August 2013: The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) has released a draft workplan on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs were considered as a new and emerging issue at the third session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM 3), which invited members of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) to lead and facilitate action on EDCs.

The draft workplan contains actions for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the areas of: providing up-to-date information and scientific expert advice to relevant stakeholders for the purpose of identifying or recommending potential measures that could contribute to reductions in exposures to or the effects of EDCs, in particular among vulnerable populations; raising awareness and facilitating science-based information exchange, dissemination and networking on EDCs; providing international support for activities to build capacities in countries, in particular developing countries and countries with economies in transition, for generating information and for assessing issues related to EDCs in order to support decision-making, including the prioritization of actions to reduce risks; and facilitating mutual support in research, the development of case studies and advice on translation of research results into control actions. [SAICM Documents]