UNITAR Chemicals and Waste Management Programme
UNITAR’s Chemicals and Waste Management Programme provides support to governments and stakeholders to strengthen their institutional, technical, and legal infrastructure and capacities for sound management of chemicals. The Programme has a rich experience in developing guidance and training material, to support countries’ needs, on topics like national waste management strategies, governance, National Profiles, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), action plan development, mercury, and pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs).
Consistent with its collaborative approach, UNITAR is a member of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) – a collaborative agreement between FAO, ILO, UNDP, UN Environment, UNIDO, UNITAR, WHO, the World Bank and the OECD. Likewise, UNITAR also works closely with recipient and donor countries in order to maximize the impact of its interventions.
Contacts
Jorge Ocaña, as a Manager of the CWM Programme in UNITAR, develops strategies and action plans to assist countries to address challenges posed by chemicals to human health and the environment. More specifically, he has developed guidance materials and strategies to assist countries to assess their national situation on mercury and Persistent Organic Pollutant Management, linking reporting, dissemination of information and access to information under the Minamata and Stockholm Convention to PRTRs.
During his career, Jorge has managed more than 70 chemicals related projects in developing countries and provided technical support on different chemicals management aspects to more than 35 countries. Jorge has also assisted Mexico and Chile to develop and implement their PRTR systems. He has also led and contributed to the development of guidance materials and training modules on PRTRs. Jorge has been recently appointed as the Chair of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals for the period 2017. He holds a Degree on Biology and a Masters on Social Sciences and he is fluent in English, Spanish and French.
Contact information: jorge.ocana@unitar.org
Oliver Wootton supports UNITAR’s Chemicals and Waste Management Programme by coordinating communications with implementing agencies for the mercury portfolio. He also coordinates UNITAR’s work on nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), and the Ban Amendment to the Basel Convention.
He has six years’ experience in international chemicals and waste management topics, including in the SAICM secretariat, and previously spent worked in Malawi working on climate change and sustainable agriculture. He holds a Master in Business Strategy and the Environment. He is a native English speaker, but can also be contacted in French and Spanish.
Contact information: oliver.wootton@unitar.org
Sofia Schlezak is a Project Assistant at UNITAR. She supports the coordination of MEAs Ratification and Implementation projects and develops training for countries that are working on strengthening their chemical management systems. For about seven years Sofía has been involved in studies and activities related to hazardous chemicals and waste, including industrial chemicals, pesticides, e-waste, and specific chemicals such as mercury, PCB and other POPs. She served the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in Argentina and provided technical assistance to different organizations including UNEP and the OECD. She holds a BSc Degree in Chemical Engineering (Argentina) and a MSc Degree in Humanitarian Engineering and Science (United States). “
Contact information: sofia.schlezak@unitar.org
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