Toward a Toxics-Free Future

IPEN’s Toxics-Free Future Forum convened in San Francisco, California, USA on the 17th and 18th of November. This event brought together more than 120 environmental, health and human rights leaders from over 50 countries working locally and globally to ensure a just and healthy future for everyone by eliminating harm to human health and the environment from toxic chemicals.    

The IPEN Toxics-Free Future Forum focused on priority and emerging issues within IPEN’s programmatic areas.

In addition to IPEN Participating Organizations attending the Forum, other attendees and speakers included:

• 9 Goldman Prize Recipients
• Leading scientists working in the field of endocrine disrupting chemicals & neurotoxic chemicals

Program Overview:

Change Agents: Collective Impacts, and Future Opportunities to Win

November 17th

Sessions included international speakers, presentations and discussions on:

• Human Rights, Toxic Chemicals and Electronics: The struggle by Korean workers exposed to toxic chemicals at a Samsung electronics factory
• No Safe Level, Reducing Childhood Lead Poisoning: Global Campaign to Eliminate Lead Paint
• The Power of Data, Science to Action: International monitoring of toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants in consumer products, food and humans
• Toxic Energy: The global expansion of fracking
• Promoting Agroecology and Phasing-out Highly Hazardous Pesticides: Global and local efforts to produce safe and healthy food
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: International policy developments

Hye-kyeong Han, former Samsung employee, attended and spoke during the human rights session at the Forum. The session sparked deep engagement among the participants and resulted in an IPEN statement of solidary with the victims in the electronics manufacturing sector. Please watch a video introducing Hye-kyeong Han here. 

Your Right to a Toxics-Free Future: Protecting Human Health & Human Rights

November 18th

Sessions included international speakers, presentations and discussions on:

• Protecting the Developing Brain: The harmful effects of neurotoxic chemicals
• Women’s Rights: Gender & toxic chemicals
• Human Rights: Bridging the human rights & toxic chemicals arenas
• Goldman Prize Winner Perspectives: Panel discussion

The Center for Environmental Health was IPEN’s Local Host Organization for this event: