Environmental organisations play an important role in the global effort to achieve a toxic-free environment. Not least in the Global South, local groups often play a unique role by actively raising awareness and campaigning, and by setting requirements for local and national decision makers. "Civil society" is becoming increasingly important in negotiations and is recognized as a key player to achieve change. Like never before, NGOs must work together and be involved on a broad front. Between 2006 and 2008, ChemSec cooperated with and gave support to NGOs in the Global South, mainly in Africa, and in Eastern Europe.

Capacity-building workshop with Eastern Europe NGOs

Together with three environmental NGOs, FRI (Belarus), EcoAccord (Russia) and Mama86 (Ukraine), ChemSec arranged a capacity-building workshop in Stockholm, Sweden in December 2007. The idea for a workshop was raised by the partner organisations after having identified needs for capacity building for NGOs working for safer chemicals management in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The workshop was built on previous projects and studies carried out in each country. It focused on chemicals regulation in relation to SAICM and REACH, as well as solutions to the hazards of leaking obsolete chemicals frequently found in storage sites in the three countries.

"NGO Skillshare on Heavy Metals" workshop in Tanzania

In November 2008 ChemSec co-organized an "NGO Skillshare on Heavy Metals" together with environmental organisation AGENDA in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The workshop gathered a total of 40 participants from 14 countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Indonesia, the Philippines and the US. During the workshop participants shared knowledge on the environmental and health effects of the heavy metals mercury, lead and cadmium. Also discussed were measures for controlling and regulating heavy metals, as well as experiences from NGO projects and campaigns.

Toxics from a poverty and human rights perspective

A perfect example of cooperation with other NGOS was the a small-grant funding programme, which ChemSec carried out jointly with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. Its aim was to strengthen NGOs in their work with problems related to chemicals from a poverty- and human rights based perspective. Support was provided to activities and projects relating to preventing and reducing effects of toxic chemicals and promoting safer chemical management within the field of industrial chemicals (i.e not agrochemicals) and chemicals in products. Funding was provided to civil society organisations such as environmental NGOs, consumer-, women- and human rights groups as well as labor unions and other organisations active on toxic chemical issues. The programme was carried out with resources from the Swedish Chemicals Agency.

From 2009 and onwards, this funding programme will be carried out solely by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, and ChemSec will focus its efforts on policy issues and sharing its expertise within the field. Further on, ChemSec will assess needs for other types of support and develop new working methods based on its outcome. During 2009 ChemSec will also continue working with other partnerships to support the work of NGOs, this includes cooperation with the IPEN network and supporting SAICM implementation in East Africa.