Successful Lead Paint Elimination Side Event Held in Geneva

IPEN, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, U.S. Environment Protection Agency and United Nations Environment Programme, held a successful side event at the 2nd Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG2) meeting for the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) titled: "Global Lead Paint Elimination by 2020: Where Are We At and What Will it Take to Succeed?." The event included presentations that informed attendees about the organization, mandate and work of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint; the serious health consequences of ingesting or inhaling lead, which can be lifelong; and the work that IPEN has done to promote the elimination of lead paint worldwide, in particular IPEN's Asia and Africa projects.

On that subject, Gilbert Kuepouo from the IPEN Participating Organization CREPD shared information about project activities in Cameroon. Additionally, Philippines delegate Geri Geronimo Sañez was a special guest at the side event, and informed the audience about the recent chemical control order passed in the Philippines that prohibits lead in decorative paint above 90 parts per million (ppm), the protective goal for lead in paint recommended by IPEN.

For more information on IPEN's work on lead in paint, see our Eliminating Lead in Paint page. An additional resource specifically related to the SAICM process is IPEN's booklet: Global Lead Paint Elimination by 2020: A Test of the Effectiveness of SAICM.

For more information on IPEN's activities at the OEWG2, see our OEWG2 page.