United Nations Regulatory News

On 25 September 2025, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its Best Practice Guide on Chemical Data Sharing Between Companies. The guide aims to help organisat...

On 25 September 2025, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its Best Practice Guide on Chemical Data Sharing Between Companies. The guide aims to help organisations share chemical information efficiently and responsibly, thereby supporting regulatory compliance, innovation, and safety across the supply chain.

Practical Recommendations for Industry

Developed as part of the OECD’s ongoing work on chemicals management, the guide provides practical recommendations for companies on how to exchange data while protecting confidential business information and respecting intellectual property rights. It outlines key principles to improve transparency, data quality, and trust between participating companies.

Promoting Efficiency and Collaboration

The publication highlights various data-sharing models, such as consortia, data intermediaries, and databanks, and describes governance structures and agreements that can facilitate collaboration. It also addresses challenges related to data format harmonisation, ownership, and the handling of sensitive information.

By promoting effective data sharing, the OECD aims to reduce the duplication of testing, lower industry costs, and accelerate chemical risk assessments. Improved cooperation is expected to benefit both large and small enterprises, helping them meet regulatory obligations, such as those under REACH and similar global frameworks.

The Best Practice Guide on Chemical Data Sharing Between Companies is available here.

Update: On 15 September 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published the twenty-fourth revised edition of the UN Model Regulations (UN Orange Book Rev. 24) i.e. Model Re...

Update: On 15 September 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published the twenty-fourth revised edition of the UN Model Regulations (UN Orange Book Rev. 24) i.e. Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on the portal. The electronic version of UN Model Regulations Rev. 24 is available online for free consultation in two official UN languages (English and French). Both volume I and volume II of UN orange book are published on the portal.

Original Text:

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. These amendments to the twenty-third revised edition of the Model Regulations were approved by the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the GHS at its twelfth session on 6 December 2024, and will form the basis of the upcoming 24th revised edition.  

Earlier Update in August 2023  

Previously on 10 August 2023, the UNECE released the 23rd revised edition of the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on its official portal. More details can be found here.   

Key Updates from the UN Orange Book 2025 

• Revised provisions for hybrid batteries containing both lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells, with new entries for batteries in equipment and cargo transport units. 
• Updated references to the latest ISO standards. 
• New allowance for the use of recycled plastic materials in flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs). 
• Clarified packaging requirements for solids that may become liquid during transport. 
• Introduced provisions for the transport of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). 
• New rules for salvage pressure receptacles, based on maximum pressure-volume (pV) product. 
• Added provisions for the classification of energetic samples. 
• Exemptions for packaging small quantities of environmentally hazardous liquid substances. 
• Defined requirements for FRP service equipment used in portable tanks, covering design, construction, inspection, and testing. 

The electronic version of 24th revised edition of the Model Regulation will be available for free on the portal in September 2025.  

Update: On 12 September 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published the eleventh revised edition of the GHS (GHS Rev. 11) i.e. Globally Harmonized System of Classifica...

Update: On 12 September 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published the eleventh revised edition of the GHS (GHS Rev. 11) i.e. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals on the portal. The electronic version of GHS Rev. 11 is available online for free consultation in three official UN languages (English, French, and Spanish).

Original Text:

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The amendments to the tenth revised edition of the GHS were approved by the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the GHS at its twelfth session on 6 December 2024. They will form the basis of the upcoming eleventh revised edition of the GHS. 

The tenth revised edition of the GHS was released on 27 July 2023 on the UNECE portal. More details can be found here. 

Key Updates from the UN Purple Book 2025  

The electronic version of GHS Rev. 11 will be available for free on the portal in September 2025. 

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).  The amendments t...

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).  The amendments to the tenth revised edition of the GHS were approved by the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the GHS at its twelfth session on 6 December 2024. They will form the basis of the upcoming eleventh revised edition of the GHS. 

The tenth revised edition of the GHS was released on 27 July 2023 on the UNECE portal. More details can be found here. 

Key Updates from the UN Purple Book 2025  

• Aerosols and Chemicals under Pressure (Chapter 2.3): 
  New provisions provide clearer criteria for the classification of aerosols and chemicals under pressure, ensuring consistency in hazard communication. 

• Skin Sensitization (Chapter 3.4): 
  Introduces new guidance supporting classification based on non-animal test methods, advancing animal-free toxicology approaches. 

• Global Warming Hazards (Chapter 4.2): 
  Classification criteria are added for substances and mixtures that are hazardous due to their contribution to global warming, reflecting environmental hazard concerns. 

• Precautionary Statements: 
  Enhanced rationalization of precautionary statements to improve clarity for users and usability for labelling professionals. 

• Annex 11 – Simple Asphyxiants: 
  A new section provides guidance for identifying simple asphyxiants to help ensure their proper recognition and risk management. 

The electronic version of GHS Rev. 11 will be available for free on the portal in September 2025. 

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. These amendments to the twenty-third revis...

On 16 July 2025, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced amendments to the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. These amendments to the twenty-third revised edition of the Model Regulations were approved by the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the GHS at its twelfth session on 6 December 2024, and will form the basis of the upcoming 24th revised edition.  

Earlier Update in August 2023  

Previously on 10 August 2023, the UNECE released the 23rd revised edition of the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on its official portal. More details can be found here.   

Key Updates from the UN Orange Book 2025 

• Revised provisions for hybrid batteries containing both lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells, with new entries for batteries in equipment and cargo transport units. 

• Updated references to the latest ISO standards. 

• New allowance for the use of recycled plastic materials in flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs). 

• Clarified packaging requirements for solids that may become liquid during transport. 

• Introduced provisions for the transport of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). 

• New rules for salvage pressure receptacles, based on maximum pressure-volume (pV) product. 

• Added provisions for the classification of energetic samples. 

• Exemptions for packaging small quantities of environmentally hazardous liquid substances. 

• Defined requirements for FRP service equipment used in portable tanks, covering design, construction, inspection, and testing. 

The electronic version of 24th revised edition of the Model Regulation will be available for free on the portal in September 2025.  

On 25 June 2025, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published 56 new, updated, and corrected Test Guidelines for the testing of chemicals. These guidelines, available in...

On 25 June 2025, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published 56 new, updated, and corrected Test Guidelines for the testing of chemicals. These guidelines, available in both English and French, aim to ensure that chemical safety testing remains aligned with scientific progress and best practices. The update also strengthens the application of the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (3Rs) principles on animal testing, ensuring that the resulting data remains covered by the OECD Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) framework in all member and adhering countries.

Key Highlights of the 2025 Update

• New Test Guideline on Mason Bees:

The update introduces Test No. 254: Mason bees (Osmia sp.), Acute Contact Toxicity Test, marking the first OECD test guideline dedicated to solitary bee species. This test complements existing honeybee assessments and supports pollinator protection efforts.

• Omics Data Collection Integrated into Several Tests:

Seven existing guidelines have been updated to permit the collection of tissue samples for omics analysis, thereby supporting molecular-level toxicity assessments. The affected tests include:

• • Test No. 203 (Fish, Acute Toxicity Test)

  • Test No. 210 (Fish, Early-life Stage Toxicity Test)

  • Test No. 236 (Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test)

  • Test Nos. 407, 408, 421, and 422 (Various rodent toxicity and reproductive screening tests)

• New Defined Approach for Eye Irritation from Surfactants:
  Test No. 467 has been updated to include a defined approach tailored for surfactant chemicals. Test No. 491 now features the new STE 0.5 method as part of this approach.

• Enhanced Skin Sensitisation Assessments:
  Test No. 497 now allows in vitro and in chemico methods (TG 442C, 442D, and 442E) as alternative sources of information and introduces a new defined approach for determining points of departure in skin sensitisation studies.

• Additional Notable Updates and Corrections:

  • Analytical clarifications (Test No. 239)

  • Removal of the EpiSkin™ model from Test Nos. 431 and 439

  • Addition of a new IL-2Luc LTT assay (Test No. 444A)

  • Further guidance on eye histopathology (Test No. 437)

  • Sub-categorisation in skin sensitisation assays (Test No. 442B)

  • Expanded endpoints in reproductive toxicity studies (Test No. 443)

  • Borderline ranges introduced in Test No. 442C

  • Data interpretation improvements for Test No. 456

  • Clarifications on the usage of historical control data (Test Nos. 470 and 488)

  • Refinements in pesticide residue stability testing (Test No. 506)

  • Corrections related to radioactive labelling (Test Nos. 111, 307, 308, and 316)

  • A correction to Test No. 492 on eye irritation classification

Broader Context and Purpose

The OECD Test Guidelines are internationally recognized as standard methods for assessing the safety of chemicals in relation to both human health and the environment. Used by government, industries, and academic institutions, they form part of the OECD Council Decision on Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD). The guidelines cover areas including physical-chemical properties, effects on biotic systems, environmental fate and behaviour, health effects, and other specialized test methods.

These updates reflect the OECD’s ongoing efforts to ensure that testing methods remain scientifically relevant, internationally harmonized, and responsive to evolving regulatory needs.

The full list of Test Guidelines and details of the 2025 updates are available on the OECD website here.

At the 2025 Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, held from April 28 to May 9 in Geneva, significant strides were made in global chemical safety. Notabl...

At the 2025 Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, held from April 28 to May 9 in Geneva, significant strides were made in global chemical safety. Notably, the Stockholm Convention introduced stringent measures targeting hazardous substances, while the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions advanced efforts in waste management and chemical trade regulations.

Stockholm Convention: Key Chemical Bans and Restrictions

At the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP-12) of the Stockholm Convention, the parties agreed to list the following substances in Annex A (elimination):

• Chlorpyrifos – A widely used organophosphate pesticide associated with neurodevelopmental harm. Although it will be banned globally, 22 specific exemptions were granted for continued use in certain applications.

• Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) – A group of PFAS substances known for their persistence and potential health impacts. Exemptions were approved for certain uses, such as in semiconductors, electronics, and textiles.

• Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) – Used as flame retardants and plasticizers. MCCPs were added due to concerns over persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Exemptions apply to defined industrial uses.

In addition, exemptions for UV-328, a UV stabilizer listed in Annex A in 2023, were reopened and extended. These new exemptions cover specific uses in aviation and industrial settings, which is a rare instance of amending a previously agreed-upon elimination decision post-adoption.

Basel and Rotterdam Conventions: Complementary Advances

While the Stockholm Convention focused on POPs, the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions addressed related challenges.

• Rotterdam Convention (COP-11): Parties agreed to list several additional chemicals in Annex III, which requires prior informed consent (PIC) for international trade. However, the listing of acetochlor and carbosulfan was blocked by a few parties, continuing a trend of stalled listings due to lack of consensus.

• Basel Convention (COP-16): Parties adopted new technical guidelines to improve the management of e-waste, including devices containing POPs. Progress was also made on guidance addressing plastic waste and chemicals of concern in waste streams.

Implications and Next Steps

These decisions mark a significant advancement in global efforts to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. However, the expanded exemptions, particularly for chlorpyrifos and UV-328, have raised concerns among health and environmental advocates. Continuous monitoring and future negotiations will be crucial to ensure that these measures effectively mitigate risks associated with these substances.