This brief examines how far countries have come in implementing the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in national legislation, and explores policy options to increase implementation.
A decade after the agreed target year, the majority of UN member countries have not yet implemented the GHS in national legislation. As of April 2017, research shows that rules aligned with the GHS had been fully implemented in national legislation in 50 countries, partially implemented in 15 countries, and not yet implemented in 128 member countries. There is distinct regional variation in the implementation, with national implementation lacking to a striking degree in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
The brief examines the implementation gap and points to multiple factors underlying it. Most of these are linked either to capacity to implement a complex system such as the GHS, or to the motivations of countries to introduce the GHS in national legislation. Low regulatory capacity and low GDP per capita emerged as key factors.
The author proposes a range of measures to support implementation, including:
The brief draws on a recent paper published in the journal Sustainability.
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