SVG seeking to meet international standard for chemical management

Before the first half of 2015 is finished, it is expected that St Vincent and the Grenadines will be up-to-date on the requirements needed to meet the international standard for chemical management.

Like other countries signed on to the Rotterdam Convention, St Vincent and the Grenadines have just begun the second phase of the project, which is to have an updated chemical profile in their country.{{more}}

Last week, Danelle Dhaniram, a representative from the Basel Convention, which is responsible for the technology transfer and training in the Caribbean under the Rotterdam Convention, visited St Vincent and the Grenadines to collate information necessary for the creation of a chemical profile.

“The chemical profile is important, as it serves as a reference document for the country. So, basically, at the end of the day, what I’m trying to do is look at where the country is in terms of chemicals, where the country is in terms of what is important, how its managed, if there are any gaps, how we fill those gaps and how we can move forward in terms of managing chemicals as a Caribbean region,” Dhaniram said.

The Basel Convention representative revealed that so far, various stakeholders in this country have committed to supplying the available information needed to build the chemical profile.

Once this is completed, Dhaniram observed, St Vincent and the Grenadines would have met the obligations under the Rotterdam Convention and will be steps closer to reaching international standards.

“I’m hoping within the next month or two, I can come back with a completed chemical profile and we’re trying to set up what is called a national committee where we have representatives from each agency, each ministry come and sit together on a board when it comes to chemicals in St Vincent,” she said.

Carlos Wilson, the senior environmental health officer and focal point for the Rotterdam Convent- ion, noted that the convention focuses on industrial chemicals and pesticides and “looks at prior informed consent before chemicals are shipped from country of export, to country of import. So you must present information on chemical formulation before the product is exported to the country. so the country, of import makes the decision, based on the information provided, whether the chemical should be imported.”

The first phase of the project began in October 2014 with a workshop, which was used to develop a national framework for chemicals, the sound management of chemicals and helping participants to understand the sound management of industrial chemicals in the Caribbean region.(BK)