A/HRC/30/40 of knowledge about the impact of many chemicals on human health and the environment was a cause for concern.12 10. In 2006, stakeholders of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management acknowledged that there is a lack of clear, accessible, timely and appropriate information on chemicals for ready use by local populations.13 To address that global challenge, the global community adopted the Dubai Declaration on International Chemicals Management, in paragraph 21 of which stakeholders pledged to facilitate public access to appropriate information and knowledge on chemicals throughout their life cycle, including the risks that they pose to human health and the environment. 11. In the Special Rapporteur’s view, the current patchwork of global treaties for chemicals and wastes does not sufficiently require countries to generate and assess information on the production, use or release of potentially hazardous substances for numerous purposes, including in relation to their obligation to respect and protect human rights and to mitigate the negative impacts of these substances on the human rights of individuals and communities. Furthermore, there is no global system to generate or share missing information among all countries. This major shortcoming has resulted in a lack of available information; inability to access information; and not-so-useful information, particularly with respect to the dangers confronting those who are most at risk of harm from hazardous substances and wastes. There remain grave information gaps on numerous substances that are used, produced, released and disposed as waste by industrial and governmental activities.14 12. Information gaps appear to be largest in non-members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Non-OECD members may often have fewer resources for generating and assessing information about hazardous substances, and may also be simultaneously experiencing large increases in the production, import, use and release of hazardous substances and wastes in their territories.15 13. Substances have repeatedly come onto the market, often resulting in widespread human exposure, only to be removed later because of evidence of harm or unreasonable risk emerging. While concerns about toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances are growing, the United Nations Environment Programme states that, of the tens of thousands of chemicals on the market, only a fraction has been thoroughly evaluated to determine their effects on human health and the environment.16 12 13 14 15 16 Commission of the European Communities, White Paper: Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy (2001), p. 4. Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), Overarching Policy Strategy, 2006, para. 8 (b). These include, for example: (a) the number and amount produced and used around the world; (b) hazardous properties, for example the ability to cause cancer, damage reproductive systems or interfere with hormone systems; (c) incidence of adverse effects linked to individual substances and mixtures thereof; (d) adverse impacts of childhood exposure to hazardous substance; (e) disaggregated information regarding the elevated risks to population groups such as minorities and the poor; (f) potential and actual uses; (g) potential and actual exposures; (h) methods for safe handling, storage and disposal; (i) safer substitutes, mitigation measures and other alternatives to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm; (j) amounts released into the air, water and soil, as well as the types and quantities injected underground; (k) transport and travel of substances in and between air, soil and water; (l) contents of everyday products including cosmetics, cleaning products, furniture, building materials, other sources of common, everyday human exposure; (m) enforcement of existing rules and regulations; and (n) information on amounts of waste generated and where it is disposed. UNEP, Global Chemicals Outlook (see footnote 5 above), pp. 13–17. Ibid., p. 20. 5