UNEP Chemicals' work: breaking the barriers to information access.
The global production and trade in chemicals was measured at 1.55 trillion US dollars in 1996, four times the amount of 1966. Chemicals represent 14% of imports and exports of OECD countries and the present decade has been characterised by the expansion of the production and use of chemicals in countries with economies in transition and developing countries. While some of these chemicals are benign at the levels we are usually exposed to them, others present risks to human health or the environment often across national boundaries. Failure to safely manage these risks could lead to serious and long-term consequences. The sound management of chemicals requires adequate information about their nature and use as well as their effects and control options. Much of this information can be culled from a variety of sources but that does not guarantee equal access to it by all those who are in need. To achieve equitable information distribution, the chemical unit of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) operates many activities aimed at removing the geographical and technical barriers that prevent the free flow of chemical management information. These activities include the use of assorted media and activities to enhance countries' internal capacity to search and use the information available on the Internet.
Keita-Ouane
Fatoumata
F
UNEP Chemicals, 11-15 Chemin des Anemones, Geneva 11-15, Switzerland. fouane@unep.ch
D002617:Chemical Industry; D003906:Developing Countries; D004782:Environmental Health; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D014116:Toxicology; D014480:United Nations