UNITAR Assistance to Quick Start Programme and Quick Start Programme Trust Fund Projects

1. Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Pacific Island Workshop8-9 November 2007, Samoa UNITAR Assistance to Quick Start Programme and Quick Start Programme Trust Fund Projects Chemicals and Waste Management Programme, UNITAR www.unitar.org/cwm

2. Overview of presentation • SAICM enabling activities • Quick Start Programme (QSP) objective and strategic priorities • UNITAR assistance to: • Quick Start Programme Trust Fund (QSP TF) Projects • Quick Start Programme Projects

3. SAICM enabling activities • Enabling activities can include, inter alia: • National Profile development/updating • National capacity assessments and priority setting • Multi-stakeholder committee/platform development • Information exchange mechanisms • Public participation activities • National SAICM implementation plan development, with full stakeholder participation • Individual action plans on substantive topics of chemicals management—Partnerships between stakeholders are encouraged • Development of Integrated National Programmes

4. SAICM Quick Start Programme • “the objective of the Quick Start Programme is to support initial enabling capacity-building and implementation activities…” (Resolution I/4 of the ICCM) • The QSP will mobilize resources for national priority initial enabling activities…in particular for the following strategic priorities: • Development or updating of national chemical profiles and the identification of capacity needs for sound chemicals management; • Development and strengthening of national chemicals management institutions, plans, programmes and activities to implement the Strategic Approach, building upon work conducted to implement international chemicals-related agreements and initiatives; • Undertaking analysis, interagency coordination, and public participation activities directed at enabling the implementation of the Strategic Approach by integrating—i.e., mainstreaming—the sound management of chemicals in national strategies, and thereby informing development assistance cooperation priorities.

5. UNITAR: Assisting countries with integrated national programmes/enabling activities (QSP TF) • UNITAR is assisting more than 35 projects (planned or confirmed) on SAICM enabling activities—with proposal development and project implementation—under the QSP TF • QSP Round I: Armenia, Burkina Faso, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Haiti, Georgia, Madagascar, Mongolia, Rwanda, São Tomé & Principe, Serbia, Syria • QSP Round II: Barbados, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Comoros, Eritrea, Kiribati, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malawi, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palestine • QSP Round III: Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Yemen

6. Core components of UNITAR-assisted QSP TF projects National ProfileDevelopment/Updating SAICM Capacity Assessment National Priority Setting Workshop Governance Assessment GovernancePriorities Next steps towards developing an integrated national programme and mainstreaming sound management of chemicals in national strategies… Chemicals Management Assessment Chemicals Management Priority Setting

7. Other components of some UNITAR-assisted QSP TF projects • Developing a National Profile • Holding a National SAICM Forum and developing a national policy on SAICM implementation • Developing a national chemicals management database • Undertaking awareness raising • Developing and strengthening national legislation and policies for the sound management of chemicals • Strengthen inter-agency and inter-ministerial cooperation • Developing action plans and partnership projects

8. UNITAR: Assisting countries with integrated national programmes/enabling activities (QSP) • “National SAICM Pilot Projects” to develop an Integrated National Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste • 3 developing countries and 1 country in economic transition: Belarus, Panama, Pakistan, and Tanzania • Project countries selected by UNITAR/IOMC Project Task Force (June 2006) • Country projects will take place over a period of 3 years (2006-2009) • Funded by Government of Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)) as a contribution to the QSP

9. UNITAR: Assisting countries with integrated national programmes/enabling activities (QSP) • Previous phases of the Integrated National Programme include: • 1997-1999: Argentina, Ghana, Indonesia, Slovenia • 2000- 2002: Ecuador, Senegal, Sri Lanka • 2004-2005: Armenia, Chad, Jamaica, Jordan • The experience of the pilot countries developing national programmes made a valuable contribution to the process to develop SAICM • The projects built upon experience gained and lessons learned through previous phases/projects on integrated chemicals management

10. National SAICM Pilot Projects • Develop an Integrated National Programmefor the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste • Focus on governance, stakeholder participation, and partnershipsto support national SAICM implementation • Addresses: priority setting, concrete action (including partnership projects), and mainstreaming

11. National SAICM Pilot Projects: Key milestones National Profile and other relevant material SAICM Capacity Assessment National Forumon Governanceand Priority Setting Partnership Project 1 National Review Workshop Partnership Project 2 Agreed Governance Structure Inter-ministerial Coordination Stakeholder Involvement Information Exchange Mechanism and Website (ongoing feedback and integration of chemicals and waste management) National Development Planning Process

12. Conclusions • Strong foundation is essential for SAICM implementation • UNITAR stands ready to assist further countries with SAICM enabling activities and implementation of “substantive” areas • Work is ongoing with support through broader QSP and also QSP TF • Demand FAR exceeds supply—over 50 formal requests for assistance on record

13. For more information www.unitar.org/cwm cwm@unitar.org