Dear SAICM National Focal Points in Asia-Pacific
As I already flagged to you in my message to you on 26 February, the Secretariat calls for a teleconference of regional focal points and NGO/IGO representatives on Monday 7th April to discuss the planning of the Open-Ended Legal and Technical Working Group (OELTWG) and the Second International Conference on Chemical Management (ICCM2). The Secretariat had invited comments from NFPs and other stakeholders on its paper on these issues (reissued in Dec 2007, available from the SAICM website), and recently summarised these comments into two documents. These summaries are already available from the SAICM website as follows, but attached to this e-mail for your convenience.
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/OELTWG/Open-ended.htm
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/iccm/ICCM2/iccm2.htm
These papers mention several specific issues for further consideration. These issues include the agenda for OELTWG and ICCM2, the establishment of the provisional bureau, size of the meetings (arrangements for travel assistance from developing and transition economy countries), language arrangements, etc. As you can see from the secretariat papers, the only submission from AP region came from Yemen. Japan also submitted its late comments, as attached.
Since I will have to represent the region at the telephone conference, I would very much appreciate it if you could provide mw with any initial response you may have about the two secretariat papers. My earlier message on 26 Feb also invited your input, and I heard from Yemen the same message that has been officially submitted.
I will join the teleconference discussion with our basic common understanding described in the report from our regional meeting in May last year (I attach the excerpt from the meeting report), and also taking into account the views of the individual countries expressed in the submissions. However, at the time of the regional meeting, the secretariat's proposals for OELTWG and ICCM2 were not available, so the regional meeting report may not be specific enough to give my full guidance about what I would say at the teleconference. Basically, since there have been very few submissions on the Secretariat's original proposals in December, I presume that the region is supportive of the proposed approach in general. The Secretariat's recent paper calls for the stakeholders' views on some specific issues (e.g. whether or not the agenda of the OELTWG should extended from rules of procedures only, bureau formula for OELTWG and ICCM2, etc) At the forthcoming teleconference, I will try to represent the regional views by extrapolating as much as possible our discussion at the regional meeting in May, and judging from my recent communications with some of you. So your views, no matter whether it is a formal government position or how specific they are to the questions described in secretariat's papers, would be very helpful to me.
Please try to send me your inputs by Friday 4th April. I look forward to hearing from many of you.
Best regards,
Esak
Eisaku Toda
Asia-Pacific Regional Focal Point for SAICM
E-mail:saicm@iges.or.jp
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
MOEJ/IGES Open Seminar "Seminar on SAICM National Implementation Plans in the World" (12 March 2008, Tokyo)
The Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) organised an event called "Seminar on SAICM Implementation in the World". This half-day seminar aimed to disseminate information about the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and implementation activities in Canada, Sweden and Thailand to a Japanese audience. However, some foreign experts from UNITAR, Bhutan, Korea and Mongolia also attended the seminar. Mr Takahiko HIRAISHI, Member of the Board of Directors and Senior Consultant to IGES, served as the coordinator of the seminar. Dr Akira OGIHARA presented survey results on SAICM National Implementation Plan in major countries. Dr Magnus Bengtsson, Dr Janya SANG-ARUN and other members of IGES Waste and Resources team served as facilitators of the seminar.Around 100 people from industries, universities, NGOs, research institutes and legal offices, joined the seminar. The presentations and a panel discussed the progress of SAICM implementation in the said countries and provided comments on SAICM implementation and its strategies in Japan. Most of the questions raised by the Japanese audiences were on public participation and multi-stakeholders involvement for SAICM implementation.
Date: 12 March 2008
Venue: Fukoku Seimei Building 28F (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Organisers: Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Language: English and Japanese (Simultaneous translation provided)
Left-right:
Dr. Masatoshi Ishizuka, MOEJ, opened the seminar
Mr. Takahiko Hiraishi, IGES, served as Chair of the seminar
Ms. Keiko Segawa, MOEJ coordinated panel discussion
Left-right:
Dr. Akira Ogihara, IGES, presented survey results on SAICM implementation in major countries
Mr. Eisaku Toda, MOEJ, announced progress of Chemical Substances Control Law
Participants from various institutions in Japan Panellists from UNEP-SAICM, Sweden,Thailand, Canada and MOEJ (Dr. Hirotsugu Kimura)
[Agenda]
13:30-14:10
Session 1: Current situation of SAICM implementation and progress in the revisions of chemicals-related laws in Japan
Coordinator: Mr Takahiko Hiraishi, Member of Board of Directors and Senior Consultant, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan
13:30-13:55
Welcome Remarks
Dr Masatoshi Ishizuka, Director General, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
13:35-13:55
Overview of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
Mr Hamoudi Shubber, UNEP SAICM Secretariat
13:55-14:15
Reviewing the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL)
Mr Eisaku Toda, Director, Chemicals Evaluation Office, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
14:15-15:35
Session 2:Lessons learned in the development of SAICM National Implementation Plan
Coordinator: Mr. Takahiko Hiraishi
14:15-14:35
Survey Results on SAICM National Implementation Plans in major countries
Dr Akira Ogihara, Project Manager, Waste and Resource Project, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan
14:35-14:55
Chemicals Management Plans in Sweden
Ms Eva Sandberg, Senior Adviser on International Affairs, Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate
14:55-15:15
Challenges and Impacts of SAICM National Implementation Plan in Thailand
Ms Pornpimon Chareonsong, Senior Environmental Scientist, Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
15:15-15:35
Analysis of the Results of Canada’s Chemicals Categorization Initiative: Applicability to the Information Needs of Developing Countries
Mr Victor Shantora, Senior Associate, Resource Futures International, Previous Director General of Environment Canada
15:35-15:50 Coffee Break
15:50-16:55
Panel Discussion
Coordinator:Ms. Keiko Segawa, Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Safety Division, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment, Japan,
Panellists:
- UNEP SAICM Secretariat: Mr Hamoudi Shubber
- Canada: Mr Victor Shantora
- Sweden: Ms Eva Sandberg
- Thailand: Ms Pornpimon Chareonsong
- Japan: Dr Hirotsugu Kimura
16:30-16:55 Q&A
16:55-17:00
Closing Remarks
Mr Takahiko Hiraishi, IGES
