November 2011, Lomé, Togo – A National SAICM Planning and Inception Workshop was held from 9 to 10 November 2011 with the participation of UNITAR. The objectives of the workshop were to raise awareness about the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and to launch and plan the activities of the national project for the implementation of SAICM (“Enabling Activities for the Development of a SAICM Implementation Plan within an Integrated National Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Supporting GHS Capacity Building in the Togolese Republic”).  The project aims to strengthen the national capacity to implement SAICM through the updating of the National Profile to Assess Infrastructure and Capacity Needs for Chemicals Management, the strengthening of national governance mechanisms for intersectoral cooperation and information exchange on chemicals management, the development of a National SAICM Implementation Plan, and the undertaking of enabling activities for the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of chemicals (GHS).
 

Some 35 participants from public and private sectors, civil society, and academia were given presentations on SAICM and the international context for sound chemicals management, followed by presentations on key project activities. The workshop represented an opportunity for in-depth discussion and planning on project implementation and specific roles and responsibilities to be played by the different stakeholders. The National SAICM Planning and Inception Workshop was hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources of Togo, with technical support provided by UNITAR, and financial support provided by SAICM’s Quick Start Programme Trust Fund.