The IPEN Francophone Africa Hub, Centre de Recherche et d’Education pour le Développement (CREPD) organized its second regional meeting from the 30thto 31stMay 2019 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The last Francophone Africa Regional meeting took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon in December 2016. This meeting was an opportunity to share experiences and build the capacities of Participating Organizations (POs). The meeting was attended by POs from the Francophone Africa region, the Regional Coordinators of the Anglophone Africa and North Africa & Middle East hubs, and an IPEN Co-Chair.
The International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action is an annual event held every fourth week of October to raise awareness about the hazards of lead and lead paint. In 2018, events to mark the week were held in at least 50 countries. Of these, thirty-five events were organized by IPEN NGOs in 32 countries.
Regional Workshop for Central and Eastern Europe 19-20 March 2019, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Friday, 29 March 2019
IPENers from ten countries participated in a regional workshop organized by UNEP on the theme of promoting regulatory and voluntary action by government and industry to phase out lead in paint. IPEN's work, together with its participating organizations, was highlighted throughout the workshop, including presentations of the role of civil society, paint studies conducted in the region and working with SMEs to facilitate the phase out of lead from paint. Activities to eliminate lead paint by Greenwomen in Kazakhstan and Mama-86 in Ukraine were also presented, along with with information shared from the floor by several IPEN POs. Group discussions during the second day of the workshop provided additional opportunities for IPENers to provide their experiences and expertise in order to develop national approaches mapping out how new regulations on lead paint could be adopted, or existing ones strengthened.
Public Interest Organizations Cheer “Big Win” for Health and the Environment
Thursday, 07 March 2019
Press Release
Gothenburg, Sweden A European Commission decision to allow a Canadian company to sell pigments for paints containing highly dangerous chemicals has today been deemed illegal.
Environmental organisations have welcomed a ruling by the Tribunal of the EU that overturns the authorisation granted to Dominion Colour Corporation (DCC) to supply red and yellow lead chromate pigments to European markets.
IPEN and its partner organisations are continuing the fight against the use of lead chromates in paints.
The legal challenge brought in 2017 by IPEN, the International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec), ClientEarth and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is still ongoing. The case challenges a decision of the European Commission allowing the use of two highly hazardous pigments in road markings and painting industrial machines.
