22 to 23 August 2011, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles - The implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was identified by Seychelles as a priority issue in its Capacity Assessment.

Given the low level of knowledge on GHS in the country, UNITAR was invited to facilitate a workshop on this issue. The GHS Workshop that was held in Victoria from 22 to 23 August 2011 was attended by over 40 participants representing a range of stakeholder groups, including government, industry, and civil society.

As a result of the workshop, participants improved their understanding of GHS, its structure, implications, and its relationship to other management instruments. Moreover, they gained a good insight into how each stakeholder group can contribute towards GHS implementation.

A key issue that was discussed was the relationship between GHS in general and provisions related to transport. Another issue of interest was regional cooperation in the field of GHS, namely within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Seychelles will draft an Action Plan on GHS Implementation over the next few months. This activity is being undertaken in the context of a two-year project on national implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), supported by the SAICM Quick Start Programme Trust Fund (QSPTF).