BANGKOK, 29 November– Environmental justice group BAN Toxics participated at the final Regional Forum of the Swedish-supported program “Towards a Non-Toxic Southeast Asia” in Bangkok, Thailand on Nov. 27-29, 2018. The program was launched in 2007 to reduce chemicals-related risks on health and the environment through better chemicals management in the agriculture and industrial sector and was led by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) with its partners the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Field Alliance and Pesticide Action Network of Asia and the Pacific. The program covers Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.

Highlights of the event include high-level dialogue on chemicals management and human rights; sessions on pesticides/industrial and consumer chemicals; and strategic planning ‘from awareness to action’ among partner countries. BAN Toxics Executive Director, Atty. Richard Gutierrez, served as moderator of the high-level dialogue.

BAN Toxics Executive Director Atty. Richard Gutierrez moderates the high-level dialogue on chemicals management and human rights during the Final Regional Forum for “Towards a Non-Toxic Southeast Asia”.

Since its establishment, regional meetings for “Towards a Non-Toxic Southeast Asia” are held to evaluate progress, share information and experiences, and provide developments in chemicals management among partners. In 2018, program partners once again gathered to summarize the accomplishments and lessons learned from the 10-year collaboration, highlight remaining challenges, as well as to discuss strategies to strengthen chemical management in order to reduce health and environmental risks from pesticides, industrial, and consumer chemicals.


Participants from the Southeast Asian Region joins the event’s photo-op.

BAN Toxics has contributed to the KemI led programme through its work in Cambodia and the Philippines on eliminating mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.