Chemicals and Health Branch, Economy Division of United Nations Environment Programme

The Chemicals and Health Branch works to minimize the adverse effects of chemicals on human health and the environment. It is the focal point of UNEP activities on chemicals issues and the main catalytic force in the UN system for concerted global action on the environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals. More

Areas of cooperation between the Secretariat and the Chemicals and Health Branch are, among others:

  •  Monitoring of POPs: The Secretariat and the Chemicals and Health Branch jointly implement with WHO the Global Human Milk Survey to generate human biomonitoring data on POPs within the framework of the Stockholm Convention's Global Monitoring Plan.
  • Development and updating of guidelines and guidance: The Chemicals and Health Branch takes part, among others, in the Stockholm Convention's processes related to the updating of the Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Releases of Dioxins, Furans and Other Unintentional POPs and of the guidelines and guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices; 
  • Technical assistance and capacity-building activities, as well as financial resources, for the three conventions. 
In addition, the Secretariat participates in the following Chemicals and Health Branch-led activities:
    • The Global Mercury Partnership, within the framework of the Basel Convention; which is a voluntary and collaborative relationship between various parties, governmental, non-governmental, public and private to protect human health and the global environment from the release of mercury and its compounds.
    • The PCB Elimination Network (PEN), within the framework of the Stockholm and Basel conventions. The PEN is a collaborative framework to enhance information exchange among stakeholders from different sectors to promote the environmentally sound management of PCBs. UNEP took over the administration and implementation of the PEN in 2012, upon the invitation of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (decision SC-5/7).
    • The Global Alliance for Alternatives to DDT, within the framework of the Stockholm Convention. The Global Alliance is a global partnership aiming at promoting the development and deployment of alternative products, methods and strategies to DDT for disease vector control. UNEP took over the administration and implementation of the DDT Global Alliance in 2012, upon the invitation of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (decision SC-5/6).
Cooperation with the Chemicals and Health Branch also takes place under the joint task force on programmatic cooperation among the Chemicals and Health Branch, and the secretariats of the BRS conventions, the Minamata Convention and SAICM, which was established in 2014 and reinvigorated in 2018 with updated terms of reference.