This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DAVID BROWN (OES/ENV) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ETRD ECON PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: SAICM DEMARCHE DELIVERED 
 
REF: STATE 011460 
 
¶1.  Requested demarche on the February 4-6 International 
Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) and the Strategic 
Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was 
delivered on January 27 to Enid Chaverri, the Environment 
Ministry's Acting Director of the Office for International 
Cooperation.  Chaverri said that Costa Rica intended to 
coordinate its positions on the issues raised with other 
countries through GRULAC.  Chaverri described herself as a 
believer in SAICM to manage the multiplicity of international 
agreements related to chemicals management and their 
occasional contradictions (eg., ozone and climate change). 
In practical terms, she looked to SAICM to address the 
transversal themes that occur within these many international 
conventions; provide a common direction for the manner in 
which they are to be implemented; and ground actions to be 
taken under these agreements.  She flagged the challenge 
facing Costa Rica's Environment Ministry, a "green-issue" 
organization new to the chemical management agenda, to 
prevail on the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, 
traditional managers of Costa Rican policy on chemicals, to 
take on the board the approaches developed through SAICM. 
With regard to specific points raised in the demarche: 
 
--  Costa Rica will follow GRULAC's lead on the choice of 
texts to be negotiated - a discussion which has yet to occur. 
 Chaverri undertook to review Overarching Policy Strategy 
paragraphs 14(d) and 15(c). 
 
--  Precaution and scope:  Chaverri opined that most 
participants would not expect SAICM to produce an agreement 
that would seek to reopen or alter obligations incurred under 
other agreements.  In her view, most would look instead to 
SAIC to promote harmony in the implementation of the numerous 
(and occasionally inconsistent) agreements. 
 
-- Savings clause:  Chaverri had no immediate reaction to 
this point. 
 
-- Global Plan of Action (GPA):  Chaverri described 
differences over the GPA as a cultural matter, with some 
countries feeling compelled to seek recognition for their 
perceived needs by placing them on the record.  Although as 
yet there is no Costa Rican position on the point, her 
personal assessment is that the GPA is more of a toolkit than 
a strategy, and that the situation is so different country to 
country that it could not serve well as a strategy. The 
document and its purposes may well change through additional 
discussion. 
 
¶2.  Ms Chaverri will be accompanied to SAICM by Costa Rica's 
Customs Laboratory Director.  Note:  Chaverri supervises 
Ronald Vargas, one of two regional co-points of contact for 
the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade 
Areement (CAFTA-DR) and the related Environmental Cooperation 
Agreement.  End note. 
LANGDALE