Modern society’s reliance on chemicals makes chemicals production one of the major and most globalized sectors of the world economy. However, the essential economic role of chemicals and their contribution to improved living standards needs to be balanced with recognition of potential costs: heavy use of water and energy in their manufacture and the potential adverse impacts of chemicals on the environment and human health. The diversity and potential severity of such impacts makes sound chemicals management a key cross-cutting issue for sustainable development. 

To address this challenge, in 2006 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a multi-stakeholder policy framework to promote sound chemicals management around the world. SAICM was conceived as the core international forum for achieving a key goal set in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development: by 2020, chemicals would be used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.

With the 2020 deadline in mind, the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) held in September 2015 initiated an intersessional process (IP) to prepare recommendations on the future of SAICM and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, for consideration by the fifth session of the ICCM, originally slated for October 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a two-year postponement of both the IP and ICCM5, although preparatory work continued in “virtual working groups.”

The fourth meeting of the IP, held in Bucharest, Romania from 29 August- 2 September 2022, managed to produce a Co-Chairs’ “single consolidated document” containing recommendations to ICCM5, but full of bracketed text, indicating areas on which consensus has not yet been reached. The resumed meeting of IP4 was tasked with working through this consolidated document to forward clear recommendations to ICCM, which will convene in September 2023. The Co-Chairs suggested a focus on:

• targets;
• mechanisms to support implementation, including capacity building;
• financial considerations; and
• programmatic approach, including issues of concern.

The resumed session was expected to discuss possible names for the new instrument and preparations for ICCM5.