north american commission for environmental cooperation sound management of chemicals working group...
TRANSCRIPT
North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Sound Management of Chemicals Working Group and StakeholdersTucson, Arizona, March 4 – 7, 2008
Executive Director’s OverviewExecutive Director’s Overview
North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC)
• Canada, Mexico, United States
• parallel agreement to Free Trade Agreement
• both signed simultaneously in 1994
• Commission for Environmental Cooperation
• created to better protect our shared environment
• trinational response to “trade versus environment”
Strategic Plan
• Connect the Strategic Plan of 2005-2010
– Puebla priorities of
• Information for decision making
• Capacity building
• Trade and Environment
• with the proposed Strategic Plan for 2010-2015
• SMOC program integrating with the overall Strategic plan through
– Strategies for Catalyzing Cooperation
Vision for the Future
• The Parties and CEC, together, working to provide a model of 21st-century sustainable, economic development on a global basis.
• POTENTIAL MECHANISMS– enhance the region's natural capital
– improve the regional actions of our governments
– increase competitiveness of small and medium-size businesses through cleaner production
– address solutions to support indigenous communities– build on North-South cooperation
• The Sound Management of Chemicals program with the expertise of the SMOC Working Group and its stakeholders will continue to be an integral part of the CEC’s success.
The Chemicals program
Three National Environment
Ministers
Commission for Environmental
Cooperation
Joint Public Advisory
Committee
Trade and Environment
Biodiversity
Hazardous Waste and Enforcement
SEM Unit
PRTR, Air Quality
NA Atlas, SoE
Communications
Chemicals Program
Sound Management of Chemicals
NARAPs
Monitoring and Assessing Pollutants
Across NA
SCC
Implementation New Directions
The Legacy of the CEC’s SMOC Program
• Provides validated information to help make appropriate decisions
– Emphasising sustained infrastructure
• Opens door for establishing and maintaining regional centers of excellence
– Inter/intra laboratory validation and certification
– Scientific credibility
– Appeals to outside funding
• Case study for other regional/global initiatives
– OECD, SAICM, GRULAC
– GLBTS, Le Paz, NEG/ECP
Vision and Direction for SMOC Initiative
• Fully support the development of strategies for cooperation
• Focus on benefits for Small and Medium size enterprises
• Aggressively tackle emerging chemicals of concern
• Develop linkages for understanding life-cycle approaches
• Strong foundation of information through capacity building
• Expert’s participation and commitment critical to success
• Understand and coordinate with global directions
• Improve North America’s environment and competitiveness through Sound Management of Chemicals
1. Reduce the risk from chemicals of concern2. Develop and implement a sustainable approach to
monitoring 3. Improve environmental performance of sectors,
consider chemical clusters4. Establish a foundation for chemicals management
Path Forward Four Concept Areas
