This preparatory meeting is held in response to a UNEP Governing Council decision on a “Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management” (SAICM), which highlighted a need to further develop a strategic approach to promote the incorporation of chemical safety issues into the development agenda. The initiative was subsequently endorsed by the WSSD in Johannesburg in September 2002, and in February 2003 a progress report was considered by UNEP Governing Council, which also adopted a decision endorsing the concept of an international conference to be held around the end of 2005.  

dates: 9-13 November 2003  
location: Bangkok, Thailand  
contact: UNEP Chemicals Unit  
e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch  
www: http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/