REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON CHEMICAL HAZARD COMMUNICATION AND THE GHS IMPLEMENTATION FOR COUNTRIES OF THE ECOWAS REGION ABUJA,NIGERIA MAY 2008 COUNTRY PRESENTATION ON COUNTRY PRESENTATION ON GHS CAPACITY LIBERIA

INTRODUCTION LIBERIA STARTED RELATING TO THE GHS IN SEPTEMBER 2006 WHEN A QUESTIONAIRE SENT BY UNITAR/ILO WAS ANSWERED AND RESENT TO UNITAR. THE AIM OF THE EXERCISE WAS TO SEEK THE SUPPORT OF UNITAR/ILO IN BUILDING CAPACITIES FOR GHS IMPLEMENTATION. NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED.

INTRODUCTION CONT. LIBERIA IS AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT STARTED THE PROCESS OF GHS IMPLEMENTATION. THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES THAT WERE SCHEDULED IN THE QUESTIONAIRE WERE NOT HONOURED. THESE SECTORS WERE IDENTIFIED FOR GHS IMPLEMENTATION. NAMELY

INTRODUCTION CONT. Agriculture, Consumer, Environment, Health and Transport. The EPA is responsible for regulatory Instruments.

GAPS/PROBLEMS THERE IS NO SPECIFIC LAB FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTATION VERY LIMITED TRAINED LAB TECHNICIANS PRESENTLY NO GHS REGULATORY SYSTEM EXIST LACK OF AWARENESS OF GHS LACK OF RESOURCES/CAPACITY

THE WAY FORWARD LIBERIA IS PRESENTING IMPLEMENTING THE FOLLOWING: STOCKHOLM CONVENTION, ROTTERDAM CONVENTION, BASEL CONVENTION AND PARTICIPATING IN THE SAICM PROCESS. THIS INVOLVEMENT WILL HELP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GHS LIBERIA WILL ALSO WORK THROUGH THE NATIONAL CHEMICAL CONTROL TASK FORCE. A NATIONAL GHS POLICY WILL ALSO BE PRODUCED.

THE WAY FORWARD CONT. A NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON GHS WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES AND HELP INPLEMENT ACTIVITIES GOVERNMENT WILL ENCOURAGE THE PARTICIPATION OF THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND INDUSTRY. THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIES WILL HELP WITH TESTING AND CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMICALS.

THANKS FOR LISTENING SUBMITTED BY HENRY O. WILLIAMS E P A -LAWRENCE MASSAQUOI MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE - OMARLEY YEBAH MINISTRY OF HEALTH PRESENTED BY HENRY O. WILLIAMS