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Welcome to the National Profile Homepage
Countries all over the world have embarked on the preparation of National Chemicals Management Profiles with the involvement of a wide range of national stakeholders, following the recommendations issued by the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and based on the UNITAR/IOMC National Profile Guidance Document which was published in 1996. A second edition of the guidance document was issued in 2012 (entitled “Preparing a National Profile to Assess Infrastructure and Capacity Needs for Chemicals Management”). This new edition takes into account developments that have taken place since the first edition and lessons learned in countries as they have developed National Profiles; more comprehensively covers the entire life cycle of chemicals management; and integrates the most effective parts of the 2007 IOMC National SAICM Capacity Assessment methodology into this revised National Profile guidance.
Many governments, organisations, and individuals have expressed an interest to access National Profiles from countries around the world. The countries listed on this page are participating in the UNITAR/ECB project to promote the dissemination of National Profiles on the Internet. Other countries are encouraged to officially communicate to UNITAR their interest in having their National Profiles electronically published on this website. Please click on a country below to view its National Profile.
UNITAR would like to acknowledge the generous contributions provided by the European Commission, SAICM Quick Start Programme Trust Fund, and the following countries towards supporting the preparation of National Profiles in developing countries and countries with economies in transition: Australia, Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.
What is a National Profile?
A National Profile:
- can become an official national reference document, providing a clear picture of the national legal, institutional, administrative, and technical infrastructure for national chemicals management;
- may assist in the identification of infrastructure-related strengths, weaknesses, and gaps, as well as priority needs for national action and external technical assistance; and
- could provide a nationally-recognised information base against which progress may be judged in meeting specific national or international targets.
In developing countries and countries with economies in transition, National Profiles have served as a useful basis for identifying national chemicals management priorities and for initiating targeted and coordinated follow-up action. In countries with advanced national chemical management schemes, National Profiles have pulled together, into one single document, a wide range of information about national activities and programmes in the area of national chemicals management and thus contribute both to the national and international exchange of information about these activities.
National Profile development/updating is recognised as a key element of SAICM implementation and is endorsed by three important SAICM documents: the Overarching Policy Strategy (OPS), the Global Plan of Action (GPA), and the ICCM Resolution that sets out the strategic priorities of the Quick Start Programme. |
