International Organizations
Environmental Emergencies Section, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
| Country | Switzerland | Information provider | Y |
| International | X | Advice provider | Y |
| Regional Centre | Response capability | Y | |
| Government | 24 Hour service | Y | |
| Commercial | Subscription required | N |
Fax: +41 22 917 0257
Description: The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit is available for urgent assistance on a 24-hour a day, 7 day a week basis through OCHA’s established emergency hotline to assist those in need. The Unit is responsible for the provision of practical assistance to countries affected by environmental disasters such as chemical and oil spills, industrial and technological accidents, forest fires and other sudden-onset emergencies that cause or threaten environmental damage leading to potentially serious health and environmental implications. This programme is implemented in a number of ways. Permanent monitoring of emergencies, prompt notification of the international community, brokerage of bilateral assistance, swift mobilization of multilateral assistance and the deployment of experts for emergency assessments are all activities undertaken by the Unit to assist countries impacted by environmental emergency events. The major beneficiaries of this project are Governments of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, particularly those undergoing rapid industrial development with correspondingly limited capacity to respond to environmental incidents. The focus of the Joint Unit's activities is in the mobilization of international environmental assistance and the provision of initial assessment and post-emergency analysis. As a specific tool, the Joint Environment Unit has developed a global network of officially designated National Focal Points (NFPs) that serve as the conduit for accessing information and accessing assistance. To improve emergency procedures and to rapidly identify response needs during an incident, a standard Notification/Request Form for Assistance has been developed and made available to National Focal Points and UNDP Resident Representatives in all countries.
The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)
| Country | Switzerland | Information provider | Y |
| International | X | Advice provider | Y |
| Regional Centre | Response capability | Y | |
| Government | X | 24 Hour service | Y |
| Commercial | Subscription required | N |
Email: ipcsmail@who.int
Web site: www.who.int/ipcs/en
Description: The IPCS is a joint programme of three international organisations: International Labour Organisation (ILO), European Network of Environmental Professionals (ENEP) and World Health Organization (WHO), implementing activities related to chemical safety. The WHO PCS Chemical Alert and Response Team identifies, alerts, tracks and where appropriate coordinates a response to chemical incidents and emergencies on a global basis. The aim of this is to strengthen capacity in countries, particularly developing countries and those in economic transition, to deal with chemical incidents and emergencies. The Chemical Alert and Response Team alerts, tracks and, where appropriate, coordinates a response to chemical incidents and emergencies on a global basis. In addition to coordinating a response to chemical incidents, PCS and experts within the network can rapidly respond to requests for assistance from Member States. In fact in the last twelve months work has been undertaken in conjunction with Regional Offices. Building a global network of partners was an essential first step in strengthening international cooperation for alert and response to chemical events. This network is called ChemiNet and was set up in response to the need for strengthening international cooperation in chemical incident reporting, verification, investigation and response. Members of ChemiNet include Poisons Centres, WHO Collaborating Centres, departments at WHO HQ, in regions and countries, analytical laboratories and academic institutions, as well as individual consultants and experts.