Stakeholders from the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) have taken part in a panel session to discuss how to bridge the communication gap in mainstreaming chemicals and waste management into development planning.

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions and Minamata and SAICM Secretariats, together with UNEP and UNITAR, joined forces to invite the stakeholders to the event, which took place on 29 September at ICCM4 in Geneva.

The discussion featured short interventions from Rolph Payet, heading the Secretariat of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Ligia Noronha and Achim Halpaap from UNEP, Letícia Reis de Carvalho from the Government of Brazil and Jill Hanna from the European Commission, the International Council of Chemical Association’s Greg Skelton and Olga Speranskaya of the International POPs Elimination Network, IPEN.

The debate focused on how to implement SDGs with regard to chemicals and waste and culminated in the launch of the ‘SDGs Chemicals Communication Challenge’. There, ICCM4 participants were invited to submit their innovative ideas for mainstreaming throughout the week with a chance to win enrolment in a UNITAR training course .

Moderated by former head of the UNEP Chemicals and Waste Branch Fatoumata Keita-Ouane, panel members agreed that the sound management of chemicals and wastes is integral to all of the SDGs.

The panel underlined that the challenge now is more to communicate the opportunities for achieving the goals in language which can be recognised by - and which resonates with - all sectors, including health, agriculture, poverty reduction and economic planning.

The winners of the Challenge will be reported in due course.

For more information please write to charles.avis@brsmeas.org