CSOs meet in Serbia to discuss SAICM project

A final conference related to the project “Capacity Building and Strategic Partnership for Chemicals safety in the Republic of Serbia“ was performed on the 31st of October in Belgrade.

The UN office in Serbia hosted more than 45 participants who took part in the event full with detailed presentations, discussions and outcomes of the 1.5 year project. Steliana Nedera, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Serbia opened the event and gave the floor to the CSOs involved in the project implementation both from the Serbian and international side. The Serbian NGO ALHem presented the outcomes of their “Fight to Know campaign“ and the role of CSOs on the topic of chemicals safety in Serbia. Our Bistra Mihaylova presented the role of CSOs on chemicals safety in EU. The presentation concentrated on the recent top topics such as EDCs criteria for the pesticides and biocides regulation, integration of nanomaterials in REACH, circular economy, etc. Follow up activities and awareness raising on the right to know campaign and SVHCs in products were also mentioned.

Representatives of different institutions and Ministries in the Western Balkans such as the Institute of Public Health (Albania), Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (Republic of Serbia), Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism (Montenegro) and Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (Macedonia) gave their input in terms of chemicals safety in their countries and regional outcomes. The role of CSOs in the Balkan countries was presented by NGOs from Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. The conference built capacity and strengthened cooperation between government agencies, NGOs, and other civil society sectors, in terms of legislation, enforcement and partnerships for chemical safety, in particular harmful chemicals in products.