LeadandCadmiumNeedforInternationalAction.docVIP

Lead and Cadmium: Need for International Action? IFCS Forum VI Agenda Proposal Monika Luxem, Germany – Lead Sponsor I. Background: Already IFCS Forum II (1997)raised the issue of “international/global concern” of some poisoning, hazardous persistent chemicals, other than POPs, that could pose significant health and environmental risks to human beings and the environment. IFCS participants mentioned interest in working cooperatively together with experts to review the (UNEP) “Report of the Government-Designated Group of Experts on Further Measures to reduce the Risks from a Limited Number of Hazardous Chemicals” and its annexes as an effort to clearly understand chemical problems that also need international answers. The challenge behind these efforts is that international action seem to be appropriate and needed in cases of hazardous chemicals for which local activities lead to international exposure and risks and hazardous chemicals which are distributed internationally and which result in local problems. To meet this challenge, there is a need to identify a high priority problem – a “global concern” - for chemicals in question and prove the need for an international cooperative approach in case respective countries cannot protect themselves effectively. This draft proposal concentrates on lead and cadmium in the specific context of whether and how there is such a global concern separately for the two heavy metals that might call for such an international cooperative approach. The proposal takes into account key recent international events main reference documents on lead and cadmium such as the UNEP GC-24 (February 2007, Nairobi), the UNEP Working Group on Lead and Cadmium (Sept. 2006, Geneva) and IFCS Forum V (September 2006, Budapest) allowing for orientation on current views of parts of the international communi