What are NGOs?

							The Role of the Civil Society
 in GHS Implementation
         Presentation by:
        Rachel Kamande
      PSR – Kenya (IPEN PO)
          What are NGOs?
 NGOs belong to the category of organizations
that are non-profit in nature and therefore not a
part of the business community. They are also,
as the name suggests, not a part of government.
     Like governments however, NGOs are
 intended to work for society’s common good
   and like businesses, they define their own
        agenda. NGOs play an important
    complimentary role to governments and
                   businesses.
What are some of the main functions
            of NGOs?
   To create public awareness on important issues of
    concern;
   To advocate for necessary changes in society or
    society’s ways of doing things;
   To monitor the activities of governments,
    multinational organizations and other powerful
    entities with a view to ensuring good governance;
   To help develop alternative models of development
    that governments’ bureaucracies might not have the
    flexibility to develop but which they (governments)
    could be interested in adopting if proved to be
    successful;
   To help implement programmes especially at
    the grassroots level.
  In Kenya, NGO representation in chemicals
management efforts is evident with most active
   NGOs in issues of chemical safety actively
 participating in sound chemicals management
        activities. The number of NGOs
operating in the area of chemicals management is
       not many but their contributions in
 terms of increased awareness on the need to a
  more integrated approach towards chemicals
     management in both the relevant public
   authorities and various other organizations
                   is exemplary.
      NGOs and Chemical safety
   NGOs work extensively to promote better
    management of chemicals in all sectors.
    They generate guidance and policy, and
    create opportunities for information and
    experience sharing on matters related to
    chemicals regulation. They serve as effective
    advocates, watchdogs, and as effective partners in
    the design and implementation of activities that
    enhance chemical safety.
   The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical
 Safety (IFCS) recognizes the vital role of non-
 governmental organizations (NGOs) in raising
      public awareness and priority setting.
    Involvement of these organizations helps
    create synergies in addressing the various
           global environmental issues.
NGOs have been engaged in the SAICM process
 right from the beginning… we are hoping that
  the process will be successfully concluded in
             Dubai next year (2006).
   Public interest NGOs (international,
    national, regional and local) have a
     critical role to play in influencing
  democratic and popular opinion about
chemical safety and its importance. They
   also have a critical role in helping to
       ensure that the design and the
   implementation of the activities and
 programs are appropriate and effective,
and that the intended results are both well
           designed and achieved.
    PSR – Kenya’s interest in GHS
           implementation
The organization has been and continues to be an
active participant of the International POPs
Elimination Network (IPEN). It co-hosted the
Second NGO Forum on the Inter-governmental
Negotiation Forum (INC2) in Nairobi; and is
currently the regional focal point for East Africa
besides being a member of IPEN’s Coordinating
Committee. We are also members of Health Care
Without Harm (HCWH) and the current Vice
President of International Society of Doctors for
the Environment (ISDE) Africa.
PSR - Kenya is the vice-chair of the
national steering committee on POPs, and
chairs the DDT sub-committee. In
addition, PSR-Kenya has been
instrumental in the development of the
National Chemicals profile and the
national implementation plan for the
Stockholm convention. These initiatives
are vital in paving way for the
implementation of the GHS.
Studies we conducted on the POPs
(Persistent Organic Pollutants) situation
in the country together with other
participating organizations of the
International POPs Elimination Project
(IPEP) revealed that Africa has a lot of
ground to cover with regard to proper
management of chemicals. We also
established that there is urgent need to
develop chemicals information network
within the continent.
                     IPEN
   The International POPs Elimination
    Network (IPEN) links over 350
    organizations on issues related to POPs
    and other chemicals.
   The mission of IPEN, achieved through
    its participating organizations, is to work
    for the global elimination of persistent
    organic pollutants, on an expedited yet
    socially equitable basis.
            The IPEP
The formal title of the IPEP project is
 “Fostering Active and Effective Civil
Society Participation in Preparations for
  Implementation of the Stockholm
 Convention.” The short name being
International POPs Elimination Project.
           IPEP has three goals:
   Encourage and enable NGOs in 40 developing and
    transitional countries to engage in activities that
    provide concrete and immediate contributions to
    country efforts in preparing for the implementation of
    the Stockholm Convention;
   Enhance the skills and knowledge of NGOs to help
    build their capacity as effective stakeholders in the
    Convention implementation process;
   Help establish regional and national NGO
    coordination and capacity in all regions of the world
    in support of longer term efforts to achieve chemical
    safety.
IPEP projects include country situation reports,
 POPs inventories, sampling of breast milk and
eggs, social and economic impact of POPs
pesticides, participation in the National
Implementation Plans, policy briefs and public
awareness material. Findings from these studies
form the basis for analysis of the chemical
situation in the respective countries in order to
 aid in development of strategies for the
Implementation of MEAs.
The Kitengela study within IPEP
Study on a contaminated site (Kitengela obsolete
 pesticides store) in Kenya
(http://www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb/) which
revealed in Kenya there is no national chemical
 hazard communication system and
   regulations/legislation on production,
export/import and use of chemicals are weak.
However, these regulations are being developed
 and therefore the GHS would be very instrumental in
shaping these regulations.
      Other findings from the study
                 include:
   Poor or lack of labeling;
   Lack of criteria for hazards;
   Untrained personnel to man the store;
   Poor disposal methods – “barbequing” of
    the obsolete stocks at KIWM
    “barbeque”!!
Unlabelled Chemicals at the Kitengela Obsolete Pesticide store
         Civil Societies Role in GHS
               implementation
   Awareness creation and dissemination of data
    particularly at the grassroots level (consumer level)
   Identification of gaps within the GHS and providing
    recommendations for amendments
   Monitoring the implementation/compliance of the
    GHS by the governments and other stakeholders that
    have acceded to the use/adoption of the GHS
   Research on hazards of chemicals, and establishing
    the hazard criteria
   assist in assessing the applicability of the GHS
    on chemicals classification and labeling in
    their respective countries prior to adoption;
   influence policies of the national governments
    to adopt/incorporate the GHS by 2008 – the
    target set by the WSSD;
   securing implementation of the Multilateral
    Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in line
    with the provisions of the GHS.
   to define/develop a strategy for effective
    implementation and domestication of the GHS;
   To enhance public participation in GHS
    implementation deliberations and programs
   Generation of relevant data to aid the
    development of a comprehensive chemical
    hazard system commensurate with country
    situation;
   Gap analysis to beef-up the GHS and the
    development of user-friendly tools for risk
    assessment.
     Expected Outputs of NGO
involvement in GHS implementation
   better regulation of chemicals especially in
    developing countries, including better control over
    imports, adherence to packaging and labelling
    requirements, quality controls and product
    registration;
   better management of hazardous chemicals, including
    storage and handling, as a result of monitoring the
    enforcement of GHS compliant standards;
   decentralization of chemical hazard communication
    systems;
   greater awareness of the importance of
    adherence to the GHS standards of chemicals
    classification and labelling. This will result in
    greater attention being given to the way
    hazardous chemicals are handled and clarity
    and comprehensiveness in labelling on the part
    of national authorities, industry, donors and
    others;
   strengthening of national regulations on
    production, export/imports and use of
    chemicals, compliant with the GHS on
    chemicals classification and labeling;
   facilitate/ boost public access to data –
    government agencies vary widely in the extent
    to which they provide the data in a form that is
    usable to any but a small group of experts and
    the level of effort that they require a citizen to
    expend to get the data
    Activities that NGOs can undertake
            to contribute to GHS
               implementation
   Data collection/generation
   Facilitate and call for testing of chemicals
   Risk assessment
   Risk Reduction
   Policy Analysis
   Training and Education
   Monitoring implementation and enforcement
   Development of information exchange
    networks (regional, national and local)
      Challenges facing NGOs in the
       implementation of the GHS
   NGOs albeit high credibility among the public and
    decision makers, need assistance in building
    strategies, training, and even coordination between
    themselves.
   Environmental NGOs face different problems and
    different political systems around the world. NGOs in
    developing countries and countries with economies in
    transition face various challenges like lack of
    resources – financial and technical, conflicts with the
    governments and powerful business interests.
It is encouraging to see that most governments
recognize the significant role of NGOs in GHS
implementation.

Sadly, some evidence also suggests that there are still
other government agencies that are becoming less
willing to work with the NGO community to provide
effective access to information for the public.


                                            END