| Montreal, 23/07/2001 – The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) announces a public workshop on 20 September from 9:00 to 17:00 at the Marriott University Park Hotel in Tucson, Arizona. The workshop will be sponsored by the Sound Management of Chemicals (SMOC) Working Group, in cooperation with the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the CEC, and it will provide an opportunity for JPAC and the public to review progress in the SMOC program and help shape further trilateral work to address toxic substances of common concern.
The SMOC initiative was approved by Council in 1995 (Resolution 95-05) and is now in its sixth year of activity. Priority was given to dealing with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury and there has been significant progress on this front. There are now North American Regional Action Plans (NARAPs) being implemented for PCBs, DDT, chlordane, and mercury. Two additional NARAPs are currently being developed: one to address dioxins/furans and hexachlorobenzene, and the other will concern monitoring and assessment of persistent toxic substances.
A key objective of this meeting is to provide the public with an update on progress. However, there is also an opportunity to receive public input on some key questions:
- How can SMOC put more emphasis on addressing high risk populations in our work (for example, children, indigenous peoples, migrant workers)?
- How can SMOC better promote capacity building as part of its implementation agenda?
- How can SMOC promote closer links between the environmental and health communities?
- How can the work accomplished by SMOC on the POPs chemicals provide a model for other global efforts on POPs?
- Could SMOC and its work make a useful contribution to the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development?
- Is SMOC doing enough to reach out to our constituency, and are we being sufficiently inclusive?
- How could SMOC increase public participation in its work (e.g., the substance selection process)?
- Are there new directions that SMOC should explore as opportunities under this mandate?
- How could SMOC incorporate risk communication efforts into its work plan?
- How can SMOC best prepare and present report cards on progress?
The workshop agenda to be released soon will be structured to address these and other questions.
On 21 September, the public is invited to participate in a plenary discussion with JPAC members. This exchange, along with the results of JPAC's deliberations, will help JPAC develop an advice to the CEC Council on the proposed Program Plan of the Commission for 2002-2004.
Following the plenary discussion, the public is invited to attend the JPAC deliberations as observers. Several issues will be discussed, such as the JPAC advice to the CEC Council on SMOC and the proposed Program Plan for 2002-2004, the terms of reference for the new JPAC mandate on access to environmental information in North America, issues related to the submissions under NAAEC Articles 14 and 15, as well as a follow-up on administrative matters. At the conclusion of the meeting, observers will have an opportunity to make comments.
Registration is free and on a first-come, first-served basis. The agenda for the JPAC session and a registration form for these two meetings may be found on the CEC web site. To confirm your attendance at these meetings, please return the registration form to Jocelyne Morin (see below). Once participants have registered, they will receive any documents relevant to these meetings.
CEC was established by Canada, Mexico and the United States to build cooperation among the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners in implementing NAAEC, the environmental side accord to NAFTA. The CEC addresses environmental issues of continental concern, with particular attention to the environmental challenges and opportunities presented by continent-wide free trade.
The SMOC Working Group is composed of two senior officials selected by each Party, whose duties pertain to the regulation or management of toxic substances, and who shall work with the CEC to implement the decisions and commitments set out in Council Resolution 99-05.
JPAC is a 15-member, independent, volunteer body that provides advice and public input to Council on any matter within the scope of NAAEC.
Please note that information and document pertaining to the SMOC program and JPAC official publications can be found on the CEC web site at www.cec.org. To request hard copies of documents, please contact the CEC Secretariat directly by e-mail at info@ccemtl.org, fax: (514) 350-4314 or telephone: (514) 350-4338.
For more information on these meetings, please contact:
SMOC Program
José Carlos Tenorio
E-mail: jctenorio@ccemtl.org
Phone: (514) 350-4367
Fax: (514) 350-4314
JPAC
Jocelyne Morin
E-mail: jmorin@ccemtl.org
Phone: (514) 350-4366
Fax: (514) 350-4314
For more information or to obtain other documents related to JPAC, please consult the JPAC web page http://www.cec.org/jpac or place a request with Jocelyne Morin at the CEC Secretariat: e-mail: jmorin@ccemtl.org;, fax: (514) 350-4314 or telephone: (514) 350-4366.
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