The Hague,16 December 2002

UNITAR/OPCW Workshop on Financing the Sound Management of Chemicals

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) jointly organised a four-day workshop on mobilising financial resources for the sound management of chemicals in Geneva, Switzerland. This workshop is the third in a series of workshops on the sound management of chemicals.

Representatives from Algeria, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Switzerland discussed innovative methods to mobilise financial resources to foster the sound management of chemicals, which would also include international cooperation.

The workshop included participants from developing and transitional economies, as well as from countries with advanced chemical production capacity. International, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organisations participated, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Secretariat of the Basel Convention, the International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS).

The experiences of countries with developing or transitional economies, with an advanced chemical management infrastructure, as well as with donors (including multilateral, bilateral and other organisations) were exchanged and examined during the meeting. A number of recommendations were made at the conclusion of the workshop to enhance financial resource mobilisation for the sound management of chemicals.