Summary

Highlights for Wednesday, 3 April 2019

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) awards certificate of recognition to countries committed to eliminating lead paint through joining the SAICM GEF Project.

The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) entered its second day of work at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Wednesday, 3 April 2019. Plenary was held throughout the day, addressing:

progress reports on achieving the 2020 goal of the sound management of chemicals;

updates concerning SAICM's emerging policy issues (EPIs) and other issues of concern, which include: lead in paint; chemicals in products; hazardous substances within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products; nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants; perfluorinated chemicals; and highly hazardous pesticides;

the implementation of the strategy to engage the health sector;

issues regarding the financing of the Strategic Approach; and

planned activities and draft budget of the SAICM Secretariat for the period 2019-2020.

Meeting in parallel were a Contact Group and an informal "Friends of the President" Group. The Contact Group is considering the paper by the Co-Chairs of the Intersessional Process on SAICM beyond 2020, as well as views expressed during plenary, to develop recommendations towards the fifth ICCM (ICCM5) scheduled for 2020. The President's Group is holding informal, closed discussions on the need for an enabling framework beyond 2020, and identifying gaps not filled by SAICM. Both groups are to report on their work to plenary on Thursday.Highlights of the day included:

the indication by many that the Secretariat should not spend resources on a traditional progress report for the 2017-2019 period to present to ICCM5, but instead suggest to the third Intersessional Process meeting later this year options for alternative ways of reporting progress;

the presentation of an EU discussion paper on the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, providing some concrete recommendations that build on the Co-Chairs' Paper;

the submission of a discussion paper by the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), supported by the African Group and many individual governments, on financial considerations, which includes a proposal to create an International Fund to implement the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste;

praise for the World Health Organization's Chemicals Road Map and Global Chemicals and Health Network, with many calling for other organizations in the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) to follow WHO's example in their sectors.

IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3, which is available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil

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