Ms. Viveka Bohn has played a prominent role in multilateral negotiations, including environmental treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Her leadership has been especially evident in global efforts to ensure chemical safety, which has been increasingly recognized as a key cross-cutting issue in the pursuit of sustainable development.

She is also being recognized for her work on chemicals with the adoption of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) by the international community. This important new global policy framework will catalyse and guide efforts to achieve the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation goal of sound management of chemicals by 2020. As President of the Preparatory Committee for the Development of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, she was central to this body’s evolution and was instrumental in its finalization at the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in Dubai in February 2006.

As head of the Swedish project secretariat for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, Ms. Bohn worked tirelessly on issues related to sustainable consumption and production, and the fruits of her labour were recognized when she was elected co-chair of the Marrakech process.