The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in Cambodia – barriers and opportunities

The document examines how the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) has been implemented in Cambodia. It finds that while SAICM has driven positive outcomes—such as a new draft law on chemicals and improved inter-ministerial coordination—significant barriers remain, including a lack of ground-level enforcement capacity and inadequate long-term funding. The brief highlights that SAICM's voluntary status, broad scope, and multi-stakeholder approach are generally beneficial for developing countries. However, it criticizes the global monitoring system, noting that the 20 existing indicators are insufficient for measuring actual progress toward the '2020 goal' of minimizing adverse chemical impacts on health and the environment.

• Implementation of SAICM in Cambodia has produced tangible results, including the development of a new draft law on chemicals, improved national policy coordination, and the creation of a new vision for national chemicals management.
• Significant barriers hinder effective implementation in Cambodia, specifically a lack of long-term funding, insufficient capacity for ground-level enforcement, and ministries that lack both a strong mandate and adequate capacity.
• The design features of SAICM—specifically its voluntary status, multi-stakeholder participation, and broad range of actions—are viewed as positive and fit for purpose in a developing country context like Cambodia.
• The global monitoring framework for SAICM is inadequate because the '2020 goal' is not operationally defined, and the 20 existing indicators measure the existence of mechanisms rather than actual risk reduction on the ground.
• The Quick Start Programme (QSP) has been a successful funding mechanism because it required projects to be well-prepared before grants were awarded, contrasting with other conventions like the Stockholm Convention.
• Political leadership within the Cambodian government, specifically from the Ministry of Environment and Secretary of State H.E. Kieu Muth, has been a critical factor in the successful implementation of chemicals management.

APA

Persson, L., Persson, Å., & Sam, C. (2014). The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in Cambodia – barriers and opportunities. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Persson-Chemicals-Cambodia.pdf

Chicago

Persson, Linn, Åsa Persson, and Chanthy Sam. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in Cambodia – barriers and opportunities. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Persson-Chemicals-Cambodia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Persson |first1=Linn |last2=Persson |first2=Åsa |last3=Sam |first3=Chanthy |title=The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in Cambodia – barriers and opportunities |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Persson-Chemicals-Cambodia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{persson2014strategic, author = {Persson, Linn and Persson, Åsa and Sam, Chanthy}, title = {{The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management in Cambodia – barriers and opportunities}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Persson-Chemicals-Cambodia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }