Technical Briefings - 2020 / 2021

As set out in resolution IV/4 of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM), the task of the intersessional process (IP) is to prepare recommendations regarding the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, including consideration for the need to develop measurable objectives in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ms. Gertrud Sahler, ICCM5 President and Ms. Judith Torres and Mr. David Morin, the IP Co-chairs are happy to invite SAICM focal points and other stakeholders to the First Technical Briefing: Welcome and overview with the ICCM5 President and Intersessional Process (IP) Co-chairs. This will be the opportunity to explain the process to stakeholders on how the virtual work will help continue the dialogue and keep up momentum towards agreement on the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste (SMCW) beyond 2020, including the launch of four virtual working groups and to explain how the virtual work to prepare for IP4 and ICCM5 will advance.

The First Technical Briefing took place on Thursday, 22 October 2020. The duration of the technical briefing was 2 hours allowing time for questions/answers. To accommodate participants from different time zones, we conducted the First Technical Briefing twice with the same content on 22 October 2020.

SAICM Technical Briefing: Welcome and overview of next steps for the intersessional process - 22 October 2020

• First session (am): video recording
• Second session (pm): video recording
• Report: FAQs

• Welcome and Overview Presentation

TB 1: List of Participants

Moderator: Ms. Gohar Khojayan, Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment

Presenters: Mr. David Azoulay, Center for International Environmental Law and Mr. Joe DiGangi, IPEN

Description: The integrated approach to financing contains three pillars that form the foundation of the current Beyond 2020 negotiations on financing: mainstreaming, industry involvement and dedicated external finance. However, as noted in a recent UNEP evaluation (SAICM/IP.3/INF/5), the industry involvement part of the integrated approach has not yet been operationalized. As noted in the evaluation, “…the integrated approach calls for governments to establish legislation which clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of government and industry, including in the use of economic instruments. It also calls for industry to internalize the cost of meeting national chemicals and waste standards.”

CIEL and IPEN have a tangible proposal to finance chemical safety actions by having governments implement a coordinated tax or fee on chemical producers that make feedstock chemicals. If fully implemented, this plan could generate significant funds annually. There will be a brief presentation with adequate time to take questions and hear your feedback.

To accommodate a maximum number of participants, two identical online sessions of the Technical Briefing Financing the sound management of chemicals and waste Beyond 2020: A coordinated tax or fee on the chemical industry were run on Monday 9 November 2020.

• Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals (full report)
• Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals (Executive Summary)
• FAQ: Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals

SAICM Technical Briefing: Financing the sound management of chemicals and waste Beyond 2020 - 9 November 2020

• First session (am): Video recording
• Second session (pm): Video recording

• A coordinated tax or fee on the chemical industry (CIEL/IPEN)

19 November 2020

Options for strengthening the science-policy interface at the international level for the sound management of chemicals and waste (led by UNEP)

• TB: Options for strengthening the science-policy interface at the international level - 19 November 2020: Video Recording

• Technical Briefing: An assessment of options for strengthening the Science-Policy Interface for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste; 19 November 2020
  UNEP, Jacqueline Alvarez (Presentation 1); Sir Bob Watson (Presentation 2)

A Technical Briefing on UNEP’s Assessment Report on Issues of Concern: Chemicals and Waste Issues Posing Risks to Human Health and the Environment will be organized and presented by UNEP.

Date: Thursday, 26 November 2020 - Webex Registration
Time: 14:00 Geneva time (CET)

Description: The Assessment Report on Issues of Concern: Chemicals and Waste Issues Posing Risks to Human Health and the Environment aims at informing the international community about the current situation of specific issues of concern, based on a review of published evidence, in order to support further discussion at UNEA-5 and other international forums working towards sound management of chemicals and waste.

The report assesses the eight emerging policy issues and other issues of concern identified under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM): chemicals in products (CiP), endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants (EPPPs), hazardous substances in the life cycle of electrical and electronic products (HSLEEP), highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), lead in paint, nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials (Nanomaterials), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). It reviews how current regulatory and policy frameworks address them by specific instruments and actions, building on GCO-II findings and highlighting challenges and opportunities

The report also addresses the 11 issues with emerging evidence of risks identified by GCO-II: arsenic, bisphenol A, cadmium, glyphosate, lead, microplastics, neonicotinoids, organotins, phthalates, PAHs and triclosan. It assesses current exposure as well as instruments and actions under current regulatory and policy frameworks, highlighting challenges and opportunities. Background information on environmental or human health effects of the issues are also provided based on existing assessments by national governments and intergovernmental institutions, to raise awareness among governments and stakeholders

A “thought starter” on the identification of issues of concern is presented, including a review of existing approaches, a map of other current relevant initiatives, and considerations of potential areas in which future issues of concern might be identified and possible identification processes. This is followed by an overarching outlook for future international work on issues of concern.

In 2019, UNEA resolution 4/8 on the sound management of chemicals and waste, requested the development of this report.

For more information on chemicals and waste reports being developed by UNEP for UNEA 5 please click here.

• TB: UNEP’s Assessment Report on Issues of Concern - 26 November 2020: Video Recording

The webinar will assist considerations on indicators and reporting for ‘SAICM beyond 2020’ by providing the stakeholder community for this process with examples of how other UN frameworks have met this need.

Purpose of the webinar

To further the development of the SAICM beyond 2020 (SB2020) framework by providing the stakeholder community for this process with:

1. a) a brief overview of progress so far in defining targets and indicators to measure the targets, and outstanding issues for this,
2. b) some relevant examples and lessons from other UN process to develop frameworks with reporting and monitoring mechanisms, including the roles and development of indicators,
3. c) a short opportunity to share their lessons and ideas from the presentations on ways to strengthen the design of the SB2020 framework.

The webinar is organised by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), in co-ordination with the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC), and was supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).  It will be held via Zoom with a morning and afternoon session of the same programme, to accommodate as many time zones as possible, and with interpretation to French and Spanish.  After the presentations in the webinar the participants will be invited to submit responses using the online program Mentimeter, which produces summary graphics of the responses.

Agenda

Learning from other UN frameworks for SAICM ‘Beyond 2020 Indicators’ - Webinar Report

Presentations

Outcomes of the technical working group on targets, indicators and milestones (led by co-chairs of the technical working group)

Tentative date

Outcomes of the governance meeting (led by Governments of Germany, Norway, Switzerland and UNITAR)

Tentative date

Information session on the new International Labour Organization (ILO) legal comparative study on ILO chemical instruments (led by ILO)

Tentative date

Information session on the High Ambition Alliance (led by Governments of Sweden and Uruguay)

Tentative date

Information session on Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) implementation (led by UNITAR)