The second session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) took place in Ottawa, Canada, on 10-14 February 1997.
A special session of the UN General Assembly was convened in June 1997, five years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), to review progress and priorities in implementing Agenda 21. At its first meeting, the Forum adopted detailed recommendations on priorities of action for the effective implementation of national and international efforts in the six Programme Areas of Chapter 19 of Agenda 21. At its second meeting, in February 1997, the Forum has taken stock of its accomplishments and noted where progress has been slow or non-existent on the recommendations, charting its direction for the next three years.