(Geneva) Delegates to the world’s only international forum addressing global and national chemical issues re-committed to take essential actions to fulfill a goal of sound chemicals management by 2020, but allowed the only program funding activities in the most impacted countries to expire. The USD $4 trillion/year chemical industry, which participates in the conference, also failed to offer new funds to pay their fair share for the costs of chemicals management and harm. A very small global levy on the industry of 0.1% would yield more than USD$4 billion/year.
“ICCM4 agreed to take action on some critical toxic chemical issues,” said Olga Speranskaya, Co-chair of IPEN. “However, a five-year funding gap will make it extremely difficult to implement them. This makes the need for funding urgent. Governments, financial institutions, intergovernmental organizations and the chemical industry must each pay their fair share,” she added.
An International Conference on Chemicals Management has agreed on a plan that could prevent the annual deaths of more than one million people exposed to toxic chemicals.
The cost of chemicals and waste management should be borne by business rather than aid funding, a member of the European Commission's delegation told this week's UN chemicals summit, ICCM4.
MANILA (PNA) -- A watchdog group for environmental health and justice has called upon the various sectors, particularly the government and the industry, to rally behind the move by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to uphold the people’s right to live in a toxic-free society.
Summit head says meeting should discuss need for measures after 2020
The president of next week's key UN chemicals summit has said discussions on the sound management of chemicals beyond 2020 have “not been straightforward”, but will be considered at the meeting.
Delegates from more than 100 governments, along with representatives of the chemical industry and public interest groups, will evaluate progress and plan for the future at the only international forum that addresses global and national issues related to sound chemicals management. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
