Michel J. Mercier
International Programme on Chemical Safety
Chemicals have become an indispensable part of human life, sustaining activities and development, preventing and controlling many diseases, and increasing agricultural productivity. The benefits are incalculable, yet countering these, chemicals may, especially when misused, exert adverse effects on human health and the integrity of the environment. The nature, number, and quantitites of chemicals used in countries vary widely according to factors such as the national economy, its industries, and agriculture. The growth of chemicals industries, in developing as well as developed countries, is predicted to go on increasing for the rest of this century. Chemical safety encompasses the prevention and management of adverse effects, both short and long term, to humans and the environment from the production, use, and disposal of chemicals. Chemical safety is essential if development is to be beneficial and not catastrophic for humans and the environment.
There are two main obstacles to the sound management of chemicals. First, there is a fundamental lack of knowledge of the risks that many chemicals pose to human health and the environment, an essential prerequisite for the sound management. Second, there is a lack of capability and capacity, particularly in developing countries, to manage chemical risks.
In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) recognized that the use of chemicals is essential to meet social and economic goals, while also acknowledging that a great deal remains to be done to ensure the sound management of chemicals. It adopted Agenda 21, chapter 19, as an international strategy for action on chemical safety into the 21st century and named six major areas for this work: 1) expanding and accelerating the international assessment of chemical risks, 2) harmonization of classification and labeling of chemicals, 3) information exchange on toxic chemicals and chemical risks, 4) establishment of risk reduction programs, 5) strengthening of national capabilities and capacities for management of chemicals, and 6) prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic and dangerous products and wastes. Success in each will be facilitated by success in the others.
A number of international bodies, as well as many national chemical safety programs, are now involved in work on chemical safety. The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), formally launched in 1980, is a joint collaborative program of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is the executing agency of the program, and a great proportion of IPCS activities are implemented by the WHO Programme for the Promotion of Chemical Safety on behalf of the three cooperating organizations.
The two main roles of the IPCS are to establish the scientific health and environmental risk assessment basis for safe use of chemicals and to strengthen national capabilities for chemical safety. Among the primary activities of IPCS are evaluations of the risk to human health and the environment from exposure to chemicals and the promotion of the development, improvement, validation, and use of methods suitable for the evaluation of health and environmental risks and hazards from chemicals.
UNCED called for improved coordination and enhanced cooperation among international chemical safety activities and for the establishment of an intergovernmental mechanism for chemical risk assessment and management. In response to that request, two international entities have been formed. These new entities, the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (Forum) and the Inter-Organization Program for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) have different but interrelated roles and responsibilities to that of IPCS in the area of chemical safety. The three complement each other in the effort to develop cooperative and coordinated activities in chemical safety at the international level.
The Forum is a new mechanism for cooperation among governments for promotion of chemical risk assessment and management of chemicals. It is a noninstitutional arrangement whereby representatives of governments meet with intergovernment and nongovernmental organizations with the aim to integrate and consolidate national and international efforts to promote chemical safety. The purpose of the Forum is to provide policy guidance with emphasis on regional and subregional issues, develop strategies in a coordinated and integrated manner, foster understanding of the issues, and promote the required policy support needed to discharge these functions.
The first meeting of the Forum was in 1994; the next meeting will take place in 1997. At its first meeting the Forum established priorities for action including targets for key items.
There is a Intersessional Group (ISG) of the Forum composed of 31 governments which meets between sessions of the Forum. The first meeting of the ISG was held in March 1995 in Bruges, Belgium. The participants discussed a number of priority activities under each of the program areas of chapter 19 of Agenda 21, identifying key items and issues for action and input into its second meeting to be hosted by Australia in March 1996.
While the Forum is the mechanism for cooperation among governments, the IOMC is designed to serve as a mechanism for coordinating efforts of intergovernmental organizations. This program is designed to be a cooperative undertaking among six intergovernmental organizations that, within the framework of their own respective constitutional mandates, work together as partners to promote international work. The six participating organizations are the three cooperating organizations of IPCS (WHO, UNEP, and ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Organisation for Economic Development. Scientific and technical work of the IOMC will be carried out through the existing structures of the participating organizations, either individually or jointly. IPCS is an example of joint work.
Specific coordinating mechanisms under the framework of the IOMC have been or are in the process of being established in relation to some program or subprogram areas, such as harmonization of classification of chemicals and information exchange on toxic chemicals and chemical risks. These mechanisms provide a regular means for all interested bodies working in the respective areas to consult with each other on program plans and activities and to discuss ways and means of ensuring that the activities are mutually supportive.
Each country has a stake in the success of chemical safety programs, national and international, as chemicals risks do not respect national boundaries. To respond to the challenge to the health of present and future generations and to the quality of the environment made by the increased use of chemicals and to more effectively use scarce resources, it is important that considerable efforts be made to work together at all levels to achieve globally sound management of chemicals. It is hoped that the recent events and developments will continue to lead to progress in the prevention and control of the harmful effects of chemicals to which humans and the environment are being increasingly exposed.
Judy A. Stober provided technical assistance with this editorial.