Adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) on 6 February 2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework to foster the management of chemicals.

SAICM has as its overall objective the achievement of the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment. This “2020 goal” was adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 as part of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

As a SAICM stakeholder, SETAC is addressing a number of scientific issues related to global chemicals management. The SAICM Quick Start Project Panel has approved SETAC’s proposal for a regional SAICM training workshop for Africa, to be held in Dar es Salaam 1-6 March 2009.

The SAICM Africa regional training project seeks to help to identify the Africa region’s capacity building needs and to develop and reinforce national chemicals management institutions, plans, programs and activities in order to support implementation of international agreements relevant to SAICM by using SETAC’s worldwide membership and network. To start this process, SETAC will conduct a training workshop in Africa in order to strengthen SAICM-relevant scientific capability in the continent. The project would also support the broader development of African environmental science non-governmental organizations consonant with SAICM priorities.

The key project components encompass:

• A workshop on risk assessment and related issues and tools for some 45 African scientists and officials to identify needs, increase national capacities to implement such agreements as the Stockholm Convention, on POPs, the Rotterdam Convention, the Basel and Bamako Conventions, and the Montreal Protocol by strengthening assessment and analytical capabilities;

• Sustained networking of scientists from the region with the global scientific community via SETAC, a global society of environmental toxicologists and chemists, and other similar organizations;

• Encouragement of the development and/or expansion of local scientific associations (SETAC Africa and others) as members or affiliations to such relevant scientific organizations or NGOs as SETAC and others;

• Provision of scientific and training materials, books and tools to carry out risk assessments (e.g. EUSES, PRIMET and others) to underpin sustainable and capable scientific programs in support of SAICM goals;

• Development of distance learning programs and tools to ensure sustainability of knowledge and trainee skills;

• Validation of prepared training materials through close consultation with key IOMC institutions and organizations, including the UNEP, OECD, UNITAR, WHO, and the Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Centre for Africa for Training and Technology Transfer;

• Engaging the resources of the global chemical industry through ICCA to harness their EH&S scientific expertise.