Business and Industry Intervention on Chemicals and Waste

The sound management of chemicals is essential for sustainable development. Business welcomes the attention that UNEA gives this issue, and remains strongly committed to achieving the 2020 goal for sound chemicals management set at WSSD in 2002. We strongly support the multi-stakeholder approach established under SAICM which has built trust between stakeholders and led to partnerships that have advanced progress towards the 2020 goal. We call on all stakeholders to meet the commitment made at Rio+20 to strengthen SAICM as a key global approach to sound chemicals management. The most significant progress towards sound chemicals management around the world will be made by helping those countries that currently lack the capacity to manage chemicals safely to put that capacity in place. For that reason, we support the proposed Special Program to support institutional capacity at the national level. The business community also welcomes the Executive Director’s report on strengthening the sound management of chemicals and wastes in the long term, and we commend the country-led process for engaging non-governmental stakeholders in the preparation of this report. We look forward to working with other stakeholders in making progress on this area this week.