Dr Hellen Mbaya, Agriculture and Regulatory Advisor at the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention reflects on the inaugural Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG-1) of the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) held in Punta del Este, Uruguay. She discusses the progress of the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides and its implications for pesticide suicide prevention.
*Warning: This article discusses suicidal behaviour. If you have questions on self-harm or feel suicidal, use this link to find an international helpline.*
CPSP team with colleagues from partner organisations in Uruguay.
This year, my colleagues and I had the privilege of representing the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention at the first Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG-1) for the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
This was an important meeting and the first step in shaping how this ambitious framework will be implemented globally.
Having worked in the field of agricultural biotechnology and as a regulator in Kenya, I am aware of the challenges and opportunities in implementing initiatives across a large country, and was interested in seeing what the outcomes would be from this event in a global context.
Our interest in the Global Framework lies primarily in its potential to prevent deaths by phasing out the most toxic pesticides.
This can be seen in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal which have already reduced pesticide-related deaths through regulation and bans.
We were also interested in how the Open-Ended Working Group could develop clear ways to measure success and monitor progress on phase outs, emerging policy issues around chemical safety concerns, as well as looking at ways to strengthen health surveillance systems and supporting the establishment of the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides.
What stood out most to me was the active participation, interest and openness among a wide range of stakeholders including government officials, academia, civil society organisations and the chemical industry representatives who came together to share ideas on how the Framework could work in practice.
With so many voices and diverse perspectives, implementing the Global Framework on Chemicals won’t be easy.
But I was inspired by this spirit of collaboration which is essential if we’re to succeed in saving lives, protecting people, and moving towards a healthier sustainable chemically-safe future.
Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (GAHHPs): A Step Forward.
Although there were many important topics discussed at the Open-Ended Working Group, one of the greatest priorities for CPSP was moving forward with establishing the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (GAHHPs).
This initiative stems from Resolution V/11, adopted at ICCM5 (the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management) in Bonn, Germany, in September 2023 to facilitate implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals target on global phase out of highly hazardous pesticides by 2035 (Target A7).
The resolution called for a voluntary multi-sector and multi-stakeholder alliance to coordinate global efforts to phase out highly hazardous pesticides in agriculture and replace them with safer alternatives.
The Open-Ended Working Group discussions about the Alliance spanned two key sessions – a plenary and a lunchtime event co-hosted by a dedicated UN task force.
A number of stakeholders, including CPSP and CEJAD, strongly urged stakeholders at the meeting to accelerate the process of establishing the Global Alliance without further delay to protect human health and the environment from the harms caused by highly hazardous pesticides and the need to ensure that the alliance remains inclusive and transparent.
Key themes included:
- Broadening support for moving the Alliance forward.
- The need for an inclusive and collaborative governance structure.
- The importance of developing a monitoring framework.
- Ensuring sufficient financial and technical support from stakeholders and the Global Framework on Chemicals Fund.
Shweta Dabholkar delivered a statement on behalf of CPSP and CEJAD calling for:
- Strong representation from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Clear timelines and measurable outcomes.
- A fully operational Alliance in time for the first Global Framework on Chemicals conference (IC-1) in 2026.
The official launch of the Alliance is planned for 2026 at IC-1 of Global Framework on Chemicals with membership expected to open in early 2026.
Gamini Manuweera and Shweta Dabholkar from CPSP at the Open-Ended Working Group meeting in Uruguay
The Voice of Reason: Small Steps Make a Big Difference
Speaking on behalf of both CPSP and CEJAD, Shweta Dabholkar, CPSP’s Project and Policy Officer, acknowledged the solid groundwork laid by FAO and the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) for the Alliance.
She also drew attention to the global human cost of pesticide poisoning, stressing the urgent need to translate policy into action.
You can read Shweta’s full statement here.
The Reality Check: Fast Forward
Over 150,000 people die from pesticide poisoning, with the majority of these deaths occurring in low- and-middle-income countries.
Many of these are a result of intentional self-poisoning.
Some 20 per cent of global suicides are a result of pesticide poisoning. The most efficient way to reduce these deaths is through regulation, as can be seen in several countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China and Nepal.
A recent WHO report warned that the world is not on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG) target of reducing suicides by one-third, so we need to start acting immediately.
WHO also endorses restricting access to highly hazardous pesticides as a highly cost-effective suicide prevention strategy, as it can save thousands of lives through a simple policy change with minimal costs and no harm to agricultural productivity.
This urgency underscores the importance of the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides in achieving Target A7 of the Global Framework on Chemicals.
What is the role of the Alliance?
Members of the Alliance are expected to play key roles in:
- Identifying and regulating highly hazardous pesticides at national levels.
- Promoting safer alternatives.
- Supporting evidence-based decision making.
- Strengthening the capacity of governments and institutions for pesticide management.
Encouraging Global Support for the Alliance
At the Open-Ended Working Group, it was inspiring to see support from so many countries and stakeholders for the Global Alliance.
The EU backed the initiative and suggested developing measurable indicators.
Various organisations representing children and young people called for dedicated youth seats on the advisory council of the Global Alliance, while South Africa emphasised the need for a detailed action plan, funding strategy, and community-inclusive monitoring.
The US advocated for International Conference oversight and voluntary participation, PAN Germany sought clear timelines for establishing the Alliance and IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network) stressed the need for multi-sectoral governance and long‑term financing. Brazil highlighted the need for equitable access to safer alternatives.
My colleagues and I were pleased that the consensus was for the Alliance to move forward with only slight delays to the UN proposed timelines to allow for greater engagement with interested stakeholders.
This approach ensures that the Alliance is inclusive and keeps the momentum going whilst accommodating different national interests, making it stronger, more transparent and better aligned with phasing out toxic pesticides globally.
We very much look forward to the Alliance being launched at IC-1 next year.
Key Highlights and other topics of discussion
Discussions at the Open-Ended Working Group were wide ranging and at times challenging, but also very meaningful, hopeful and inspiring, ranging from discussions on which indicators to use to measure progress in phasing out highly hazardous pesticides and taking stock of progress on the tasks set for IC-1, to exchanging ideas and views on ways to ensure effective implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals.
Some of the moments that resonated with me related to how the Global Framework on Chemicals will work in practice and how real collaboration among diverse voices can make it meaningful.
Given our primary focus is on reducing pesticide suicides, which are strongly linked to the use of highly hazardous pesticides, my colleagues and I were especially encouraged to see the following four issues discussed and highlighted, as they are essential to our work:
- Launching a Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) to help phase out the world’s most highly toxic pesticides where risks have not been managed, especially in farming, and to support countries to find safer alternatives. This is a priority for us which I outlined earlier.
- Choosing which ‘chemicals of concern’ to focus on: There were good discussions on which harmful chemicals the world should first focus on like lethal pesticides or substances that cause health and environmental problems.
- Stocktaking and gap identification in indicators: Discussions focused on how to measure progress and identify gaps in existing data. We would like to see suicide-related metrics included so that reductions in pesticide poisoning – particularly from self-poisoning – can be systematically tracked to see how well countries are doing.
- Ways to build skills and support for safer chemical use: The Open Ended Working Group explored ways to help countries, especially those with fewer resources, to improve their skills, systems and knowledge they need to manage chemicals safely.
While these four areas are our main focus, we are also supportive of the broader discussions that took place such as engaging more industry in how chemicals are used and managed in sectors like healthcare and construction, improving funding via a Global Framework on Chemicals fund, mobilising additional resources and developing clear guidelines for national representatives on their roles and how their countries can implement the framework.
CPSP was represented at the Open-Ended Working Group by Shweta Dabholkar, Hellen Mbaya, Gamini Manuweera and Fredrick Otieno and Griffins Ochieng from CEJAD.
Further information
The below two documents outline the details in establishing the Global Alliance on highly hazardous pesticides.
- GFC Meeting document with proposed actions UNEP/GFC/OEWG.1/10),
- Note by the Secretariat containing a report on the establishment of a global alliance on highly hazardous pesticides. (UNEP/GFC/OEWG.1/INF/14)
The meeting document proposes two actions that may be taken by the Open-Ended Working Group:
- Requesting that the Global Framework on Chemicals acknowledges the ongoing work to establish the Global Alliance.
- The UN organisations helping to establish the Alliance invite all interested stakeholders to contribute to the further development of the proposed operational framework, as outlined in document UNEP/GFC/OEWG.1/INF/14.
About the author:
Dr Hellen Mbaya is an Agriculture and Regulatory Advisor at the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention. Her work involves leading on and supporting country activities around understanding of pesticide poisoning, enhancing capacity of pesticide regulators through trainings on HHPs or the Pesticide Registration toolkit and building a community of practice (CoP) for regulators where they can share best practices as well as improve regional and national oversight of pesticides.
Prior to coming to Edinburgh, she worked in Kenya as Biosafety Officer for the National Biosafety Authority, a government parastatal that regulates activities involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya.
She has a PhD in Agriculture and Food Security focusing on Regulation, Traceability and Stakeholder engagement for Genome Editing Technology. She also has an undergraduate degree was in Microbiology and a Masters in Molecular Biology.