The United Nations' "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)" forms the basis for the harmonization worldwide of regulations for the classification and labelling of hazardous substances and hazardous goods, and for the worldwide harmonization of the national and regional systems for classification and labelling:
The UN GHS is a recommendation which must be implemented by the individual countries with binding force. In the EU, the GHS has been introduced with binding force in the form of an EU Regulation which came into force on 20 January 2009.