Event: How to progress SAICM Issues of Concern beyond 2020

At the third meeting of the intersessional process considering the Strategic Approach and sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, a group of NGOs lead by HEJSupport, SSNC, PAN, EEB, Groundwork invited delegates to discuss a new mechanism of action that should help progress SAICM Issues of Concern beyond 2020. This mechanism includes criteria for assessment of how SAICM Emerging Policy Issues and Other Issues of Concern , which we now collectively call Issues of Concern (IoCs), progress.

More than 70 participants took part in the discussion and shared their vision on suggested criteria for elevation of obligations to progress SAICM IoCs in the post 2020 multilateral regime for chemicals and waste.

The overview of the criteria was made by Olga Speranskaya, HEJSupport Co-director. She noted that more ambitious worldwide actions are needed to advance IoC which have not progressed adequately to a level with increased obligations. Instead of sunsetting issues, they should be assessed based on the criteria from Information document on New Mechanism of Action: criteria for elevation of obligations to progress SAICM Issues of Concerns (IoCs) in the post 2020 multilateral regime for chemicals and waste . 

The document was prepared jointly by a HEJSupport, SSNC, PAN and EEB and later endorsed by a large group of national and international NGOs and networks. 

The overview of the proposed criteria were accompanied with short case studies of how the criteria apply to some of the current IoCs, such as Highly Hazardous Pesticides, Chemicals in Products, and Perfluorinated Chemicals. 

Case 1: Application of criteria to Chemicals in Products

This paper shows how the issue of Chemicals in Products meets the suggested criteria for moving IoCs to an increased level of obligation if progress so far has been insufficient. It concludes by highlighting the need for a global system for sharing data and information concerning the chemicals of concern found in international supply chains.

Case 2: Application of criteria to Highly Hazardous Pesticides

The report highlights that the successor to SAICM must secure and support substantial improvements in the work with HHPs, or provide a pathway to recommend that HHPs and international pesticide management in general requires increased obligations from all stakeholders at the international level.

Case 3: Application of criteria to PFAS

The report notes that meeting just one of the nine proposed criteria should be sufficient for moving the issue of PFASs to an increased level of obligation. However, as this paper shows, PFASs as a class meet all nine of the criteria. The paper concludes that it is time to think about how to bring about a global phase-out of all non-essential uses of PFAS. It also provides suggestions for how to start such a phase-out.

Downloads
Information paper: New Mechanism of Action: How to progress SAICM Issues of Concern beyond 2020
Case 1: Application of criteria to chemicals in products
Case 2: Application of criteria to Highly Hazardous Pesticides
Case 3: Application of criteria to PFAS

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