18 December 2014: The second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG 2) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) formulated a message on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and chemicals management to convey to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). It also agreed to initiate a process to forward a proposal on highly hazardous pesticides to the fourth session of the ICCM, among other preparations for ICCM 4, which is tentatively scheduled for 27 September-3 October 2015.

The OEWG meets in the year prior to each ICCM session to consider the implementation, development and enhancement of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).

OEWG 2, which convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15-17 December 2014: provided feedback on the Overall Orientation and Guidance on the 2020 goal (OOG) prepared by the SAICM Secretariat to enable the Secretariat and Bureau to finalize the document for submission to ICCM 4; forwarded to ICCM 4 a proposal to designate environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants as an emerging policy issue; forwarded elements of a draft resolution on nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials to ICCM 4; and reviewed the proposal for a chemicals in products (CiP) programme.

Closing the meeting, ICCM 4 President Richard Lesiyampe (Kenya) expressed optimism that SAICM “can go a long way” not only to 2020, but beyond. Noting she was headed towards retirement, Fatoumata Keita-Ouane, Head, UNEP Chemicals Branch, said her final wishes are that the UNEP Chemicals Branch “gets on safer and more stable ground,” and that SAICM inspires another wave of international, legally binding instruments on chemicals. [OEWG 2 Website] [IISD RS Coverage of OEWG 2]