International Chemicals Management: Background Paper for the 7th Global Civil Society Forum

The document outlines the challenges of global chemicals management, the existing legal frameworks, and the proposed Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) aimed at minimizing adverse effects on health and environment by 2020.

• The global chemicals industry is valued at $1.6 trillion and produces tens of thousands of substances, yet governments often lack data on the toxicity, hazard characteristics, and exposure levels for the vast majority of these chemicals.
• Regulatory systems in many countries are insufficient to protect public health, with developing nations often having rudimentary or non-existent management capacity. In the Global North, mismanagement persists, particularly near minority and economically disadvantaged communities, alongside concerns over low-level exposures from everyday products linked to cancers and reproductive issues.
• A pervasive legal presumption that chemicals are "innocent until proven guilty" means regulators can only control production and use if they prove a chemical poses an unacceptable risk, which often fails due to a lack of available data.
• Three primary UNEP-administered treaties govern global chemicals: the Basel Convention (hazardous waste transboundary movement), the Rotterdam Convention (prior informed consent for hazardous chemicals in trade), and the Stockholm Convention (banning or restricting persistent organic pollutants, or POPs).

APA

Wiser, G. (2005). International Chemicals Management: Background Paper for the 7th Global Civil Society Forum. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChemBackground_UNEP_7GCS_Forum.pdf

Chicago

Wiser, Glenn. International Chemicals Management: Background Paper for the 7th Global Civil Society Forum. Center for International Environmental Law, 2005. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChemBackground_UNEP_7GCS_Forum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wiser |first1=Glenn |title=International Chemicals Management: Background Paper for the 7th Global Civil Society Forum |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 October 2005 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChemBackground_UNEP_7GCS_Forum.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wiser2005international, author = {Wiser, Glenn}, title = {{International Chemicals Management: Background Paper for the 7th Global Civil Society Forum}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2005}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChemBackground_UNEP_7GCS_Forum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }