Interministerial Coordination

Overview

Strengthening coordination can help to avoid duplication of efforts and may lead to more efficient use of scarce resources. Coordination can also catalyse joint decision-making and, in the longer term, result in more coherent national policies. In response to requests from countries to learn about the different experiences and approaches to national coordination, UNITAR has developed guidance to assist countries.

Activities

Preliminary guidance has been developed by UNITAR and was tested as a component of projects in Ecuador, Senegal, and Sri Lanka under the Programme "Developing and Sustaining an Integrated National Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals."

A Thematic Workshop on the topic of Strengthening Interministerial Coordination for the Sound Management of Chemicals, held in Geneva in 2002, looked at innovative approaches on this topic and put forward a set of recommendations to faciliate the strengthening of interministerial coordination.

Policy Recommendations

During its Third Session in Bahia, Brazil, October 2000, the IFCS recommended that "Countries should increase their efforts to systematically develop and integrated and coordinated approach to manage chemicals safely".

It also recommended that "By 2002, all countries should have designated an appropriate contact point (IFCS National Focal Point) and have established and intersectoral coordinating effort".

Guidance Document

UNITAR has developed guidance entitled Interministerial Coordination for the Sound Management of Chemicals - Guidance Note. To view/download the guidance please click here.