The protection of the environment from harmful influences such as chemical products is inconceivable without the United Nations. The strategic approach for international chemical management (SAICM) was created in 2006 under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in order to make the use of chemicals safer throughout the world.
UNEP was set up in 1972 by a UN resolution and was given the task of developing political instruments for successful protection of the environment. The German Federal Environment Office (UBA) also supports the political demand to give UNEP an autonomous status outside the UN, and to continue to develop UNEO, the United Nations Environmental Organisation. UNEP covers some of the most significant environmental protection agreements: for example the 1987 Montreal Protocol for protection of the ozone layer, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for climate protection, and the 2001 Stockholm Convention for protection against non-biodegradable chemicals entering the food chain.
The UBA actively participates in the development of proposals, distributes information, and communicates SAICM's objectives to interested parties in Germany.
A SAICM intergovernmental conference in Geneva last May defined the four central themes which are particularly urgent at international level: dangerous chemicals in products sold without any checks, chemicals in electronic waste, lead-based colours and inks in consumer products such as toys, and the likelihood and risks of nanomaterials appearing on the market. The UBA will also contribute to improved information exchange on these topics and actions in partnerships between developing and industrialised countries.
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