ABOUT THE OECD AND THE IOMC
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation in which representatives of 30 industrialised countries (from Europe, North America, and the Pacific) and the European Commission meet to co-ordinate and harmonise policies, discuss issues of mutual interest, and work together to respond to international concerns. Most of the OECD's work is carried out by more than 200 specialised committees and subsidiary groups made up of member country delegates. Observers from several countries with special status at the OECD, and from interested international organisations, attend many of the OECD's meetings. Committees and subsidiary groups are served by the OECD Secretariat, located in Paris, France, which is organised into Directorates and Divisions.
The work of the OECD related to chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response is carried out by the Working Group on Chemical Accidents (WGCA), with Secretariat support from the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Division of the Environment Directorate.
The objectives of the Chemical Accidents Programme include development of guidance materials related to chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response, exchange of information and experience, and analysis of specific issues of mutual concern in OECD member countries. In this context, more than fifteen workshops and special sessions have been held since 1989.
As part of its work on chemical accidents, the OECD has issued several Council Decisions and Recommendations (the former legally binding on member countries), as well as numerous Guidance Documents and technical reports. In particular, the OECD has published the 2nd edition of the Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response (2003). Additional publications include Guidance Concerning Chemical Safety in Port Areas (a joint effort with the IMO); Guidance Concerning Health Aspects of Chemical Accidents; the joint OECD/UNEP/OCHA International Directory of Emergency Response Centres; and reports of the various workshops.
This publication was produced within the framework of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC). The IOMC was established in 1995 by UNEP, ILO, FAO, WHO, UNIDO and the OECD (the Participating Organisations), following recommendations made by the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development to strengthen co-operation and increase international co-ordination in the field of chemical safety. UNITAR joined the IOMC in 1997 to become the seventh Participating Organisation. The purpose of the IOMC is to promote co-ordination of the policies and activities pursued by the Participating Organisations, jointly or separately, to achieve the sound management of chemicals in relation to human health and the environment.
Obtaining OECD Publications: The Guidance on Safety Performance Indicators and the OECD Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response are available electronically, at no charge. For the complete text of this and many other EHS publications, consult the OECD's web page (www.oecd.org/ehs/) or contact: OECD Environment Directorate (Environment, Health and Safety Division), 2 rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France. Fax: (33) 1 45 24 16 75. E-mail: ehscont@oecd.org.
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