The first edition of the Global Chemicals Outlook was published in February 2013 as the first comprehensive global overview of issues and challenges related to the sound management of chemicals. It assessed the status of health, environmental, economic and institutional factors related to the production, use and disposal of chemicals, with a focus on issues relevant to developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
At its twenty-seventh session (being its first session with universal membership), held on 18-22 February 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum welcomed the Global Chemicals Outlook, recognized the significance of its findings, and “requested the Executive Director to continue work on the GCO, particularly in areas where data were found to be lacking or inadequate, and to enhance transparency through regionally balanced stakeholder involvement, inter alia, with a view to developing in the future a tool for assessing progress towards the achievement of the sound management of chemicals and hazardous wastes, including the existing 2020 goal1, taking into account and building upon other existing sources of information”.