Over 100 environment and health ministers adopted a new international approach to the safe production, transport, storage, use and disposal of chemicals worldwide at a UN Conference in Dubai on 6 February.
Known as the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), the initiative is a voluntary agreement that deals with risk assessments of chemicals and standardised labelling. It also aims to tackle obsolete and stockpiled products.
Global production of chemicals is set to climb by as much as 80% over the next 15 years, with an estimated 1,500 new chemicals put on the market each year, according to the UN.
But the UN raised concerns that chemical production is currently shifting from the developed to the developing world where safety rules are less stringent. The statement is echoed by the European Commission who says that, "while 16 countries accounted for 80% of global chemicals production in 1998, production of high volume basic chemicals is increasingly moving out of industrialised countries towards developing countries".
To tackle this problem, the conference agreed on "a multi million dollar fund called 'Quick Start' Programme to give financial support to national action plans, especially in least developed countries".
"Strong emphasis will be placed on capacity-building and technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition," the European Commission said.
