10-13 December 2007

Purpose of the Meeting

The Governing Body of the ILO at its 292nd Session (March 2005) decided to hold a Meeting of Experts to Examine Instruments, Knowledge, Advocacy, Technical Cooperation and International Collaboration as Tools with a view to Developing a Policy Framework for Hazardous Substances. At its 297th Session (November 2006) the Governing Body decided that the purpose of the Meeting of Experts would be to discuss how ILO instruments and other tools concerning occupational safety and health and hazardous substances could be best incorporated into a new policy framework and action plan.

In line with the decisions taken in November 2006, the ILO prepared a background information paper as a basis for its discussion in order to facilitate adoption of a Policy Framework for Hazardous Substances. The paper is available in English, French and Spanish. The paper discusses how ILO instruments and other tools concerning occupational safety and health and hazardous substances could be best incorporated into a Policy Framework for Hazardous Substances. Such a Policy Framework could take into account major ongoing international, regional and national activities in the context of sound management of chemicals, in particular the ILO's Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health and proposed revision of standards related to single chemical substances, the Convention concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health, 2006 (No. 187) and the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System for the Clarification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

Final Report

The Final Report provides a summary of the debates as well as the evaluation questionnaire and the list of participants.

Sectoral Activities Programme

This Meeting of Experts is part of the ILO's Sectoral Activities Programme.

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