27 October 2011, Nairobi – Kenya held its National Forum on chemicals management on 27 October 2011 with the participation of UNITAR. The project “Strengthening Capacities in Kenya for National SAICM Implementation” is implemented at the national level by the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR), with technical support provided by UNITAR and financial support from the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management’s (SAICM) Quick Start Programme Trust Fund.

Some seventy participants from civil society, public, and private sectors were given an overview of the project undertaken in Kenya from May 2009 to October 2011. Detailed presentations were given on the main outcomes; the National Policy for Chemicals Management; terms of reference for an interministerial coordinating mechanism; the National SAICM Implementation Plan; and, a feasibility study for the development of a national chemicals management database, which were developed as part of the project. In addition, the National Chemicals Management Profile and a National SAICM Capacity Assessment were also discussed.

As the project “Strengthening Capacities in Kenya for National SAICM Implementation” will be coming to a close in the next few weeks, the next steps for SAICM implementation at the national level were also discussed as well as proposals for possible future partnership projects.