Mandates

Lead and cadmium

In 2003, the UNEP Governing Council adopted GC decision 22/4 III, calling upon Governments that had not done so to act urgently to eliminate the use of lead in gasoline, and to act urgently on the commitment of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to phase out lead-based paint and lead in other sources of human exposure, to prevent exposure to lead, in particular children’s exposure to lead, and to strengthen both the monitoring and surveillance and the treatment of lead poisoning. It also appealed to Governments, intergovernmental organizations, including UNEP, non-governmental organizations and civil society for active participation in assisting Governments, through information exchange, technical assistance, capacity-building and funding to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to phase out lead in gasoline, lead-based paint and other sources of human exposure, to prevent exposure to lead and to strengthen efforts in both the monitoring and surveillance and the treatment of lead poisoning.

The UNEP Governing Council, in GC decision 23/9 III reaffirmed its decision GC 22/4 III on lead and requested UNEP to undertake a review of scientific information on lead and cadmium, focusing especially on long-range environmental transport, to inform future discussions on the need for global action in relation to lead and cadmium.  The interim scientific reviews were made available to the Governing Council at its 24th regular session in 2007.  Decision 24/3 III encouraged efforts by Governments and others to reduce risks to human health and the environment of lead and cadmium throughout the whole life cycle of those substances; and requested UNEP to provide available information on lead and cadmium to address the data and information gaps identified in the Interim Reviews, and to compile an inventory of existing risk management measures; with a further report back to the next Governing Council at its 25th regular session in 2009.

Lead in gasoline and other products

In 2001, the Governing Council during its 21st session, emphasizing the importance of accelerating the process of eliminating the unsafe uses of lead, adopted GC decision 21/6 that called upon Governments who had not yet done so to eliminate the use of lead in gasoline. 

In 2003, the Governing Council further adopted GC decision 22/4 III, again calling upon Governments that had not yet done so to act urgently to eliminate the use of lead in gasoline. It also appealed to Governments, intergovernmental organizations, including UNEP, non-governmental organizations and civil society for active participation in assisting Governments, through information exchange, technical assistance, capacity-building and funding to developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to phase out lead in gasoline.

Since 2001, UNEP has played a key role in phasing out leaded gasoline worldwide, one of the specific objectives agreed on at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Together with Governments, the private sector and civil society organizations, UNEP took the lead in developing an action plan for the phase-out of leaded gasoline in Africa , which has contributed to the introduction of clean fuels in the region.  The global Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles for cleaner air in developing countries, launched in September 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development with UNEP as its clearing-house, has prioritized the global phase-out of leaded gasoline, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.