The Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) for the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) held its first meeting to prepare for the first meeting of the GFC’s governing body – the GFC International Conference (IC-1). Delegates focused on taking stock of progress on the tasks set for IC-1 and exchanged ideas and views on ways to ensure effective implementation of the Framework.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting sets the scene by highlighting modern society’s reliance on chemicals, making their production “one of the biggest and most globalized sectors of the world economy.” It calls attention to the need to balance “the essential economic role of chemicals and their contribution to improved living standards” against costs, such as heavy use of water and energy in their manufacture, as well as the potential adverse impacts on the environment and human health. It notes that such impacts’ diversity and severity “makes sound chemicals management a key cross-cutting issue and one of the main challenges for sustainable development.”

The ENB report looks back at the adoption by a diverse set of stakeholders of the 2023 Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) to address chemicals management-related issues. “The GFC,” it explains, “is a comprehensive, voluntary, multi-stakeholder agreement with five strategic objectives and 28 targets to guide countries and stakeholders in jointly addressing the lifecycle of chemicals, including products and waste.”  

Due to the brevity and vagueness of the OEWG’s mandate, as set forth in the GFC, “participants were uncertain if they were empowered to adopt formal decisions.” During the meeting, several countries proposed that IC-1 clarify the role of the OEWG and its modalities.

The OEWG discussed:

• Terms of reference (ToR) for three planned GFC “Implementation Programmes,” including one featuring sector-specific sub-programmes aimed at greater industry engagement and stimulating positive change in chemicals management in sectors such as electronics, textiles, health care, and construction;
• Choosing which chemical “issues of concern” to spotlight for focused global action;
• The operation of the special GFC Fund, and how it might be improved;
• Ideas for a resource mobilization strategy for meeting GFC objectives and targets; and
• Stocktaking and gap identification in the ongoing work to flesh out the GFC’s measurability structure with indicators.

Delegates also considered ways for the GFC to catalyze capacity building in the sound management of chemicals, guidelines for how national focal points (NFPs) will function and serve GFC objectives; and plans for launching a global alliance on highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs).

The ENB summary notes that in keeping with the multi-stakeholder nature of the GFC, the meeting featured a special Multi-Stakeholder Day, with sessions, workshops, “master classes,” “fireside chats,” and breakout sessions seeking to promote “exchange about how to handle crosscutting issues such as disclosure and reporting, transparency and traceability, green chemistry, and chemical footprinting in the industry-focused Implementation Programme.” They also further developed the ToR for the planned sub-programmes on electronics, textiles, and health care. The ENB analysis of the meeting notes that fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation is central to GFC implementation, and for many participants, these informative sessions were “the most valuable part of the week.”

Many participants welcomed the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel for Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) a few days earlier at the same venue. The new Panel’s function to undertake “horizon scanning” for the early identification of emerging issues may also enable productive links between the GFC and the ISP-CWP.

The first meeting of the OEWG convened in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 23-27 June 2025, bringing together representatives from governments, the private sector, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), youth, and academia. [ENB Coverage of First Meeting of OEWG for Global Framework on Chemicals]