IFCS 10 INF

Chemical Safety in a Vulnerable WorldIFCS/FORUM-IV/10 INF

Original: English3 November 2003

FORUM IV

Fourth Sessionof the

Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety

Bangkok, Thailand1 – 7 November 2003

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Progress Made on IOMC Capacity Building Activities

Prepared by: IOMC Participating Organizations

For the protection of the environment and reasons of economy, this document is printed in limited number.Delegates are kindly requested to bring their copies to the meeting and not to request additional copies

Secretariat: c/o World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, SwitzerlandTel: +41 (22) 791 3873/3650; Fax: +41 (22) 791 4875; Email: ifcs@who.int; Website: www.ifcs.ch

Report to Forum IV on Progress Made on IOMC Capacity Building Activities

1.0 Introduction:

IOMC Participating Organisations undertake a wide variety of capacity building activities to assist countries with strengthening their capacities and capabilities with regard to sound chemicals management. In follow up to the 3rd session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) (Forum III) in Bahia, Brazil, in October, 2000, the Inter-Organisation Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) committed to report to Forum IV on capacity-building activities of their respective Participating Organisations (P.O.s). This report addresses how and where IOMC P.O.s coordinate their capacity-building activities, focusing on activities related to Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 that are ongoing or new since Forum III convened in October 2000. It also provides a brief overview of other IOMC P.O. capacity building activities under the programme areas of Chapter 19 Agenda 21 of UNCED.

In addition, each IOMC P.O. has developed a series of Activity Profiles outlining their respective programme areas (including capacity building activities). Up-to-date Activity Profiles can be found on the Internet at:http://www.chem.unep.ch/newiomc/ProjReport.asp

Please note that, in the majority of cases, capacity building activities that assist countries in the field of sound chemicals management are subject to extrabudgetary resources.

2.0 IOMC Coordinating Groups:

Some IOMC P.O.s undertake much of their capacity building activities through a number of IOMC Technical Coordinating Groups. These include:

Chemical Accident Prevention      Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers    Assessment of Existing Industrial Chemicals and Pollutants Stocks of Obsolete Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals Persistent Organic Pollutants

These mechanisms provide a regular means for all interested bodies (including government and NGOs as well as the IOMC P.O.s and other IGOs) working in the respective areas to consult with each other on programme plans and activities, and to discuss ways and means of ensuring that the activities are mutually supportive. Activities related to capacity building are also addressed on a subject-specific basis in these coordinating groups. More information regarding the activities of the IOMC Technical Coordinating Groups can be found at http://www.iomc.ch/.

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3.0 Areas of IOMC Participating Organisation Coordination on Capacity Building Issues Outside of IOMC Coordinating Groups

A number of areas of capacity building are being coordinated among P.O.s outside of the IOMC Coordinating Groups. These include, inter alia:

The Globally Harmonised System for Chemicals Classification and Labelling; Risk/Hazard Assessment; Emergency Response; Stockholm Convention; Rotterdam Convention (e.g. UNEP-FAO cooperation as joint secretariat); General Pesticides/Integrated Pest Management; Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers; Heavy Metals; General Infrastructure Building/Integrated Chemicals Management and Other

Capacity Building Activities

The following sections of this paper provide information on these activities, using information provided by individual IOMC organisations, UNDP and the World Bank1.

4.0 Capacity Building Activities of IOMC POs

4.1 Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

ILO

The ILO initiated work on the GHS as a follow-up to the adoption of C.170 (Chemicals) and steered its development under the umbrella of first IPCS and then the IOMC. It was carried out by three focal points, namely the OECD for the harmonization of classification criteria for health and environmental hazards, the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (CETDG) for physical hazards and the ILO for the harmonization of chemical hazard communication (labelling and chemical safety data sheets). Over 200 experts, including employers= and workers= experts, provided technical input in this project until its completion in 2001.

With regard to capacity building issues related to the GHS, ILO works in partnership with UNITAR on a capacity building programme for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and with UNITAR and OECD as core partners in the WSSD Global Partnership on Capacity Building to Implement the GHS.

1 UNDP and the World Bank have both agreed to participate in the IOMC as observers to the IOMC, but are not full Participating Organisations at present. Both organizations agreed to provide information for this paper.

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UNITAR

UNITAR plays a major role in assisting developing countries and countries with economies in transition with training and capacity building activities related to GHS implementation. In response to growing requests from countries for GHS-related capacity building, UNITAR and ILO initiated a Training and Capacity Building Programme for Implementation of the GHS in 2001. Building upon existing initiatives of international organisations, countries and others, the UNITAR/ILO programme provides guidance documents, training materials, expert training and educational, awareness-raising and resource materials regarding the new System. Relevant activities cover topics such as chemical hazards, labelling, safety data sheets (SDSs), as well as related support measures such as legislation, comprehensibility testing, awareness raising, etc. UNITAR/ILO are the designated focal point for capacity building in the UN ECOSOC Subcommittee of Experts on the GHS (SCEGHS). A variety of international- and national-level activities, including country projects on GHS implementation, are included in the programme.

UNITAR, ILO and OECD have also launched a WSSD Global Partnership for Capacity Building to Implement the GHS. The goal of the Partnership is to strengthen capacities at all levels and sectors -- in particular in developing countries -- to ensure a higher degree of chemical labelling and related precautionary measures for industrial chemicals, agricultural chemicals, chemicals in transport and consumer chemicals. Dangerous chemicals traded internationally and produced locally are to be appropriately classified and labelled in accordance with the GHS by the year 2008. In the medium- and long-term, the Partnership is expected to lead to a decrease in environmental and human health related effects attributable to the use of hazardous chemicals. Both the Partnership and the UNITAR/ILO Programme are fully dependent on external sources of funding to meet their goals.

WHO

WHO/PCS is planning a series of capacity-building activities in support of GHS linked to the promotion of utilization of IPCS risk assessment products at country level.

4.2 Risk/Hazard Assessment

UNITAR

A UNITAR Programme on training/skills building for Risk Management Decision Making promotes the development of skills and procedures at the country level relevant to implementing risk management decision-making processes and action plan development for priority chemicals. The programme is implemented through country-based projects during which partner countries choose a priority chemical and develop a risk reduction/elimination strategy for the identified chemical through a process involving all affected and interested parties. It is conducted in co-operation with the International

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Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). In addition to implementing country-based projects by UNITAR, methodologies and guidance documentation developed through the programme have been used and are being considered as background documentation in several international and bi-lateral chemicals management projects. A new guidance document, developed in cooperation with UNEP and IPCS, is available in working draft form for country use. In addition, a Netherlands-supported project in Ghana is currently under way.

WHO

In 2000, 2001, and 2002, WHO/PCS, in collaboration with the Chulabhorm Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand and with funding from UNDP, has held Regional Training Courses on Risk Assessment and Management of Toxic Chemicals. Objectives of the training course were twofold: (i) to increase capacity on risk assessment and risk management for countries of South-East Asia; and (ii) to educate graduate students as part of their Master program. It is envisaged continuing with this training course in subsequent years. In addition, a similar but national course is planned to be held in 2003 for Vietnam.

World Bank

One of the Bank’s safeguard policies is environmental assessment (EA) and the Bank is thus obligated to ensure that the potential risks associated with projects receiving Bank financing are assessed. The Bank is committed to using the EA process as a means for strengthening environmental institutions and local capability to handle environmental concerns, as assessments are done by the client. With bilateral assistance, the Bank has linked capacity building activities for developing or enhancing environmental focal points in client countries to the development of specific projects to ensure that the projects, but more importantly future activities, could be supported by the government. The results of such as activities (stronger legal frameworks, guidelines for EAs, capacity for coordination between agencies, etc.) provides the base for other types of risk assessments.

4.3 Emergency Response (including Poison Control)

UNITAR

As part of a UNITAR/IOMC country project on integrated chemicals management, UNITAR and WHO/IPCS have cooperated closely to assist Senegal in developing and implementing a detailed Action Plan for the launching of a poison control centre. Efforts to procure resources to assist in the development of a centre continue to-date. As part of the same programme, UNITAR has also worked with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to assist Ecuador in the development of an Action Plan designed to

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expand an existing chemicals-related emergency response system in several Ecuadorian cities to a nationwide network.

WHO

During 2000-2003, WHO has undertaken several national activities with the aim of establishing and developing poisons centres in the Bahamas, Trinidad, Ghana, Myanmar, Senegal, and Lebanon. In addition, two Regional meetings have taken place for anglophone Caribbean countries. The target group of these activities were representatives of Ministries of Health and other health sectors. The main objectives were to raise awareness of the role of poisons centres in chemical safety programs; to advise on the establishment of poisons centres; and to review progress in poisons centres development.

During 2000-2003, WHO/IPCS has provided five global, regional, and national training courses in Germany (global), Russian Federation (national; including CIS countries), Thailand (regional), Trinidad and Tobago (regional), and UK (global). Training courses were mainly targeted at professionals of the health and related sectors as well as users of the INTOX Data Management System. The main objectives were to pursue training in the use of the INTOX Data Management System. During 2000-2003, WHO/IPCS has intensified the provision of information via the INCHEM website. This being free-of-charge to the end-user. Twenty-five poisons centres have been provided with subscription to the INTOX databank, providing information on diagnosis and management of poisoning and on poisons centre operations. Thirteen poisons centres have been provided with subscriptions to the INTOX Data Management System. Since July 2003, internet access to the INTOX Databank has become free-of-charge to the end-user.

WHO/IPCS has established a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for the Public Health Management of Chemical Incidents. The role of the WHO CC is to develop training materials and to run training courses for chemical incident and emergency preparedness and response.

WHO/IPCS, in collaboration with the WHO Communicable Disease Cluster, has developed guidance and training materials to assist countries in enhancing preparedness and response to the potential use of chemical and biological weapons to cause harm. In addition, WHO has responded to requests by countries to provide technical assistance on national CBW preparedness and response.

WHO/IPCS, in collaboration with the WHO Department for Emergency and Humanitarian Action, has developed training material on the health aspects of chemical releases caused by deliberate acts. The material has been developed for the UN Disaster Management Training Program with funding from UNDP. The material is targeted at emergency managers in the field. The objectives are to raise awareness of the risks posed

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by chemical weapons, to improve the responds to the public health needs, and to strengthen coordination of these activities.

4.4 Stockholm Convention

As the principal entity of the financial mechanism, on an interim basis, of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved a new window for financial support for the Convention in October 2002. The GEF has allocated 250 million USD for 2002-2006. This is expected to yield considerable co-financing. Altogether this represents an unprecedented level of financial support for chemicals management related activities.

FAO

FAO has continued to support mostly African countries in the identification, elimination and prevention of obsolete pesticide stockpiles through the provision of technical guidance, training and technical assistance. FAO is also the lead technical agency in the development of the GEF supported Africa Stockpiles Programme and has coordinated the formulation of projects for 6 prioritised countries in phase 1 of the ASP. The objective of the ASP is to eliminate and prevent obsolete pesticides in all African countries and FAO will provide technical support throughout the programme. For more information please see: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/

UNEP

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Creating awareness of the POPs issue, the Convention, its provisions and implementation action: Workshops have been held in all regions to raise awareness of the Convention, its provisions and implementation action. An objective has been encouraging and facilitating early ratification of the Convention. 141 countries participated - 30 of those countries signed the Convention, 10 ratified or acceded to the Convention. Projects to assist civil society to improve public understanding of the Stockholm Convention on POPs, and support for its ratification by countries, have been undertaken in Russia and the South Pacific.

Assisting countries in developing their National Implementation Plans: UNEP is assisting 54 countries to develop their National Implementation Plans (NIPs) as required under Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention. The support to countries extends from the awareness raising about the NIPs and the Financial Mechanism, through development of the proposal to the Financial Mechanism for funding, training of personnel in various aspects of the NIP (eg, developing inventories for dioxin and furans, PCBs and stocks of obsolete and unwanted pesticides) to the provision of technical and other support in actually developing the NIPs.

Specific issues under the Convention: Countries are required to manage PCBs, POPs pesticides and dioxins and furans. Workshops have been held in all regions to train personnel in the use of the Toolkit developed by UNEP Chemicals to assist countries in preparing inventories of dioxin and furans. D/F inventories have been completed in five SE Asian countries, and 3 will be completed in Latin America in 2003. Latin American countries have been assisted in understanding the principles of Best Available Techniques (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP), as applied by the Stockholm Convention, through a workshop in Buenos Aires. Further workshops in the other regions are planned for 2004. PCB management projects have been supported in Russia, Ukraine, SADC countries in Africa, and Central America. A series of workshops has been held in regions to promote sustainable alternative approaches in pest and vector control (especially through the application of integrated pest and vector management), identify needs in managing and preventing further accumulation of obsolete stockpiles and waste; and promote collaboration between sectors on these issues. A project in Sri Lanka is studying the feasibility of integrating disease-vector management into community-based IPM training in agricultural systems. UNEP supported the program of obsolete pesticide and PCB clean-up in the SPREP countries. Further projects on managing obsolete pesticides are underway in Russia and the Caribbean countries, and UNEP is actively supporting the Africa Stockpile Project. The issue of liability and redress in the context of the Convention was explored at a workshop of experts in Vienna in 2002.

Guidance Material: Guidance material was prepared to assist countries in a range of areas. Subjects covered include:

Alternatives to POPs pesticides (jointly with FAO and WHO) PCB inventories, management and disposal Preparation of National Implementation Plans (NIPs) Dioxin and furan inventories (the Toolkit)

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Wastes

UNEP also maintained its clearing house on POPs, providing access to information via internet, other electronic means and hard copy.

Strengthening institutional structure: UNEP has maintained its clearing house on POPs, providing access to legal, technical, scientific and policy information relating to the sound management of chemicals through the internet, other electronic means, and hard copy. UNEP has also initiated a project to catalyse the development of a global network for the monitoring of POPs in the environment to support the effectiveness evaluation of the Stockholm Convention according to Article 16. Guidelines on different aspects of monitoring for implementing the programme will be developed for national and regional programmes.

GEF projects related to POPs: Major projects undertaken or are ongoing with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) include:

Assessment and Mitigation of Threats to Vulnerable Populations - Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS), Food Security and Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North

Reducing Pesticide Runoff to the Caribbean Sea - Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua

Reducing Reliance on Agricultural Pesticide Use and Establishing a Community Based Pollution Prevention System in the Senegal and Niger River Basins - Niger, Senegal

Prevention of Human and Environmental Exposure to DDT and other Toxic Pesticides and Strengthening of Malaria Control Programmes in Africa - Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland

Regional Program of Action and Demonstration of Sustainable Alternatives to DDT for Malaria Vector Control in Mexico and Central America

Regionally-based Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances

UNIDO

UNIDO is a GEF Executing Agency with Expanded Opportunities for the purposes of the Stockholm Convention. Some 38 Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plans have been approved by the GEF for development in countries with UNIDO as the EA: 36 of which are enabling activities and 2 of which are full projects (China and India). At present, the Czech Republic has completed a draft of its National Implementation Plan.

A GEF Project Brief has been approved for global programme to demonstrate non – combustion technologies for the destruction of PCBs and other POPs. Activities related to the project have been approved at the country level for Slovakia. In addition a global POPs NGO capacity building Medium Sized Project has been approved by GEF. The project, which is executed on behalf of the International POPs Elimination Network by the Environmental Health Fund – will be implemented in 40 developing countries and countries in economic transition.

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UNITAR

UNITAR supports Stockholm Convention implementation by providing technical assistance to countries for National Implementation Plan (NIP) development, including co-execution of NIP projects; National Profile development/updating for NIPs; and Action Plan training/skills building. In close cooperation with UNDP, UNITAR is providing the Union of the Comoros co-execution/technical support for National Implementation Plan development. UNITAR also works with UNEP to provide Stockholm Convention-related support for National Profile development/ updating in 16 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. As part of a UNEP-GEF twelve-country project on NIPs, UNITAR has developed new draft companion guidance designed to assist countries intending to develop or update a National Profile as part of a Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plan (NIP). The document is being tested widely in countries at present. UNITAR is welcoming comments from countries and other interested stakeholders until 31 December 2003, after which a first edition of the document will be made available. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has recommended that countries developing a Stockholm Convention NIP consider developing or updating a comprehensive National Profile as an early activity.

UNDP

As an Implementing Agency of the GEF, through GEF Enabling Activities UNDP is presently assisting over 25 countries in the preparation of their Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plans (NIP). These include: Albania, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Comoros, DPR Korea, El Salvador, Georgia, Guyana, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mauritius, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niue, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Philippines, Samoa, Slovakia, Sudan, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Vietnam. As countries advance in their NIP preparations, UNDP expects to work closely with eligible governments, UN agencies, NGOs and others in the upstream identification, conceptualization and preparation of capacity building and technical assistance projects aimed at assisting countries in the initial implementation of their NIPs.

In accord with the GEF’s strategic priorities for POPs, UNDP’s second area of focus has been on the development of projects which demonstrate technologies and best practices which reduce or eliminate POPs emissions. In partnership with UNIDO and the Environmental Health Fund, UNDP has prepared a global programme aimed at demonstrating non-combustion POPs destruction technologies in several country settings. Initial funding for the program and first project country, Slovakia, was approved at the May 2003 meeting of the GEF Council; preparations are currently underway for similar demonstrations in the Philippines, China and an Africa country. See: http://www.unido.org/en/doc/4880 http://gefweb.org/Documents/Council_Documents/GEF_C21/c21_wp.html (#34)

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UNDP is also partnering with WHO and the NGO Health Care without Harm in the development of a seven country (Philippines, Lebanon, Poland, Argentina, India, Senegal, Vietnam) demonstration project on reducing dioxin and mercury emissions through the improved management of health care waste. The project was recently approved for entry into the GEF pipeline and project preparation is underway.

Finally, UNDP is partnering with UNITAR in the preparation of a capacity building medium-sized GEF project entitled “Action Plan Training/Skills Building for 25 Least Developed Countries to assist with National Implementation Plan Development under the Stockholm Convention”. The overall goal of the project is to provide national-level training, technical and financial support to 25 LDCs that have signed or acceded to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants to develop/strengthen skills to undertake project planning, including Action Plan development.

For additional information on UNDP Stockholm Convention activities, see:

http://www.undp.org/gef/undp-gef_focal_areas_of_action/sub_persistent_organic_polutants.html

World Bank

The Bank is assisting clients develop their overall management capacity for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) while addressing Stockholm Convention priority areas, primarily through three mechanisms, the Global Environment Fund (GEF), the Canadian POPs Fund and the Italian POPs Fund. Information dissemination within client countries is also a key objective of the Bank’s assistance through these mechanisms in the early stages of the convention.

GEF: Under the African Stockpiles Program (ASP), the multi-year and multi-partner initiative to eliminate all stockpiles of obsolete pesticides from Africa, a national coordination unit will be set up in all countries implementing a country program. Capacity building for the units will be an integral part of the project and essential for implementation of the later phases of the ASP. This GEF project is also receiving substantial financial and technical support from the private sector and bilateral donor countries.

The Bank is working with Colombia and Moldova (enabling activities) and China, to build capacity for implementing the convention and to develop national implementation plans (NIPs).

Canadian POPs Fund: An initiative is being launched designed to develop capacity

in China to gather PCB inventory information, establish and inspect safe storage sites for PCBs until suitable destruction technology is found, collect environmental samples, work safely with potentially contaminated equipment and sites and assess PCB destruction technologies.

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China will conduct five follow-up workshops to an introductory workshop on POPs and the Stockholm Convention, to further raise awareness among various ministries and selected provinces. The POPs Fund has also enabled development of case studies in the country to inform future policy, such as on the use of POPs to control termites and possible alternative approaches.

A capacity building project to develop a strategic framework and national action plan is planned in order to provide India with a foundation of information and processes to enhance its understanding of and ability to manage POPs and to assist it to meet international commitments for the reduction and elimination of POPs.

In order to raise awareness among decision-makers in developing countries about the obligations of the Stockholm Convention as well as chemicals in general, the POPs Fund will sponsor a workshop to train legislators and parliamentarians in the Philippines.

A capacity building project to develop a strategic framework in Latin America will identify the elements of effective control strategies, articulate and consolidate gains in POPs management, establish better linkages between related regional initiatives and assess areas for cooperation.

Italian POPs Trust Fund: The Italian POPs Fund is providing assistance to China to formulate its NIP under the Stockholm Convention in areas related to PCB disposal and the reduction or elimination of PCB releases.

4.5 Rotterdam Convention

FAO

Several regional training workshops on the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade were organized for Designated National Authorities under the Rotterdam Convention. FAO has actively provided advice and support to Governments to ratify the Rotterdam Convention. The reports of the training workshops may be found on the Rotterdam Convention website www.pic.int

UNEP

Twelve workshops to train Designated National Authorities (DNAs) on the operation of the prior informed consent procedure have been held in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Pacific. Further training workshops are planned.

4.6 General Pesticides/IPM

FAO

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FAO maintains an active programme on capacity building in pesticide management. The basic aim of the programme is to assist Member Countries to control the introduction and use of pesticides, based on accepted pesticide management practices and within the framework of IPM principles, use practices that reduce the risks associated with the use of pesticides, and contribute to a sustainable agriculture.

FAO has provided technical assistance for capacity building in pesticide management and IPM to several countries, including: countries of sub-Saharan Africa; South and Southeast Asia; China; Seychelles and Colombia. Assistance was provided to countries in establishing controls to regulate the range, quality and suitability of pesticide products, addressing their safe handling and use, reducing the risks associated with its use, and encouraging responsible and generally accepted trade practices based on corresponding provisions of the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Control of Pesticides that was revised in 2002.

UNEP

UNEP is collaborating with FAO and WHO to promote alternatives to use of POPs pesticides, particularly through application of integrated pest and vector management. Workshops have been held in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and southern and eastern Africa. Further workshops are planned.

UNIDO

With regard to pesticides-related activities, UNIDO has developed RENPAP – the Regional Network for Clean and Safe Production of Pesticides in Asia and the Pacific Region. To-date, some 17 countries are participating in this full government trust fund project that fosters an array of capacity building activities related to pesticides.

In India UNIDO has developed a project to promote a robust technology in rural communities to prepare their own pesticides based on neem as the active ingredient.

UNITAR

In cooperation with FAO and with financial support from the Government of The Netherlands, UNITAR is assisting Ghana with training and capacity building to operationalise a pesticides registration system.

WHO

WHO/IPCS, jointly with PAHO, organized a regional meeting on Women’s Health and Exposure to Chemicals in Nicaragua. The meeting was aimed at professionals from the health, environment, agriculture, social and research sectors in Nicaragua and surrounding countries. The objectives of the meeting were to raise awareness on exposure

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to chemicals, especially pesticides, throughout women’s life-cycle and on specific effects on women’s health.

In 2003, WHO/IPCS organized, jointly with the Tanzanian Tropical Pesticides Research Institute, a regional training course on pesticides in Tanzania. The training course was targeted at health and safety personnel in workplaces dealing with pesticides, including state officials with health and safety responsibilities, primary care occupational health practitioners, policy makers, managers in occupational and environmental health programs in SADC (Southern African Development Community). Fifteen participants from Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, South Africa and Tanzania attended the course. The objective of the course was to provide participants with an understanding of the most important strategies available for the mitigation of pesticide-related morbidity and mortality.

The University of Michigan Fogarty International Centre and the University of Cape Town have become collaborating institutions to assist the further development of environmental and occupational health infrastructure and human resources in Southern Africa, with a particular emphasis on improving research training and capacities on pesticides.

World Bank

The majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas and consequently, rural development has been considered to be of high priority by the Bank since the early 1970s. The Bank promotes sustainable agriculture and is involved in assisting countries design agricultural programs with a variety of approaches towards pest management. Through its in-house expertise and partners, such as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which represents a network of research centres, the Bank assists clients develop environmentally-friendly approaches to agriculture. It also increasingly encourages client country investment in agricultural research, education, and extension in the context of holistic agricultural knowledge and information systems. For example, a recently funded activity by the Canadian POPs Fund, will assist India to better coordinate the work of the various centres of expertise dealing with pesticides in the country.

4.7 Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers

UNEP

Awareness raising and training workshops on the potential of PRTRs and their implementation have been held in several regions in Russia and Latin America. Further workshops and projects are planned for 2004.

UNIDO

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UNIDO promotes the development of Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers in countries through the activities of over 30 Cleaner Production Centres worldwide.

UNITAR

The UNITAR PRTR Training and Capacity Building Programme assists countries in the design and implementation of national PRTR systems through multi-stakeholder processes. UNITAR supports training and capacity building projects focusing on PRTR design in Chile and Ecuador, funded by Environment Canada and USEPA. It is executed in cooperation with other IOMC Participating Organisations, including UNEP Chemicals. UNITAR also participates in a number of UNEP-led regional workshops on PRTR in the Americas, including a June 2003 workshop in Brazil, and a planned December 2003 workshop in Costa Rica. Key documents relating to PRTR design and implementation can now be accessed through the UNITAR PRTR Virtual Capacity Building Library, which has been developed in collaboration with the IOMC PRTR Coordinating Group. A new online tool – a PRTR "Virtual Classroom" – is currently being developed by UNITAR to assist countries in developing national PRTR systems. The Classroom - which is to be fully operational in 2004, features a number of functions, including: document posting and exchange; the virtual PRTR library; discussion boards; email lists; a calendar of events; and a listing of relevant websites.

4.8 Heavy Metals

UNEP

UNEP undertook a major global assessment of mercury and its compounds. A major program has been initiated to develop and/or strengthen the capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to address the threats posed by mercury, by, inter alia:

identifying exposed populations and ecosystems, evaluating and quantifying national uses and releases of mercury, prioritizing national needs to address mercury pollution and identifying and implementing measures to reduce uses and releases of mercury, as

appropriateThe program will include awareness raising workshops in 8 sub-regions, the development of training materials and toolkits as appropriate, implementation of 8 pilot projects, one in each region/sub-region, and the publication of a report summarizing experience gained within the various pilot projects

UNIDO

UNIDO executes a Global Mercury Project focusing on mercury use in artisanal gold mining covering 8 countries to eliminate mercury use or introduce for use a closed

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system (see “UNDP”, below). UNIDO also executes a project in Bangladesh with the goal of providing a robust technology to filter out arsenic from drinking water.

UNDP

In cooperation with UNIDO, UNDP-GEF is implementing a $7 million global GEF project entitled “Removal of Barriers to the Introduction of Cleaner Artisanal Gold Mining and Extraction Technologies (Global Mercury Project)”. The objective of the Project is to assist a pilot suite of developing countries (Brazil, Laos, Tanzania, Sudan, Indonesia, Zimbabwe) located in several key transboundary river/lake basins in assessing the extent of pollution from current activities, introduce cleaner gold mining and extraction technology which minimize or eliminate mercury releases and develop capacity and regulatory mechanisms that will enable the sector to minimize negative environmental impacts. For further information see:http://www.globalmercuryforum.org/

4.9 General Infrastructure Building/Integrated Chemicals Management and Other Capacity Building Activities

FAO

In November 2002, the Hundred and Twenty-third Session of the FAO Council approved a revised version of the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. The Code establishes voluntary standards of conduct for all public and private entities engaged in or associated with the distribution and use of pesticides. The revised Code promotes practices that minimize potential health and environmental risks associated with the use of pesticides and supports sustainable agricultural development by using pesticides in an effective manner as well as applying IPM strategies. Further information on the Code may be obtained at:http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/pesticid/

ILO

The IPCS International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC): The ICSC project was developed in 1984 in the context of co-operation between the IPCS and the European Union. Funding is provided by WHO, the EU and the ILO. The project is currently managed by the ILO on behalf of IPCS. The ICSCs summarize essential health and safety information on chemical substances in a clear way and are intended for use at the shop-floor level by workers, and by those responsible for workplace safety and health. To a large extent, the information provided in the ICSCs conforms to the provisions in C.170 and R.177 related to Chemical Safety Data Sheets. The ICSCs are designed to serve as an international reference with respect to chemical safety information and are therefore prepared through an ongoing process of drafting and peer-reviewing by scientists from

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specialized institutions designated by the Member States who contribute to the work of the IPCS. This process takes also account of the advice and comments provided by manufacturers, workers' and employers' organizations and other specialized institutions. A large number of national institutions are involved in the translation of the ICSCs into different languages. Currently about 1300 ICSCs are available free of charge on the Internet in 16 languages, including Chinese English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese. A measure of the impact and usefulness of the ICSCs is given by the number of ICSCs downloaded from the Internet, which is estimated to be over 1.5 million per year.

OECD

The OECD capacity building work in the strictest sense focuses on the implementation of the 1997 Council Decision on the Adherence on Non-Member countries to Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD). South Africa is now a full member of the MAD system, Slovenia is expected to be a full member very soon; India, Israel and Slovenia are provisional members; with a number of other countries discussions about provisional adherence are ongoing and are in different stages.

OECD works with the countries which want to become a full participant in the MAD system to assist them in building capacity with respect to setting up Inspectorates for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). OECD also gives international training courses for GLP Inspectors

OECD makes all of our materials available to the public and thus to developing countries via publications and the web site. We invite non member countries through UNEP-IPCS-IFCS to comment on the draft assessment reports for High Production Volume chemicals, and to take part in meetings in which these chemicals are co-operatively assessed. Selected non member countries are invited to take part in many of the OECD workshops and training courses.

UNEP

Other UNEP capacity building related activities include:

Workshops on PIC/POPs/Basel/Waigani/Bamako Conventions, Chemicals Information Exchange Network (CIEN), Customs training, and Strengthening of chemicals management capability, especially in Latin America

(PRTR), Africa (CIEN) and Russia (CIP).

UNIDO

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With regard to Montreal Protocol implementation, UNIDO has executed/is executing over 800 projects to-date in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. All of these projects have significant capacity building components.

UNIDO, in cooperation with UNEP, also runs over 30 Cleaner Production Centres worldwide. These Centres undertake a wide variety of capacity building-related projects in selected industrial sectors, including, inter alia, the following sectors: food; textiles; leather; pulp and paper; chemicals production; and the petroleum industry.

UNITAR

To assist countries in their efforts to develop integrated and co-ordinated national-level approaches to safe chemicals management, UNITAR offers a variety of programmes - all related to integrated chemicals, with a recent expansion of focus on waste management issues as well. The following programmes contribute to assisting countries with developing integrated programmes for sound chemicals and waste management:

The UNITAR/IOMC Programme to Facilitate the Preparation of National Chemicals Management Profiles assists countries in assessing their existing legal, institutional, administrative, and technical infrastructures for the sound management of chemicals, following the UNITAR/IOMC National Profile Guidance Document. Since 2000, an estimated 30 countries have prepared/are preparing National Profiles. To-date a total of 70 National Profiles have been completed world-wide. 15 additional countries will be supported through a European Commission-supported project in 2004.

The UNITAR/IOMC Programme to Assist Countries in Organising National Priority Setting Workshops assists countries in taking the next step following the preparation of a comprehensive National Profile, i.e. to set priorities for strengthening specific aspects of national chemicals management. Some 16 countries have undertaken formal priority-setting exercises with UNITAR assistance to-date. 15 additional countries will be supported through a European Commission-supported project in 2004.

The UNITAR/IOMC Training and Capacity Building Programme to Assist Countries in Action Plan Development (Skills Building) supports countries in achieving their priorities through the development of precise goals, planned activities, indicators of success, suggested implementation mechanisms, as well as financial and human resource needs.  Since 2000 UNITAR has assisted 4 countries with Action Plan development.

Country Projects to Assist Countries in Developing and Sustaining Integrated National Programmes for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Wastes assists with the establishment of a formalised national platform through which integrated and co-ordinated action on safe chemicals management can be achieved. To-date, some 7 countries have completed country projects (3 since 2000). Three pilot projects will be supported in 2004-2005 to establish/strengthen a collaborative national framework for effective and co-ordinated actions to address national

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chemicals and waste management, including co-ordinated implementation of international chemicals and wastes-related agreements.

Since 2000, UNITAR has convened, with a number of partner organisations including the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 3 Thematic Workshops on Priority Topics of National Chemicals Management Capacity Building

UNITAR acts as Lead Sponsor for two services of the Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound Management of Chemicals (INFOCAP)

WHO

WHO/IPCS continues to apply its policy of regional balance in selecting experts to participate in committees convened to develop internationally-agreed assessments of the risks of chemicals, and to develop internationally-agreed methods for undertaking such assessments. This results in the selection of experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, thereby facilitating application of the methods and assessments in those countries.

WHO/IPCS, jointly with the WHO Regional Office for Africa and in cooperation with IOMC POs, organized the Conference on Chemical Safety in Africa: Preparing the Health Sector for the Challenges of the 21st Century, July 2001, Cape Town, South Africa. The conference was regional in scope and targeted at health sector representatives from 19 African countries. The objectives of the conference were to raise awareness within the health sector about commitments made at IFCS Forum III and about the role of the health sector in achieving these commitments; to identify specific topics of relevance for the health sector, and actions that could be taken by the health sector; to develop a framework within which health authorities could begin to plan, or to strengthen existing plans, for responding to the chemical safety issues affecting the health of their populations.

World Bank

The Bank became involved in assisting countries strengthen their capabilities to manage chemicals through its role as an implementing agency under the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MP). Through national ozone depleting substances (ODS) phaseout plans, the Bank works closely with the client to identify capacity needs, and measures to build capacity while project implementation proceeds are integral to the plans. Because the country executes the plan, close coordination between government agencies to develop sector strategies, terms of references, legislation and policies, and monitoring and reporting systems is required. Several national ozone units in Bank client countries have successfully embraced the basic concept of national plans and have engaged other government agencies to become proactive in the phase out of chemicals they are ultimately responsible for, be it methyl bromide or CTC, through import quotas, consumption bans and other policy measures alongside industry

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conversions. Lessons learned in national ODS phaseout plans are more recently being applied to help countries develop national implementation plans for the Stockholm Convention.

Other than in national ODS phaseout plans, capacity building activities are very much a part of individual projects under the Bank’s MP program. Through Bank ODS conversion projects, approximately 500 enterprises around the world have received training for selecting environmentally-friendlier alternatives and in the safe use of chemical alternatives to ODS. Bank financial intermediaries (FIs), national entities charged in handling day-to-day ODS project activities and paid by the Bank to do so under its policy of “national execution,” have also seen an increase in capacity in the last decade. These FIs have received training over the years in technical appraisals, procurement, monitoring and reporting. The spillover effect for some FIs is notable. For example, it led LandBank of the Philippines to revise its mission statement to ensure that its services enhanced the environment and to train its regional staff on integrating environmental management in credit processing. This in-country knowledge is a foundation for future related activities.

Waste Management: Through its Pollution Prevention Handbook, the Bank provides its clients with guidelines covering approximately forty industries (from electronics to pesticide manufacturing) on how to reduce pollution emissions as well as key lessons-learned in pollution and waste management and examples of best practices for policy implementation. The handbook is currently being updated by the Bank.

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