UNITAR Global Thematic Workshop on Governance, Civil Society Participation and Strengthening Partnerships for Chemicals and Waste Management and SAICM Implementation Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith CoChair, International POPs Elimination Network The Role, Benefits and Expectations of Public Interest NGOs in SAICM

International POPs Elimination Network Global non-profit network of 350 public interest NGOs in 65 countries working for elimination of POPs & toxic chemicals of similar concern  effective implementation of Stockholm Convention & other chemical MEAs  active participants in SAICM SAICM - strong global consensus of urgent need integrated approach / national & international coordination HLD - acknowledge problems & enhances profile of chemical management OPS – principles / framework GPA - strategies / tools WSSD 2020 goal

Role of Public Interest Organisations in Chemicals Management “Non-governmental public health and environmental organizations, trade unions and other civil society organizations have made important contributions to the promotion of chemical safety”- SAICM High Level Declaration 2006 “We work with representatives of civil society, seeking to draw on their expertise and local knowledge of industrial chemicals (including hazards, exposure, controls and use), and ensure their equitable involvement in chemical decisions that affect them.” - NICNAS Community Engagement Charter NGOs essential to environmentally sound chemical management “right to participate meaningfully in decisions about chemical safety that affect them” - Bahia Declaration on Chemical Safety 2000

NGO Contributions to Chemicals Management International POPs Elimination Project (IPEP) Aims :  enhance NGOs skills & knowledge as stakeholders  establish regional & national NGO capacity Medium-sized GEF project  200 NGOs in 64 DC/EITs / 8 Regional Hubs 290 activities : POPs country situation reports, mapping POPs stockpiles & contaminated sites, promoting cleanup & disposal, documenting POPs use, sampling soil, eggs, fish, people, investigating new POPs, worker & civil society awareness raising & waste prevention Multi-lingual website - Outcomes:  awareness & knowledge about POPs & chemical issues  NGO / civil society capacity to address chemical management  contribute to ratification & NIPs

NGO Contributions cont….. ‘The Egg Report, Contamination of chicken eggs from 17 countries by dioxins, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene’ - Dioxin, PCBs & Waste Working Group  dioxin, furan, PCB & HCB in free-range chicken eggs  bio-indicator of food & environmental contamination  17 countries / 5 continents  waste incinerators/dumps, cement kilns, metallurgical industries, chemical production Majority exceeded EU level & some highest dioxin levels Outcomes :  first U-POPs datasets for many countries:  link pollution sources & exposure patterns  indicated priority areas for action Demonstrates benefits of NGOs in data generation for chemical management.

NGO Contributions cont….. Core Consultative Committee on Waste Stakeholder Involvement Program to Establish New & Better Hazardous Waste Treatment Facilities - a stakeholder lead partnership of industry, public interest & labour NGOs & government Aims :  maximise participation & enhance siting process  broader context of minimizing hazardous waste generation  ensure proposed locations & technologies broadly-supported 3C Committee :  designed & implemented public involvement program  criteria for hazwaste destruction technologies & site selection Outcomes :  waste destruction awareness & public debate  acceptance of technologies & site criteria  public nominations for hazwaste precinct sites

What have we learnt ? Importance of Capacity Building through Active Participation Unless the community has the capacity to receive the information, to interpret it, and to incorporate it into the decision making process, the amount and quality of information provided is irrelevant. - UN Earthwatch Effective Chemical Management requires :  stakeholder involvement / cooperative decision making  local/regional NGOs to highlight issues, set priorities, monitor activities, ownership  equitable access to information, expertise & resources  proactive capacity building - flow on benefits to govt. & industry Capacity Building  NGOs critical to design & implementation  reflect specific needs /CIS  requires clear problem definition, participatory design & feedback cycle Relatively small amounts of funding have major results

‘ The involvement of all relevant sectors and stakeholders, inc. at the local, national, regional and global levels, is seen as key to achieving the objectives of the Strategic Approach, as is a transparent and open implementation process and public participation in decision ‑ making, featuring in particular a strengthened role for women.’ - SAICM OPS ‘Partnership with all stakeholders’ - SAICM Resolution  utilise NGO SAICM focal points  active involvement in SAICM Regional meetings & activities  assistance through Quick Start Program & other funding /partnership mechanisms  drive implementation-related activities at country/regional level IPEN SAICM Implementation Plan  guide local/national NGOs  create funding opportunities using IPEP Model Major constraints Lack of Funding / Low priority in development cycle Trade arguments / Junk /Sound Science Litigation Role NGO Expectations for Effective Stakeholder Involvement in SAICM

IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future, ICCM 2006 “to work for and achieve by the year 2020 a Toxics-Free Future, in which all chemicals are produced and used in ways that eliminate significant adverse effects on human health and the environment, and where persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of equivalent concern no longer pollute our local and global environments, and no longer contaminate our communities, our food, our bodies, or the bodies of our children and future generations. “