ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is stepping up efforts to strengthen the safe management of chemicals, improve national chemical governance, and promote the safer handling of hazardous substances, officials at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination said Wednesday.
The officials say the country is aligning its legislative and institutional frameworks with international standards, including global mechanisms for the classification, labelling, and monitoring of chemicals.
Recent policies on hazardous waste, along with upcoming legislation on national chemicals management and specialised regulatory bodies, aim to improve oversight, enhance workplace safety, and promote safe use across agriculture, industry, and consumer markets.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a capacity-building inception workshop on Scaling Up the Implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), Nazia Zaib Ali, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) at the Ministry Ms Ali, who also serves as the National Focal Point for the Global Framework on Chemicals, underlined that Pakistan remained committed to fulfilling its national and international environmental obligations, including those under the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Minamata, Vienna and Montreal Conventions.
She explained that these conventions collectively aim to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and pollutants through international cooperation, standardised regulation, and information-sharing mechanisms.
International organisations supporting the initiative stress that clearer hazard communication, better regulatory coordination, and broader public awareness are essential for reducing chemical-related health and environmental risks.
Pakistan’s focus on capacity-building, data-based regulation, and compliance with multilateral conventions is expected to strengthen supply-chain safety, support sustainable development goals, and help the country respond to industrial, agricultural and public-health challenges linked to hazardous substances.
Strengthening national governance frameworks
Ms Ali emphasised that GHS is an internationally recognised system that classifies chemical hazards and communicates them through standardised labels, pictograms and safety data sheets. Adopted worldwide, it ensures that workers, consumers and communities receive clear and consistent information about risks associated with chemicals.
She outlined key national steps already taken, including the National Hazardous Waste Management Policy (2022) and its implementation plan, alongside upcoming measures such as a National Chemicals Management Policy, a Chemicals Control Act, and establishment of a specialised directorate for hazardous chemicals and waste.
“These efforts reflect Pakistan’s determination to protect human health and the environment from the adverse impacts of chemicals for current and future generations,” she said.
UNITAR partnership and national roadmap
The workshop, organised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in collaboration with UN agencies and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, aims to review existing GHS-related legislation, introduce technical components of the system, assess sector-specific needs, and begin developing a national roadmap specifying regulatory roles, milestones and capacity-building requirements.
“GHS is the basis for the safe use of chemicals. Through product labels and safety data sheets, the communication of hazards helps to ensure chemicals can be used safely and safeguards people’s health and the environment,” said Oliver Wootton, Senior Programme Specialist at UNITAR.
Officials noted that the initiative will also enhance chemicals management across supply chains, improve workplace safety, support compliance with international standards and contribute to Pakistan’s sustainable development goals.
Raising public awareness and improving compliance
The climate change ministry expressed appreciation for UNITAR’s continued partnership and thanked stakeholders for their commitment to advancing a safer and more coherent chemicals-management system in the country.
In his remarks, environmental and climate-change policy advocacy expert and media spokesperson for the ministry, Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, said that raising public and institutional awareness was critical for the effective implementation of GHS and other chemical conventions.
He stressed that informed workers, farmers, industrial operators, and regulators were essential for reducing chemical-related risks. “Stronger awareness, clearer labelling and better compliance with global safety standards are central to preventing accidents and protecting communities from hazardous substances,” Mr Shaikh said.
Mr Shaikh emphasised that international conventions offered Pakistan globally recognised frameworks to modernise chemical governance and reduce environmental and public-health impacts.
“Enhanced outreach, risk communication, and nationwide capacity-building are vital for improving chemical safety in workplaces, agriculture, and consumer markets. Without effective advocacy and public literacy, chemical hazards will remain a challenge to Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen compliance, prevent pollution and safeguard vulnerable communities,” he cautioned.
