The 3rd Meeting of the Intersessional Process Considering the Strategic Approach and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020 (IP3, SAICM) took place from 30th September – 4th October 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. More than 300 delegates attended, including representatives of governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and industry.
During the meeting, participants discussed four critical aspects: 1) targets, milestones and indicators; 2) institutional arrangements; 3) mechanisms to support implementation; and 4) financial considerations. Participants “made a number of important advances in each area which will serve as an important contribution” (ENB 2019) towards the preparation of recommendations for ICCM5 in autumn next year, e.g. on criteria and mechanisms for adopting so-called issues of concern, ways to enhance multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement and an enabling framework to encourage higher profile and ambition. However, participants couldn’t reach the major milestone of developing a ‘zero draft’ for IP4, which will take place in March 2020 (see ENB summary). This is now being prepared by the secretariat, which was requested to consolidate the outputs of IP3 into a draft for deliberation at IP4. A technical working group on targets, milestones and indicators was established to support further work in this area between now and IP4, and the Government of Germany offered to host a special workshop in January to discuss a possible enhanced enabling framework for beyond 2020.
Our policy demands and information booth #genderjusticeistherightchemistry
The MSP Institute was there, working to increase attention on gender issues, providing information and suggestions on how to integrate gender in a future framework on chemicals and waste:
With a small online campaign on twitter, we spread our main policy demands that new SAICM needs a gender action plan, a gender focal point and women’s full and equal participation. At our information booth, we shared policy suggestions, information material and our brochure about Gender and SAICM Beyond2020.
On Oct 2nd, the MSP Institute facilitated the second informal meeting on women and gender, which was open to all interested stakeholders. Fifteen delegates attended and exchanged experiences, informed each other about gender projects and activities and discussed how to integrate gender into SAICM Beyond 2020. After the meeting, several participants submitted a first joint position paper on “Gender and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020” to the SAICM Secretariat, which was prepared by the ‘Women and Gender @ SAICM’- mailing list in advance and further fine-tuned at the meeting.
During the week at IP3, we had a lot of inspiring conversations with delegates and we are pleased that the issue of gender and chemicals is attracting increasing attention – for example by ChemicalWatch and their article “UN should consider how chemicals affect genders differently, say NGOs”. However, merely talking about gender equality is not enough – at IP4, it will be most relevant to mainstream gender into all recommendations for a post-2020 platform.
There is not much time left – let’s integrate gender now!
Upcoming international meetings include:
- IP4 – 23rd – 26th March 2020 in Bucharest, Romania
- ICCM5 – 5th – 9th October 2020 in Bonn, Germany
If you want to be part of the mailing list “Women and Gender @ SAICM” please send an email to anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org. The mailing list is open to everyone working in the SAICM Process and interested in women and gender topics.
Thank you and best regards,
Anna and Minu from the MSP Institute