Plenary: FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF A SAICM

Above photo L-R: SAICM PrepCom President Viveka Bohn (center), assisted by UNEP Chemical's Muhammed Omotola, Matthew Gubb, and John Buccini. 
 

On capacity building, BRAZIL, stressed the difference between capacity, resources and development, saying they should be considered under separate subheadings. Above photo: Marco Cabral (Brazil)

EGYPT, said a separate heading for financial considerations would reflect the importance of financing. Above photo L-R: Mootaz Khalil and Tarek Eid El Ruby (Egypt)

The US said financial considerations is more acceptable and covers a wider range of possibilities. Above photo: Robert Ford (US)

ZAMBIA proposed that financial considerations be an independent sixth heading and not a subheading under the objectives. Above photo: Nesiku Munyind (Zambia)

SWITZERLAND said ensuring adequate financial resources to implement the goals of SAICM should also be included under objectives. Above photo: Franz Xaver Perrez (Switzerland)

COLOMBIA proposed leaving capacity building as a subheading under objectives, and adding a new heading on financial considerations. Above photo: Adriana Mendoza (Colombia)

CANADA said financial issues relate to implementation, and suggested discussions on finance continue after concrete actions are discussed. Above photo: John Mundy (Canada)

ZIMBABWE said the objectives are based on national priority issues. Above photo: Ndatenda Mondoh (Zimbabwe)

AUSTRALIA urged moving forward to substantive discussion with a flexible matrix structure to incorporate arising issues. Above photo: Mark Hyman (Australia)

CHINA suggested including a reference on promoting the goals of other international agreements on chemicals management in the objectives. Above photo: Cheng Weixue (China)

The RUSSIAN FEDERATION called for a harmonization of definitions of risk, and drew attention to the lack of accessible databases on the toxicity of chemicals. Above photo: Boris Kuryandskiy (The Russian Federation)

The PHILIPPINES said the statement of needs should address national and regional coordination. Above photo: Desiree Narvaez (The Philippines)

ALGERIA called for a strategic approach to assist developing countries and economies in transition to compile updated lists of chemicals, and, inter alia, maintain registers. Above photo: Kouri Fateh (Algeria)

Above photo L-R: The dais of the Contact Group on Measures with Craig Boljkovac (UNITAR), Bill Murray (FAO), Chair Jamidou Katima (Tanzania) and  Wanda Hoskin, Rapporteur (Canada)
 

Left photo: A drafting group chaired by Jean-Louis Wallace (Canada) (left) met in the afternoon to discuss the scope of SAICM.
Right photo: View of the drafting group on Scope

Participants met in a side event on the "Development of Integrated National Programmes for Sound Chemicals Management" and its relevance to the SAICM process, organized by UNITAR and its international partners. The objective of the event was to brief participants on the concept of integrated national programs (INP), and to share the experience gained by countries participating in pilot projects supported by UNITAR/IOMC, with  financial assistance from the Swiss government. The countries that presented their experience were Jamaica, Armenia, and Sri Lanka.