exportations and importations between nations;

3.Encourages the creation of an voluntary, independent and legally binding convention named the International Corporate Chemical Waste Regulatory Convention (ICCWRC), with the help of UNCWC, dealing with matters such as but not limited to:

a)setting international standards and regulations for major corporations regarding chemical waste production

b)ensuring that violations of said regulations are properly dealt with by nations in ways;

4.Asks for member states to create federal organizations and monitor existing corporations and ensure the integrity of private companies regarding the management and disposal of chemicals responsible for actions such as but not limited to:

a)sending qualified representatives to industries within member states to perform random inspections without prior notice to ensure that industries are meeting guidelines and regulations set by federal and international organizations

b)creating reports regarding the findings of inspections as previously mentioned in clause 5a and sending said reports to the UNCWC

c)investing in research in order to discover and improve upon different forms of clean, renewable energy to make such sources of energy cheaper and more efficient, thus being more favourable for heavy industries;

5.Requests member states to grant the UNCWC access to perform random inspections within nations to ensure the accuracy of reports and the integrity of federal agencies;

6.Further asks for NGOs such as IPCS and UNEP, among others, to aid member states in managing and dealing with existing problems caused by chemical waste in ways such as but not limited to:

a)providing funds to nations that require financial aid to perform actions such as but not limited to:

i.providing healthcare for citizens with diseases and ailments caused by chemical wastes, with guidance and information provided by WHO

ii.creating clean-up groups that actively work to clean up and dispose of chemical wastes within the environment

b)sending representatives to federal organizations to ensure the integrity of federal organizations;

7.Authorizes the UNCWC to suggest member states to enforce regulations put forth by federal organizations in ways such as but not limited to:

a)presenting corporations that do not abide by guidelines with varying fines depending on their profit

b)temporarily suspending licensing of corporations that repeatedly violate regulations

c)dealing with further violations by bringing corporations to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).