The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (hereinafter: the IFCS) was established in 1994 in Stockholm with the aim of coordinating global efforts and connecting governmental and intergovernmental organizations to pool powers to fulfil common objectives when it comes to chemicals. The initiative to set up the IFCS springs from Chapter 19 Agenda 21 of United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) from Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Governments of IFCS participating countries adopted recommendations for 6 programme areas from Rio, not least because they had committed themselves in Rio to enhance chemical safety. This is a list of all 6 programme areas:

1.       Expansion and promotion of international assessment of risks caused by chemicals
2.       International harmonization of classification and labelling of chemicals
3.       Information exchange on toxic chemicals and chemicals risks
4.       Formulation of risk reduction programmes
5.       National capacity building for safe chemicals management
6.       Prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic and hazardous materials
 
The first meeting of the IFCS took place in April 1994 in the framework of the International Conference on Chemical Safety (hereinafter: the ICCS), in Stockholm, Sweden. Representative from as many as 114 countries participated in this conference, together with UN representatives and those of IGOs and NGOs. The ICCS agreed that the IFCS should be considered a wide and innovative alliance of all partners, ranging from governments, public focus and interest groups, scientific and academic communities as well as international organizations dealing with chemicals , and what is more, that the IFCS will be intended for creating new ideas and proposals for managing chemicals risks internationally.
 
The IFCS fulfils its mission through:

• the Secretariat,
• Ad hoc working groups,
• regional groups,
• its Standing Committee  (25 representatives of all regions, NGOs and IOMC organisations),
• its sessions/forums (Forum I within ICCS, Sweden, 1994; Forum II – 2nd  IFSC meeting, Canada, 1997; Forum III – Partnership for Global Chemical Safety, Brazil, 2000; Forum IV – Chemical Safety in the Vulnerable World, Thailand, 2003; Forum V – Chemical Safety for Sustainable Development, Hungary, 2006) ,
• national contact points and functionaries (IFCS chairman and 5 vice-chairmen),
• regional groups.
   
  

The IFCS Standing Committee consists of 25 regional representatives, NGO representatives and IOMC organisations. It provides advice and assistance in managing the process of preparations for Forum meetings, monitors progress on the work of the IFCS, assists with regional efforts, and serves as a mechanism for the IFCS to effectively and efficiently initiate the process for the IFCS to respond to new developments and issues as they emerge.

Regionally, IFCS representatives coming from 5 IFCS regions (Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and other groups) are tasked to promote the IFCS, convene regional meetings and offering regional contributions for any forthcoming sessions. The main achievement of the IFCS in the past years has been SAICM adopted in February 2006 in Dubai. SAICM aims at setting up a global system for protection against negative impacts of chemicals. At the last 5th IFCS session taking place between 25. 9. - 29. 9. 2006 in Budapest, Hungary, Slovenia was elected as a vice-chairing IFCS country from Central and Eastern Europe.

What is more, IFCS chairman Zoltan Szabo has sent the Ministry of the Exterior with a communication suggesting that the Government of the Republic of Slovenia appoints an IFCS vice-chairman for CEE to hold their mandate until IFCS 6th session taking place in 2009 in Senegal.

Following this recommendation, the Government of the RS, at its 104th regular session as at  11. 1. 2007, under item 7.5 adopted the decision No. 50102-1/2007/3, and appointed Marta Ciraj PhD, National Chemicals Bureau Director, for the IFCS vice-chaiperson for the CEE region.

Membership in the IFCS is voluntary, and the membership fee is not fixed either, but is recommended according to the size and economic clout of each member state. Being a relatively small and medium-developed country; Slovenia has had many benefits in its IFCS cooperation, therefore it decided in 2008 to voluntary contribute 8 000 EUR of annual membership fee to the IFCS. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia, at its 122nd regular session on May 24th 2007 also adopted a decision that Slovenia shall make an annual voluntary membership fee contribution to the IFCS amounting to 8 000 EUR in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In doing so, Slovenia will in addition to its other activities also make a financial contribution towards efforts to increase chemical safety in the region.