By Jonathan L. Mayuga
As various stakeholders from governments, industry associations and public-interest groups start to converge in Geneva for the second International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM2), a global coalition called for robust and faster action toward chemical safety through a "Citizens' Report" to be released this week.
"Good SAICM implementation will promote a new chemicals-control policy anchored on the precautionary principle and other vital elements to uphold public health, environmental justice and democracy."
President, P.A.N.-P.
The International POPs Elimination Network (Ipen) prepared the "Citizens' Report" with inputs from public-interest groups worldwide, including local groups, such as Ban Toxics, EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Health Care Without Harm and Pesticide Action Network-Philippines. POPs stands for persistent organic pollutants.
The Philippines will join the rest of the world in reviewing the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a global policy and strategy adopted in 2006 to protect human and ecological health from the harmful effects of toxic substances, including chemicals, in products and waste.
In releasing the "Citizens' Report," the groups called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the national focal point for SAICM, to proactively put chemical safety on top of the national agenda and budget in close partnership with other government institutions and the public and private sectors.
The "Citizens' Report" lamented that while there is some progress in promoting chemical safety, the pace has been slow and uneven, and it does not appear that the global community is on track to achieve SAICM's 2020 objective.
SAICM's implementation in the Philippines and Southeast Asia 'has been slow and not commensurate with the intensity of chemical hazards that the people, particularly the most vulnerable groups and communities, face daily," the "Citizens' Report" said.
The report noted a weak commitment by governments to basic principles, such as the precautionary principle, substitution principle, polluter-pays principle, no data, no market and the public right to know.
"There are ongoing efforts to address chemical safety issues. But we find these patchy and inadequate to fully safeguard our citizens and ecosystems from chemical trespassing and pollution. Much more has to be done to ensure a toxics-free future for our country and people," said Manny Calonzo of Ipen.
"Good SAICM implementation will promote a new chemicals-control policy anchored on the precautionary principle and other vital elements to uphold public health, environmental justice and democracy," Dr. Romy Quijano, president of Pesticide Action Network-Philippines said.
The groups welcomed recent moves by the Philippines to get rid of the country's stockpiles of polychlorinated biphenyls using a noncombustion method, the phaseout of mercury-containing thermometers and blood-pressure devices in all hospitals by 2010, and the restriction or ban on some highly toxic pesticides, such as endosulfan, azinphos-ethyl, methyl parathion, monocrotophos and triphenyltins.
However, the groups noted that the government has yet to fully act on a long list of chemicals of highest concern — including restricting, phasing out or banning chemicals that are persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or those that adversely affect the reproductive, immune, endocrine or nervous systems, and toxic metals such as lead and mercury.