International Programme on Chemical Safety

Health Sector Focus
International Conference on Chemicals Management
Panel members from left to right: Dr Jadamba Tsolmon, Vice Minister of Health, Mongolia; Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and Environment, WHO; Dr Rob Visser, Deputy Director, Environment Directorate, OECD; Professor David Mwakyusa, Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Tanzania; Mrs Elisabet Falemo, State Secretary, Environment Ministry, Sweden; Mr Ben van Beurden, Executive Vice President, Shell Chemicals; Dr Peter Orris, World Federation of Public Health Associations. The session was moderated by Mr Paul Hohnen.

Statement of Dr Maria Neira on the occasion of the high-level round table [pdf 30kb]
Moderators summary from the high-level round table [pdf 22kb]

Health-aspects of the Strategic Approach
Over 700 delegates from Governments, non-governmental, intergovernmental organizations and industry met during the second session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management to review progress with the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). A resolution on the health-aspects of the sound management of chemicals was moved by the Governments of Belarus, Morocco, Panama, Suriname, Thailand and Zambia together with Physicians for Social Responsibility and the World Federation of Public Health Associations. The resolution, endorsed by the Conference as a whole:

* emphasizes the need to fully engage the health sector in national, regional and international SAICM fora; the essential cross-sectoral responsibilities of national focal points; and the importance of regional health and environmental interministerial processes as a springboard for effective intersectoral actions;
* encourages the health sector to take full advantage of SAICM institutional arrangements;
* underlines the need for all stakeholders to assist in the development of resources to permit a greater degree of sectoral balance in representation in SAICM fora and in implementation activities;
* calls on the health sector to actively participate in actions to implement ICCM decisions with respect to identified priority issues and calls on the WHO to intensify its activities in the sound management of chemicals in support of SAICM;
* decides to develop a strategy for strengthening the engagement of the health sector in SAICM’s implementation for the intersessional period and to evaluate it at ICCM3; and
* requests that the outcomes of the Conference regarding human health be considered by the World Health Assembly (WHA).

World Health Assembly resolution on SAICM, 2006 [pdf 16kb]
Report by the World Health Organization to the second session of the ICCM [pdf 127kb]
August 2008: Update on health sector implementation of SAICM [pdf 132kb]
Background on health sector engagement in SAICM
Worker's health and safety, WHA 60.26 (2007) [pdf 31kb]

Health Sector Focus
International Conference on Chemicals Management
Panel members from left to right: Dr Jadamba Tsolmon, Vice Minister of Health, Mongolia; Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and Environment, WHO; Dr Rob Visser, Deputy Director, Environment Directorate, OECD; Professor David Mwakyusa, Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Tanzania; Mrs Elisabet Falemo, State Secretary, Environment Ministry, Sweden; Mr Ben van Beurden, Executive Vice President, Shell Chemicals; Dr Peter Orris, World Federation of Public Health Associations. The session was moderated by Mr Paul Hohnen.

Statement of Dr Maria Neira on the occasion of the high-level round table [pdf 30kb]
Moderators summary from the high-level round table [pdf 22kb]

Health-aspects of the Strategic Approach
Over 700 delegates from Governments, non-governmental, intergovernmental organizations and industry met during the second session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management to review progress with the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). A resolution on the health-aspects of the sound management of chemicals was moved by the Governments of Belarus, Morocco, Panama, Suriname, Thailand and Zambia together with Physicians for Social Responsibility and the World Federation of Public Health Associations. The resolution, endorsed by the Conference as a whole:

* emphasizes the need to fully engage the health sector in national, regional and international SAICM fora; the essential cross-sectoral responsibilities of national focal points; and the importance of regional health and environmental interministerial processes as a springboard for effective intersectoral actions;
* encourages the health sector to take full advantage of SAICM institutional arrangements;
* underlines the need for all stakeholders to assist in the development of resources to permit a greater degree of sectoral balance in representation in SAICM fora and in implementation activities;
* calls on the health sector to actively participate in actions to implement ICCM decisions with respect to identified priority issues and calls on the WHO to intensify its activities in the sound management of chemicals in support of SAICM;
* decides to develop a strategy for strengthening the engagement of the health sector in SAICM’s implementation for the intersessional period and to evaluate it at ICCM3; and
* requests that the outcomes of the Conference regarding human health be considered by the World Health Assembly (WHA).

World Health Assembly resolution on SAICM, 2006 [pdf 16kb]
Report by the World Health Organization to the second session of the ICCM [pdf 127kb]
August 2008: Update on health sector implementation of SAICM [pdf 132kb]
Background on health sector engagement in SAICM
Worker's health and safety, WHA 60.26 (2007) [pdf 31kb]