24 April 2012: The Swedish Minister for Environment, Lena Ek, has released a declaration of intent, titled “Towards the 2020 Goal of Sound Chemicals Management,” in response to the outcomes of the Global Stakeholder Dialogue 8 years – 8 actions, an event dedicated towards achieving the 2020 goal. The declaration was launched in tandem with the Stockholm+40 Partnership Forum, in Stockholm, Sweden, on 24 April.

In the declaration of intent, Ek declares that steps will be taken to call for further actions among all stakeholders in eight areas: awareness raising, focusing on increased awareness on sound chemicals management as a key component in sustainable development; access to information, focusing on actions that improve accessibility to clear, timely and appropriate information to decision makers at all levels in the society; health aspects, focusing on action to strengthen the health aspects of sound chemicals management and further integrate chemicals aspects in the health agenda; substitution, focusing on action toward progressive substitution of chemicals that pose an unmanageable risk to human health and the environment; resource efficiency, focusing on action towards improved waste prevention and waste management, including prevention of chemicals risks from waste; chemicals in the development agenda, focusing on action that contributes towards strengthening the linkages between sound chemicals management and the development agenda; capacity building, focusing on more coherent action towards bridging the gap in differences of capacity to handle the challenges and opportunities for sound chemicals management; and international environmental governance, focusing on further enhancing cooperation and coordination and an integrated approach to financing for chemicals and waste. [Declaration of Intent Towards 2020 Goal]