COOPERATION FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF COMMON GOALS: A PROJECT ON CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT WAS LAUNCHED IN BELARUS

The International Technical Assistance Project "GEF-6 Belarus POPs Legacy and Sustainable Chemicals Management" took part in the international seminar that was held on 14 September 2022 on the basis of the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Scientific Practical Centre of Hygiene". 112 interested specialists of different ministries and departments (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Ministry for Emergency Situations, Belneftekhim Concern), scientific organisations and educational establishments, as well as specialists of sanitary and epidemiological service took part in the seminar, which was held in a hybrid format.

The speakers of the event were the international experts of the UNEP Special Programme (United Nations Environment Programme), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Association "Non- commercial partnership" Coordination and Information Center of the CIS Member States for the Approximation of Regulatory Practices", as well as representatives of the ministries and agencies, businesses and non-governmental organisations concerned.

The discussion was focused on chemicals management tools for the National System for the Sound Management of Chemicals: hazard assessment; the Road Map "Towards the Sound Management of Chemicals in the Republic of Belarus" for the period up to 2030; inter-sectoral approaches and the role of different sectors in preparation for the implementation of the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in the Republic of Belarus.

Based on the result of the seminar, the implementation of the project of the UNEP Special Programme and the Ministry of Health was started. The executive organisation will be the Republican Unitary Enterprise "Scientific Practical Centre of Hygiene".

The development of an integrated chemicals management system with the involvement of interested organisations, consideration of different variants and approaches, including harmonisation of existing international practices and regulations of the Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union, are common tasks that will become sustainable cooperation points for the two projects.