• Overview
  • Background
  • Documents

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) co-leads the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (or Lead Paint Alliance) with the World Health Organization (WHO). The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is the Chair of the Alliance Advisory Council. In collaboration with US EPA, UNEP conducted a webinar on compliance and enforcement issues related to lead paint laws.

When: Tuesday 22 October 2024 - 1-3pm CET

Where: Online Webex

Objectives of the webinar:

  • Highlight the importance of promoting compliance and effective enforcement among countries that are developing or implementing a lead paint law;
  • Provide guidance on how governments can enforce a lead paint law;
  • Provide guidance to paint industry stakeholders on how to comply with a lead paint law;
  • Provide the opportunity to ask questions of technical experts;
  • Provide the opportunity for participants to share information about their experiences with ensuring compliance with a lead paint law;
  • Provide country case studies about compliance and enforcement in low- and middle-income countries.

Target Audiences:

  • Governments: representatives from the Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Health or select Ministry responsible for drafting and administering lead paint laws,
  • Standards Bureau Officials, policy makers;
  • Nongovernmental organizations/Representatives of the civil society;
  • Industry: paint companies and country and regional industry association representatives.

Webinar Moderator: Ms. Angela Bandemehr, US EPA Office of International Affairs

Working Language: English 

Agenda:

  1. Welcome (2 min.)
  2. Lead Paint Law Compliance and Enforcement Guidance presentation (28 min.), Mr. Steve Wolfson, US EPA Office of General Counsel, and Ms. Kenzie Poole, Office of International Affairs
  3. Questions and Answers (30 min.)
  4. Panel: Case Studies of lead paint law enforcement (30 min.
    • Vietnam: Mr. Le Viet Thang, Deputy Chief of Administrative Office, Vietnam Chemicals Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade (10 min.)
    • Kenya: Ms. Anne Jael Omedi, Quality Assurance Officer, Kenya Bureau of Standards (10 min.)
    • Guyana: Ms. Trecia David, Registrar, Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (10 min.)
  5. Questions and Answers (30 min.)
  6. Closing

The key priority of the Lead Paint Alliance is to promote establishing lead paint laws in all countries through appropriate national regulatory frameworks to stop the manufacture, import and sale of lead paint. To help countries enforce these laws, the Alliance developed Lead Paint Law Compliance and Enforcement Guidance. The Guidance development was supported by the UNEP Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Global Environment Facility-funded (GEF) Project Component 3 on Knowledge Management. It is available in all UN languages.

The Guidance can help countries continue to draft, develop, finalize, and effectively implement lead paint laws. Often countries in the final stages of drafting laws encounter questions and concerns about how the law will be implemented, which may cause a delay in their finalization. This Guidance has the potential to help countries address concerns resulting in more finalized lead paint laws.

The Guidance is one of many tools of the Alliance that can be used to facilitate lead paint law compliance and enforcement. The Model Law and Guidance for Regulating Lead Paint provides guidance for the design of lead paint laws with compliance and enforcement in mind, including options for documenting and monitoring compliance through conformity declarations and lead paint testing. Lead Paint Reformulation Technical Guidelines provide information on how to substitute for lead-free ingredients in paint. UNEP and the University of Capetown also conducted two Lead in Paint Community of Practice discussions on compliance and enforcement.

As many countries develop laws to eliminate lead paint and gain experience with compliance and enforcement, this webinar provides an in-depth overview of the best practices for compliance and enforcement of lead paint laws.

Recording of the webinar can be found here with transcript in (currently available only in English)

Presentations made at the meeting can be found here