Joint Statement of Intent regarding Cooperation in the Field of Risk Assessment and Management of Existing Industrial Chemicals

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

The Department of Health of Canada and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, hereinafter jointly referred to as the "Participants",

Declare their intent to explore cooperation between Australia and Canada on risk assessment and management of existing industrial chemicals.

Such cooperation is in keeping with each Government's wish to optimally protect human health through effective chemical assessment and management that advances safe and sustainable use of industrial chemicals, responds to emerging issues and concerns, and supports innovation. It builds on existing cooperation between Australia and Canada on new industrial chemicals and is in line with international efforts for countries to share and learn from each others' expertise in managing industrial chemicals.

Together, the Participants will explore opportunities to share best practices and identify common challenges in addressing environmental health issues related to assessing and managing existing industrial chemicals. Collaboration may lead to such results as co-development of innovative assessment tools and methodologies, exchange of personnel, and, when appropriate, adoption of similar practices and approaches.

The anticipated benefits of collaboration include:

For both Governments - prompt and effective management of industrial chemical issues, better use of existing resources, reduced duplication of assessment effort, greater access to expertise and knowledge, and stronger stakeholder relations;

For their people - access to better safety information for a greater number of industrial chemicals in use, safer use of industrial chemicals, improved health outcomes, and informed and active engagement in chemicals safety issues; and

For industry - better use of resources, reduced complexity of processes, easier regulatory compliance, enhanced consumer confidence, and increased knowledge of available industrial chemicals.

This Joint Statement will become effective on the date of signing.

Signed in duplicate in Sydney on this 24^th day of August, 2007, in the English and French languages, each version being equally valid.