Identification of opportunities to develop a regional program for the sound management of PTS        

The DSD evaluated questionnaires sent by the member countries of the Caribbean region, for the preliminary determination of a strategy, to be agreed upon by regional organizations and national authorities represented by the National Coordinators for the project. As part of the work plan, a workshop for the Caribbean region was organized in which countries discussed their respective advances in the management of PTS and discussed priorities, goals and challenges related to the topic, including working towards a Regional Action Plan.

In South America, the Amazonic Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA in Spanish) promoted the proposal of a Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Mercury Contamination in the Amazonic Ecosystems (PAM).

The proposal focused on mercury derived from gold mining activities. It was also agreed upon to create a more comprehensive Plan of Action including all forms of chemical and human induced contamination, working towards true regional chemical protection while guaranteeing the fulfillment of agreements and international initiatives related to chemical protection in the countries of the Amazon Basin.
The DSD identified OTCA’s proposal as an opportunity to develop the Sound Management of Chemicals in the Amazonian region and begun coordination with the Secretariat of OTCA to support this initiative in order to strengthen capacities in the management of mercury contamination and to establish a base for inter-institutional cooperation in the Amazonian countries with regards to the management of hazardous chemicals in general.

In Central America, the member countries of the Central American System of Integration (SICA in Spanish) developed a Regional Policy on Chemical Safety, a Customs Union, and the harmonization of labeling procedures (CAUCA). The  Regional Policy on Chemical Safety was created by the Central American Committee  for Environment and Development (CCAD), which established a technical committee for this purpose.

Within the context of CCAD, the Central American countries also worked towards in a 20-year Regional Plan for the management of PCB. Both for pesticides and for PCB, the DSD has identified the initiative of CCAD also as an opportunity to develop SMOC at the regional level.
At the national level there are also initiatives for SMOC. Among others, Nicaragua works in the approval of a legal reform of the Pesticides Law of 2000, as a first step towards a more comprehensive National Law of Chemical Security. Costa Rica has progressed significantly in the elimination of pesticides, and now is working in the completion of the PCB Inventory, as well as Honduras. Panama published the “National Profile to evaluate the infrastructure for the management of chemical substances” in 2005.

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[1] The OTCA Member States are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela

[2] The SICA member States are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama

[3] Information obtained in personal interviews conducted by OAS/DSD staff  while on official Missions