The first meeting of the Open-Ended Legal and Technical Working Group (OELTWG) of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) convened for its final day on 24 October 2008 at FAO headquarters, in Rome, Italy.
Delegates continued informal discussions on preparations for the second meeting of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM-2) until mid-afternoon.
Delegates continued consideration of emerging policy issues and a Co-Chair’s paper presented by Kateřina Šebková (Czech Republic) (SAICM/InfDisc/CRP.5) on the way forward for addressing emerging policy issues at ICCM-2. Co-Chair Šepková revised this paper (SAICM/InfDisc/CRP.5/Rev.1), which includes a section on immediate actions to select emerging issues to be addressed by ICCM-2, and delegates agreed to it.
Delegates adopted the report (SAICM/InfDisc/L.1) of the informal discussions at 4:30 pm.
During the late afternoon the OELTWG resumed its work on the rules of procedure. A protracted debate ensued on the remaining bracketed sections of the rules of procedure (SAICM/OELTWG.1/CRP.1/Rev.1). Although some progress was made on the composition of the bureau, delegates were unable to reach agreement on the entire text, and as several delegates stated “nothing is agreed, until the whole thing is agreed.” As such, negotiations will continue at ICCM-2, in May 2009.
Delegates adopted the report of the OELTWG and Chair Alvarez gaveled the meeting to a close at 7:07 pm.
