CIEL in Dubai for Global Chemical Meetings

Capping a three year process, governments, international organizations, industries, environmental health advocates, and other civil society representatives are meeting at the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in Dubai, February 4-6, 2006. The goal is to adopt an international strategy for minimizing the harmful effects of chemicals on health and the environment by the year 2020. While legally nonbinding, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) represents an important opportunity for developing the capacity of every nation to safely manage chemicals and to bring coherence to the patchwork of national laws, regional agreements, treaties, and other chemical initiatives.

Participants in the ICCM will consider three draft SAICM documents: a high-level declaration, an overarching policy strategy, and a global plan of action. Negotiations were deadlocked at PrepCom3 in Vienna in September 2005 when the United States blocked consensus by demanding wholesale changes to the negotiating texts. Key issues on the table include: financial considerations for effective implementation of SAICM; the relationship between SAICM and international trade or other agreements; and recognition that SAICM, while legally nonbinding, will require effective implementation of national law and other commitments, not voluntary agreements alone.
CIEL has been deeply engaged in the SAICM process, including as an active participant in the International POPs Elimination Network. IPEN. In Dubai CIEL Senior Attorney Glenn Wiser is serving as a lead NGO legal expert. CIEL's Björn Beeler, IPEN International Coordinator, is managing participation from representatives of IPEN's 400 partner organizations.

In addition to the ICCM, CIEL President Daniel Magraw, Jr. is leading a North American delegation to the 7th Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF), which runs concurrently with the ICCM in Dubai. On the agenda this year are three featured issues: tourism, energy and chemicals management. Daryl Ditz, CIEL Senior Policy Advisor, is participating as a chemicals policy expert in the GCSF as well as portions of the ICCM. These twin meetings are immediately followed by the 9th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environmental Forum, where the recommendations on chemicals management can directly influence the UNEP work plan.