International organisations usually cover intergovernmental institutions, such as the United Nations family and this chapter will cover regional and other international institutions including related non-governmental organisations. Those that have had significant influence on asbestos related diseases are looked into detail.
The United Nations family of organisations include the main United Nations (UN), International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Many other UN-related institutions have further contributed to programmes on asbestos related diseases in joint bodies such as International Programme on Chemical Safety (ILO, WHO, UNEP), Inter-Organisation Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).
Non-governmental organisations include international Workers’ organisations such as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and Employers’ organisations (IEA), organisations and associations that have formal links with UN institutions listed above, such as International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA), International Social Security Association (ISSA), International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI), Collegium Ramazzini. Further institutions that have had a less positive impact on global asbestos policies include manufacturers’ organisations, such as the International Chrysotile Association located in Canada.
The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has made detailed estimates on asbestos-caused deaths, disability adjusted life years (DALYs), and years of lost life (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) in every country of the world.
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Workers’ rights and toxic exposures (HRC 2018). Baskut Tuncak.
Human Rights Council. In: A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations. 2010, p. 329–36.
2018 Human Rights Council Report on Workers’ Rights and Toxic Exposures
International Labour Organisation. Resolution concerning asbestos. 2006.
ILO, WHO. Thirteenth Session of the Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health. Report of the Committee. 2003;(JCOH/XIII/D.4):20.
ILO, WHO. Outline for the Development of National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases. ILO, WHO. 2007, p. 9–12.
Development of National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases
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GBD 2019 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020 Oct 17;396(10258):1223–49. PMID: 33069327