Quick Views for SAICM ICCM5 and IP4.3

The Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) aims to approve a new Beyond 2020 Instrument for the sound management of chemicals and waste. In addition, a resumed meeting of the intersessional process (IP4) will be held to finalize recommendations for ICCM5.

Key outcomes for ICCM5

Without SAICM, no international framework would exist for addressing most of the world’s chemical safety concerns. As the production of chemicals and plastics is expected to continue to dramatically increase, an even more ambitious Beyond 2020 Instrument will be essential to successfully achieve the goal of sound management of chemicals and waste. It is also vital that the Instrument does not contain elements that are weaker or that undermine any other relevant international agreement.

IPEN therefore calls for the ICCM5 to agree on a strong Beyond 2020 Instrument and to agree on more urgent and ambitious resolutions to advance the sound management of chemicals, including:

• Recommitting to preserving a broad scope, including addressing chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle.
• Maintaining a broad definition of issues of concern without specific qualifiers such as “global” or “international” and ensuring that already identified and future issues of concern and emerging policy issues are addressed.
• Incorporating meaningful, measurable, and time-bound targets, indicators, and milestones.
• Promoting continued, measurable progress toward reforming how chemicals are produced and used, to prevent harm to human health and the environment.
• Recommitting to a transparent, open, and inclusive multi-stakeholder and multi- sectoral character and practice and providing for effective collaborations among UN agencies and all stakeholders.
• Securing new and adequate funding for implementation, including promoting cost recovery mechanisms and internalization of externalities based on the “polluter pays” principle.
• Securing immediate action on Highly Hazardous Pesticides through a new “Global Alliance.”
• Agreeing on modalities for an immediate start to implementing the new instrument, including the mobilization of new funding.