UNEP Chemicals Newsletter
Vol 1, No.1
January 1997
United Nations Environment Programme
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UNEP Chemicals Newsletter |
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Vol 1, No.1 |
January 1997 |
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(To get the original WinWord file of this document, click here)
From the DirectorI am pleased to introduce a new, revised Bulletin from UNEP/Chemicals. Many of you will recall the IRPTC Bulletin, which we used to issue regularly. Because of resource constraints, it was unfortunately necessary to discontinue such a comprehensive report. We hope that you will find this shorter, but more timely report on UNEP's chemicals-related activities useful in keeping you informed. Twice annually, we will provide you with a short update of the activities of UNEP Chemicals. You will find in this edition, status reports on the negotiations for a legally binding instruments on Prior Informed Consent (PIC), as well as the activities underway to address the global issues of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). You will be informed of other initiatives, such as international activities to advance pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) and efforts to promote the exchange of information on toxic chemicals, and to assist countries in building national capacities for the sound management of chemicals. And we will provide regular updates of chemicals related meetings and reports, as well as the establishment of information clearinghouses and Internet sites dealing with chemicals. Many of you will note the change in our name from the International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) to UNEP Chemicals. Please be assured that we still maintain a register of toxic effects of chemicals, and that IRPTC is a component of UNEP Chemicals. But in the recent years we have seen an expansion in the focus of our activities from maintaining a register to catalysing global actions on chemicals through the PIC and POPs work, as well as a broader role in helping governments obtain information on chemicals and assisting in chemical capacity building work. The name change is not wishful thinking, but reflects a substantive change in the focus of our work. I hope this Bulletin helps keep you informed of new activities of interest to you in international chemicals matters, If you would like any more information on the work of UNEP Chemicals on any of the activities described here, or on other aspects of chemical safety, please do not hesitate to contact us. James B. Willis, Director
International Negotiations on PIC Moves Closer to Trade Agreement on Chemicals and PesticidesBoth FAO and UNEP have mandates from their governing bodies to convene negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument on Prior Informed Consent (PIC). Two negotiating sessions have been held so far, and a third is scheduled for early 1997. The Governing Council also called upon Governments to provide the necessary financial and technical resources to enable the full and effective functioning of the negotiations, in particular the participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
In May 1995 the UNEP Governing Council, by decision 18/12, authorised UNEP to facilitate the negotiation of a global legally binding instrument for the implementation of the PIC procedure, together with FAO and indicated that a diplomatic conference for the purpose of adopting and signing such an instrument should be convened, preferably in 1997. The Governing Council also called upon Governments to provide the necessary financial and technical resources to enable the full and effective functioning of the negotiations, in particular the participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The 1st session of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was held in Brussels, Belgium, from 11-15 March 1996, hosted by the Belgian Government and with about 80 governments attending. The 2nd session of the Committee took place at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi from 16-20 September 1996. At this session 86 governments attended. The Committee has made considerable progress on the Articles of a draft convention text, but it is likely that two additional sessions will be necessary to address the remaining Articles. Attention has been given to the process for adding chemicals to the PIC procedure and to the dispute provision arrangements. Governments are confident that the negotiations will be concluded in 1997. Readers interested in additional information can access the PIC home pages on Internet. See the back page for further details.
In the same decision, the Governing Council also invited UNEP to convene a Government-designated group of experts to consider whether further measures are needed to reduce the risks from a limited number of hazardous chemicals, and requested the Executive Director to report thereon to the Council at its nineteenth session. In April 1996 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Expert Group concentrated its discussions under four broad headings - inadequate capacity of developing countries to manage hazardous chemicals and pesticides safely; safe management of unwanted stocks of pesticides and other chemicals; insufficient information for chemicals management decision-making and action and, possible need to ban or phase out certain chemicals. The Group of Experts adopted a number of recommendations for action for each of the identified problem areas above and these recommendations will be submitted to the UNEP Governing Council for consideration at its nineteenth session (January/February 1997). An Emerging Global Action on POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances which are persistent, bioaccumulate and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment. It is widely accepted that the use of such persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic substances cannot be considered a sustainable practice. However, for different social and economic reasons such substances are still in use and/or released to the environment. With the evidence of long-range transport of these substances to regions where they have never been used or produced and the consequent threats they pose to the environment of the whole globe, the international community has now, at several occasions called for urgent global actions to reduce and eliminate releases of these chemicals. UNEP Governing Council invited in May 1995 the Inter-Organisation Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) to initiate an assessment process on POPs, starting with a list of twelve substances (PCBs, dioxins and furans, aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, chlordane, hexaclorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene, and heptachlor). It further invited the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) to develop, based on the results of the assessment process and the outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt a Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, recommendations and information needed for a possible decision regarding appropriate international action on POPs for consideration by the UNEP Governing Council and the World Health Assembly. In October 1995 an Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs was convened by UNEP on behalf of IOMC, with the responsibility to develop a workplan for consideration by the second Inter-Sessional Group (ISG2) of IFCS. In March 1996, ISG2 approved the proposed outline of work and adopted the UNEP Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs. The IFCS convened in June in Manila, the Philippines, one expert meeting and an open meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group to complete the assessment process, and to develop recommendations on international action for consideration by the 1997 sessions of the UNEP Governing Council and the World Health Assembly. The IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs concluded inter alia that international action, including a global legally binding instrument, is required to reduce the risks to human health and the environment arising from the release of the twelve specified POPs. IFCS recommended that the UNEP Governing Council invite UNEP to prepare for and convene, together with relevant international organisations, an international negotiating committee (INC), with a mandate to prepare an international legally binding instrument for implementing international action, initially beginning with the twelve specified POPs. IFCS further proposed that INC be directed to establish, at its first meeting, an expert group charged with the development of science-based criteria and a procedure for identifying additional POPs as candidates for future international action. The report of the open IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group meeting, which was attended by representatives from 32 countries, 7 intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and 7 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), was distributed to all IFCS participants for review and comments. Responses received from 14 governments, one IGO and 5 NGOs provided overall strong support for the conclusions and recommendations reached. A complementary call for global action on POPs was made in the Declaration of the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, held in Washington in October-November 1995, where governments agreed to act to develop a global, legally binding instrument for the reduction and / or elimination of emissions, discharges and, where appropriate, the elimination of the manufacture and use of the twelve specified POPs.
Building Capacity for Chemicals ManagementIncreasingly, UNEP recognises the need to strengthen the capacities and capabilities of countries, particularly developing countries and countries in transition to identify, assess and reduce risks that chemicals pose to health and the environment. Access to scientific, policy, legal and institutional information, as well as human resource development are crucial to improving national legislation, decision-making and regional/sub-regional co-operation. These steps are essential for environmental protection. Using an analysis of countries priorities as a basis for action, UNEP Chemicals focuses its training programme on strengthening the capacities of countries to handle chemicals management-related issues and policy. The specific aim of this programme is to provide countries with information, tools and methodologies, training and technical assistance for strengthening their national chemicals management systems.
PRTR can help decrease toxic releasesA PRTR is an inventory of releases and transfers of potentially harmful chemicals from industries, and possibly, non-industrial sources such as traffic, agriculture, households and small business. A PRTR provides information on the emission type, location and quantities from both point sources and diffuse sources, of pollutants release to air, water and land, as well as waste transfers off site and treatment. Developed as an international initiative, the concept and name PRTR was an appropriate response to satisfy both the aspects of emissions and chemical wastes transferred off-site. PRTR also promulgates the community-right-to-know concept as everyone has the right to know how chemicals will effect their lives and environment.
For citizens/public, making PRTR data publicly available responds to the concept of community-right-to-know and makes polluters more accountable for their releases to the environment. PRTRs enable and encourage the public to take an active part in the dialogue on environmental protection. As far as the compatibility of national or regional PRTR systems permit, PRTR data can help the international community in identifying global goals in environmental protection and define subsequent policies. For Governments, PRTRs offer a mechanism to obtain an integrated source of information that can be used to define goals and priorities for environmental policies and national pollution reduction programmes. The impact of governmental strategies can be evaluated and adjusted by annual update of the data. For industry, PRTRs provide a global picture of its releases and waste transfers and a means to reduce costs. It may encourage and even trigger voluntary agreements in setting up pollution reduction strategies. The information and data generated by PRTRs can also serve as a communication tool for the industry to improve co-operation with the government and the community.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has played a lead role to co-ordinate actions and focus efforts on pollution reduction, by organising the preparation of a "Guidance to Governments" document for implementation of a national PRTR. The Guidance Manual is published under the responsibility of the Secretary General of the OECD as a follow up to Agenda 21, Chapter 19 and produced within the framework of the IOMC. The Manual was prepared through contributions from governments, especially those of the non-OECD member countries, industry, NGOs and international organisations, as well as the experience of countries involved in a PRTR projects from around the world. UNITAR has helped, initiate and co-ordinate pilot studies in the Czech Republic, Egypt and Mexico. The UNITAR pilot studies have an objective to assist countries to develop, design and implement a national PRTR system. Initial results show that a PRTR can be a first step in developing national environmental action plans, especially in the developing and industrialising countries.
While many countries are not aware of PRTR, others are currently implementing a PRTR or completing or optimising one. A few other countries are considering undertaking the first steps of implementation. In order to promote and facilitate the process of implementation, several governments and international organisations wish to offer a set a services. It would be regrettable if countries that are starting the process could not profit from past experience and elaborated tools, and would therefore have to redevelop the required tools. This explains the involvement of international communities. The growing interest in PRTRs encouraged OECD and its partners to organise two regional workshops on the subject. In June 1996, OECD conducted a workshop in Canberra, Australia for the Asia-Pacific Region. A second OECD Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe and new independent states of the Russian Federation is scheduled in Prague-Pruhonice, Czech Republic in January 1997.
The role of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in promoting pollution prevention, reduction and the use of PRTR in country-based activities, was recognised at an early stage. A project will be launched in South Africa this year to strengthen the role of NGOs in the development and use of the PRTRs and community right-to-know concepts. This activity will be carried out by UNITAR and WWF. UNEP and UNITAR agreed to a partnership to facilitate the design and implementation of national PRTR systems in developing countries and countries in economic transition. The two organisations have already started a process to define their possible contributions towards facilitating the advancement of PRTRs within interested non-OECD countries. Copies of this agreement are available upon request. Recent Publications
The SIDS for High Production Volume (HVP) existing Chemicals publications are developed by the OECD Environmental Health and Safety Division, processed by UNEP/Chemicals (IRPTC). The first 34 dossiers are published in 3 volumes (6 parts) and are available as hardcopy or electronic format from UNEP/Chemicals.
Regulations and Guidelines on Pesticides - An Extract of the IRPTC Databank, contains summaries of legal regulations and recommendations from 10 selected countries and 3 International Organisations available in hardcopy and PC Database version.
The first of a series of publications prepared by UNEP Environmental Law and Institutions (UNEP/ELI). This legislative guidance document targeted legal and technical experts responsible for the development of national legislation on the management of chemicals, especially in the developing countries. Available in hardcopy, (1995). Inventory of Information Sources on Chemicals - Intergovernmental Organisations is an exceptional reference and tool to guide users to international sources in the field of chemicals management. Available in hardcopy, (1996). Inventory of Critical Reviews on Chemicals (ICRC) published jointly by UNEP Chemicals (IRPTC) and the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals ECETOC). The ICRC presents the work of 40 organisations or agencies and contains more that 3, 900 chemicals revised or evaluated by one or more organisations, (August 1996). IOMC Inventory of Activities, Summary Report, First edition, contains in abbreviated format, the activities of the IOMC Participating Organisations and UNITAR that directly support the programme areas of Ch. 19, Agenda 21. It also contains links with other Chapters of Agenda 21, e.g. waste, human health, freshwater and atmosphere, (Dec. 1996). UNEP Chemicals-IRPTC-PC (Data) Update contains more than 6,000 new records on toxicology, fate and ecotoxicology, and evaluations from national and international peer reviewed sources. (Oct. 1996) UNEP Chemicals - Internet Guide ( 1997, in press)
Meeting Calendar
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| For more complete information on PIC, POPs and PRTR, visit one of the Home pages listed below. They will help keep you aware of on important events, current activities, documentation and contacts related to chemicals management Make sure you bookmark these sites before passing on this Newsletter. UNEP/Chemic@ls - ONLINE: Connect and learn more Up-to-date information on fast evolving issues - PIC, POPS, PRTR and major information sources on toxic chemicals are now available world-wide through UNEP/Chemicals Websites, access via home pages:
The UNEP Chemicals Newsletter is produced biannually by UNEP Chemicals in Geneva to
provide an overview of chemicals-related activities of UNEP.The views and opinions
expressed by contributors does not necessarily express the official views of UNEP.
Material contained in the Newsletter may be freely reproduced. with due acknowledgement.
Only the English version of this newsletter is available at this time due to severe
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