Governments fail to agree effective global chemicals management

Governments failed to reach an agreement on a much needed global chemicals management system at the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in Dubai on Tuesday night.

09.02.2006 |Daniela Rosche

Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) is disappointed about the weak agreement governments reached at the ICCM. The outcomes of the conference will fail to protect women and their communities from the long-term effects of man-made chemicals.

"In addition, we sincerely doubt whether the world community will be able to comply with the Johannesburg target to make chemicals safer by 2020 with such a weak set of outcomes. This is a political fiasco given that the outcomes of this process are not legally binding and voluntary to start with." comments Daniela Rosche, WECF chemicals policy coordinator.

According to Elena Manvelian, Director of Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment, and representative of the WECF network in Dubai, the weak outcomes are "the consequence of a stalemate brought about especially by the obstructive approach of the US delegation. The US has been working against precautionary measures to address the global chemicals crisis throughout the entire process."

Download the SAICM press release.