SAICM Emerging Policy Issues and Other Issues of Concern

One of the functions of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) as identified in the SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy (paragragh 24.j) is to call for appropriate action on emerging policy issues as they arise and to forge consensus on priorities for cooperative action.

So far resolutions have been adopted on the following eight emerging policy issues and other issues of concern at ICCM2, ICCM3 and / or ICCM4:

• Lead in paint
• Chemicals in products
• Hazardous substance within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products
• Nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants
• Perfluorinated chemicals and the transition to safer alternatives
• Highly hazardous pesticides

The resolutions adopted recognize the policy imperatives to address identified concerns, agree on the actions needed and request specific stakeholders to consider undertaking certain actions.

Future emerging policy issues

An open and transparent procedure is set out in annex to resolution II/4 by the conference which explains the procedures to be followed by the secretariat of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in receiving nominations for emerging policy issues and preparing them for future consideration.

Chemicals Without Concern is the new Knowledge Management Platform of SAICM, where you can learn about SAICM emerging policy issues through resources, reading news and opinion articles, being informed of events around the globe, and exchanging with other people working on the sound management of chemicals and waste. The platform was created within the framework of the SAICM project Chemicals Without Concern – Towards safer products for our environment and health, funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).