VZCZCXRO9761
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHBR #0235 0331007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021007Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4408
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4275
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1454
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6258
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0001
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3765
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5201
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6028
RUCPDO/USDOC WASHDC

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
OES FOR DBROWN/CJACKSON 
DUBAI FOR USG DELEGATION 
STATE PASS USTR 
USDOC FOR 4332/ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC/JANDERSEN/ADRISCOLL/MWAR D 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USCS/OIO/WH/RD/DDEVITO/DANDERSON/EOL SON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD SENV BR
SUBJECT:  Brazil: Demarche on SAICM Issues 
 
Ref:  A) STATE 11460  B) 05 Brasilia 2463 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On January 31, Econoff delivered ref A talking points to 
(Jose) Rafael Azeredo, Chief of the Foreign Ministry's Division on 
Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development and the Brazilian 
head of delegation to the final negotiations of the Strategic 
Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) in Dubai 
February 4-6. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Azeredo made the following points: 
 
--   Documents for meeting:  Brazil's preference is to use the SAICM 
President's redrafts of the three "outcome documents" as the basis 
for final negotiation in the Dubai meeting.  However, the GoB 
understands that this may not be acceptable to all countries, 
particularly those that did not participate in a "Friends of the 
Chair" gathering in Geneva, and the President will have to be 
sensitive to this.  While preferring the President's redrafts as the 
basis for discussion, Azeredo agreed that the substance of what was 
negotiated in Prepcom3 needs to be preserved. 
 
--  Precaution:  Brazil as well does not support any attempt to 
reinterpret or expand upon any of the Principle and Approaches 
agreed to at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.  The GoB would only 
support text that makes reference to Rio Principle 15 as it 
currently exists. 
 
--   Scope:  The GoB agrees that the SAICM scope should be focused 
on chemicals, and that products such as food additives and 
pharmaceuticals should be excluded.  However, Azeredo raised concern 
over how this could be accomplished.  He characterized the issue as 
primarily one of language; care would have to be taken so that the 
text to exclude food additives and pharmaceuticals would not 
inadvertently exclude the chemicals which are inputs for these 
products. 
 
--   Savings Clause:  The GoB understands the USG concern.  However, 
since SAICM is voluntary, the GoB does not believe a Savings Clause 
is legally necessary to ensure that it does not affect the 
interpretation or application of international 
agreements/obligations.  Furthermore, Azeredo asserted that 
delegations, including Brazil, worry that overstatement of the 
voluntary nature of the SAICM in the text will diminish the 
political impact of the SAICM domestically, undermining the efforts 
of national authorities to use it to improve chemical management, 
particularly in developing countries.  In other words, by inserting 
repetitive language pointing to the instruments voluntary nature, it 
will lead leaders/authorities to conclude that the SAICM is of 
little value. 
 
--   Global Plan of Action (GPA):  Azeredo asserted the usefulness 
of the GPA, particularly for developing countries which do not have 
much experience with chemicals management, and noted that it is not 
mandatory since it is part of a voluntary instrument.  However, he 
acknowledged that presentation of the plan should make clear that it 
was not negotiated and that it is simply a listing. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Azeredo took the opportunity to raise "financial 
considerations" as an extremely important issue from Brazil's 
perspective.  Even  though SAICM is voluntary, Azeredo said it will 
hopefully generate actions within developing countries to improve 
chemicals management.  Those actions and investments entail a cost 
and the SAICM text will need to include a clear statement on how 
these improvements will be financed.  Azeredo said that countries 
want to reach the 2020 goal for chemical management, but that 
commitment appears hollow if countries avoid grappling with the 
financing issue.  Azeredo said he understood that some delegations 
within the G-77 might not endorse the final SAICM text should it not 
include language on financing. 
 
CHICOLA