IFCS/FSC/06.05 rev1
65TH FORUM STANDING COMMITTEE TELECONFERENCE
24 JANUARY 2006
FINAL MEETING REPORT
PARTICIPANTS
Member: Officer/Government/Organization
Participants & Advisors
President:
President’s office:
President’s Special
Advisers:
Thailand
Thailand
Dr S. Wibulpoprasert
Ms P. Silkavuth
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1
Sweden
Canada
Japan
Dr G. Bengtsson
Mr R. Hickman
Ms Yumiko Nomura
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Tanzania
Prof. J. Katima
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Adviser to VP Africa:
Nigeria
Mrs A. Olanipekun
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Asia & Pacific:
Philippines
Dr E. Nieto
Ms D. Narvarez
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1
CEE:
Russian Federation
Prof. B. Kurlyandskiy
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LAC:
Chile
Mr J. Monreal Urrutia
WEOG:
U.S.A.
Mr C. Auer
Mr C. Blunck
Mr J. Shoaff
Mr W. Allen
Ms A. Bandemehr
Vice-Presidents:
Africa:
Participated
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Past President:
Brazil
Mr H. Cavalcanti
Africa Region:
Guinea
Zimbabwe
Mr M. Sylla
Ms N.F. Mondoh
Asia & Pacific:
Fiji
Iran
China
Ms V. Naidu
Mr S. Mousavi (for
Ambassador S.S.R. Tabatabaei)
Ms Wenchao Zang
Kazakhstan
Slovenia
Mr Z. Bekzhanov
Dr M. Ciraj
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Costa Rica
Suriname
Ing F. Paredes
Dr J.F.M. De Kom
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CEE:
LAC:
1
Absent
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partial
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WEOG:
Australia
Canada
IOMC
Chair, IOCC:
IOMC organizations
NGOs
FORUM IV host::
IFCS Secretariat:
Dr Barry Reville
Mr Lee Eeles
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Germany
Dr S. Clarkson
Dr M. Brownstein
Prof. Dr. U. Schlottmann
Dr M. Dreyer
Dr G. Karlaganis
OECD
Dr R. Visser
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IOMC Secretariat
Dr T. Meredith
Ms C. Vickers
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UNEP
UNIDO
Dr M. Gubb
Mr M. Eisa
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Industry
Public Interest
Ms K. Kunzer
Dr R. Quijano
Mr J. Weinberg
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Labour
Mr Bjorn Erikson
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Science
Dr Irma Makalinao
Prof. R. Awang
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Hungary
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1
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Prof. G. Ungvary
Dr Aranka Hudak
Dr J.A. Stober
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IFCS/FSC/06.05 rev1
3.0
Introduction
The President welcomed members and other participants to the teleconference. He announced the designation
of Dr Barry Reville as the new representative from the Australian Government representing the WEOG. The
President informed members that Prof. Dr. Gyory Ungvary has retired and his replacement on the FSC will be
designated shortly by the Ministry of Health, Hungary. The President thanked Prof Ungavry for his outstanding
support and contributions to IFCS and chemical safety at all levels. He said that due to his efforts notable
advancements have been made in numerous areas internationally, regionally & nationally. The President called
Prof Ungvary "a true Champion of Chemical Safety".
3.1
Acceptance of Agenda (IFCS/FSC/06.01 rev 1)
The provisional agenda was adopted with 2 proposed additions under Other Business: Senior Executive Service
(U. Schlottmann) and Heavy Metal Side Event at Forum V (G. Karlaganis).
3.2
Acceptance of Record of 64th Meeting (IFCS/FSC/05.34rev1)
The revised draft record of the 63rd meeting was accepted.
4.0
SAICM - ICCM Organization and Arrangements
M. Gubb updated the FSC on the organizational arrangements for ICCM. Over 500 participants have registered,
600 to 650 in total are expected. To date 40 ministers have registered but more are expected as there will be 90
for UNEP GC. Ninety percent or more of the ministers are from the environment sector. It is expected that the
Conference will break early into a Committee of the Whole for 2 days then reconvene in Conference on the third
day for the high level sessions. Outstanding language versions of official documents are expected to be available
soon. Two additional information documents are being prepared by UNEP and not yet available. These are on
the UNEP Mercury Partnerships and Future SAICM Secretariat Budget.
In response to questions, M. Gubb stated that the SAICM secretariat has not received much information on
potential Bureau members. The regional groups have been encouraged to take into account the high level nature
of the ICCM and to decide on nominations during regional meetings to be held on 3 February 2006. The SAICM
secretariat has no specific information on whether or not regional meetings will be open to the participation of
NGOs and IGOs, but anticipates the same flexibility as in past PrepComs. The SAICM secretariat has not yet
offered to brief regional groups on the outcome of PrepCom3 and the interim work, but will do so when they brief
the current Bureau.
5.0
Forum V Planning
5.1
Opening Session
The President reported that the WG on the Opening Session for Forum V held a teleconference on 16 January.
The invitation to Prof Wangari to deliver the keynote Opening address at Forum V has been responded to with
positive interest. In anticipation of her attendance at the UNEP meetings in Dubai, the president has written to
Prof Wangari proposing they meet in Dubai for follow-up discussions. As host of Forum V, the Government of
Hungary has been invited to designate a representative to the Opening Session WG.
5.2

Plenary/Decision Items
Consolidated International Data Base on Hazardous Properties of Substances. (IFCS/FSC/06.03)
B. Kurlyandskiy provided an update on the WG efforts to date. He stated that the proposal was to establish the
database under the auspices of an IGO stressing that it was to be comprehensive and not just limited to HPV
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chemicals. M. Ciraj introduced the draft paper which she had prepared based on input from ongoing discussions
and a paper provided by a representative of the French Government at SAICM PrepCom3. FSC members
provided a number of comments on the draft and were requested to send them to the WG in writing. U.
Schlottmann noting the complexities of discussing the proposal ion a teleconference, requested that the proposal
be discussed in detail at the FSC meeting in March in Budapest. He stated that he was not convinced that an
additional effort beyond the OECD portal was needed. Gunnar Bengtsson agreed with Ulrich Schlottmann that
there is a strong need to have an in-depth discussion of even major points at the Budapest meeting. R. Visser
clarified that the work to establish the OECD HPV Portal was focusing initially on HPV chemicals, but plans were
to include other chemicals at a later date. B. Erkison proposed that the proposal include linkages to safety data
sheets as these were the first line of communication in the workplace. B. Kurlyandskiy objected to this request
stating that the proposal for the repository was limited to toxicity data. The draft proposal will be revised by the
WG taking into account the comments and information to be provided by FSC members. The revised version will
be discussed at the FSC meeting in Budapest. NGO industry and USA will designate individuals to participate in
the WG.

Thought Starter on MDGs as a plenary item
The President has not yet contact Professor Jeffrey Sachs ( Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on the
Millennium Development Goals and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University) to invite him to be a
keynote speaker and/or prepare a paper for plenary on the role of chemical safety in achieving the MDGs. He is
awaiting assistance to communicate with J. Sachs through a mutual colleague.

Future of IFCS Working Group
G. Karlaganis, WG Chair, informed the FSC that he plans on convening an informal side meeting during the
ICCM in Dubai to start initial brainstorming and discussions. He requested members of the WG to inform him and
the secretariat if they would be in Dubai. A teleconference will be scheduled later in February after the ICCM and
a draft paper prepared for the FSC meeting in Budapest. Designations to the WG by Australia and the USA are
awaited; both representatives agreed to submit designations within the next several days. As agreed by the FSC
during its last teleconference, invitations to participate have been sent to the Governments of Argentina and
Japan. Replies are awaited.

GHS - response to President's letter to ECOSOC Sub-Committee
The Secretariat informed the FSC that to date, no response has been received to the July 2005 letter of the IFCS
President to the Chair, UNECE GHS Subcommittee. Informal communications from UNITAR indicate that the
letter was not presented to the UNECE GHS Subcommittee for its consideration, but that the UNITAR
Programme Advisory Committee (PAG) considered the letter and would be responding. R. Visser agreed to
follow-up with UNITAR.
6.0
Financial Report (IFCS/FSC/06.04)
The Secretariat presented the report detailing of financial situation. As result of the generous additional 2005
contributions from Germany, Sweden and Switzerland and the 2006 early contribution from Germany as well as
other pledges, the IFCS Trust Fund balance is now at a sufficient level to cover Secretariat staff costs through
Forum V and minimal operating costs. The current urgent funding need is for designated contributions (350 000
USD estimated) to cover Forum V twinning costs.
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IFCS/FSC/06.05 rev1
7.0

Other Business
Senior Professor Service for Sustainability and Chemical Safety
U. Schlottmann informed the FSC that the project "Senior Professor Service for Sustainability and Chemical
Safety" has been selected by a German jury as one of the official German decade projects of the UN-Decade
"education for a sustainable development". An English description of the project, which is being supported by the
German Chemical Society, was sent to the IFCS Secretariat for distribution to the FSC. This project responding
to the proposal made by C. Djerassi in his keynote address at Forum IV, was presented at the FCS meeting in
Bonn in June 2004 and the FCS expressed its support for this initiative as a contribution to IFCS efforts.

Side Events
Heavy Metals
G. Karlaganis informed the FSC that a brief draft thought starter outlining the proposed objective and content of
the side event had been prepared and distributed to WG members for their comments and suggestion. The side
event is planned for 23 September 2006 the day before the start of Forum V. An informal side meeting is
planned in Dubai during the ICCM to discuss the proposal. A WG teleconference is schedule for 27 February and
a complete plan including a detailed agenda will be provided for the FSC meeting in Budapest in March.
Additional WG members were welcomed. U. Schlottmann proposed that the side event be held during Forum V
rather than the day before.
ICCM - financial support for IFCS VPs to attend
J. Weinberg asked if the IFCS would be able to provide financial support for the IFCS VP's participation in the
ICCM. The Secretariat said that priority needed to be given to providing travel support for the FSC meeting in
Budapest and Forum V and regrettably there were not sufficient funds to support participation at ICCM. It had
been hoped that the IFCS VP's would be nominated by their governments for support from UNEP, particularly in
light of the cost sharing advantage of holding the ICCM back to back with the UNEP GC.
Other matters
L. Eeles conveyed apologies from B. Reville who was unable to participate in the teleconference due to a conflict
in schedules.
9.0
Next Meeting
6 March 2006 12h00 GMT
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