At its first session, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 4 to 6 February 2006, the International Conference on Chemicals Management adopted the Dubai Declaration on International Chemicals Management and the Overarching Policy Strategy. The Conference also recommended the use and further development of the Global Plan of Action as a working tool and guidance document. Together these three documents constitute the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management.

The first session of the Conference and the process to develop the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management were co-convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS). The participating organizations of IOMC are the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UNEP, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank joined the IOMC participating organizations and IFCS in a steering committee established to oversee the Strategic Approach development process.

In its resolution I/1, the International Conference on Chemicals Management commended the Strategic Approach to the attention of the governing bodies of relevant organizations and encouraged them to endorse or otherwise
appropriately acknowledge the Strategic Approach with a view to incorporating its objectives into their programmes of work within their mandates. In addition, the Conference requested UNEP to establis responsibility for the Strategic Approach secretariat.

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