Transcript Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants
A global
treaty to protect human health
and the environment
Prepared by the
Interim Secretariat – Stockholm Convention
UNEP Chemicals, Geneva, Switzerland
Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants:
• What are POPs?
• Why is global action necessary?
• How will the treaty address POPs?
• What is next?
Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the
Stockholm Convention (22-23 May 2001)
• Adopted the Convention
• 129 countries participated in the
Conference
• 92 countries and the EC signed the treaty
(as of 12 Feb. 2002: 114 signatories
including EC, and 5 Parties)
• The Conference also adopted a number
of resolutions to implement certain
interim activities and prepare for COP1
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What are POPs?
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Persistent organic pollutants are
carbon-based compounds that:
• remain intact in the environment for a
long time;
• become widely distributed throughout
the environment;
• accumulate in fatty tissue of living
organisms; and
• are toxic to humans and wildlife.
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Effects on Wildlife
• birth defects
• cancers
• disfunctioning of immune,
development and reproductive
systems
• large population declines in some
species
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Effects on humans
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seem to parallel those found in
animals, including,
cancers
birth defects
fertility problems,
disease susceptibility
diminished intellegence
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The initial list of 12 POPs
Chemical
Aldrin
Chlordane
DDT
Dieldrin
Endrin
Heptachlor
Mirex
Toxaphene
Hexachlorobenzene
PCBs
Chlorinated dioxins
Chlorinated furans
Pesticides
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Industrial
Chemicals
Byproducts
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Why is global
action necessary?
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Some History
• Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962)
• Many governments take national
action (1970 and 1980’s)
• Studies detect POPs exposures long
distances from sources (1990s)
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Consensus for action:
• Prior to 1995: work on POPs begun in various
forums
• June 1996: Intergovernmental Forum on
Chemical Safety concludes that urgent global
action on the 12 POPs was warranted and
develops recommentations
• February 1997: UNEP/GC Decision 19/13C,
Establishes POPs Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop global
POPs treaty
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“No government acting alone can
adequately protect its citizens or its
environment from the threat of POPs” Dr. Klaus Töpfer
Executive Director UNEP
How will the
treaty address
POPs?
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Stockholm Convention
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Objective
Major substantive provisions
General provisions
Assistance provisions
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Objective (Article 1):
To protect human health and the environment
from persistent organic pollutants.
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Stockholm Convention
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Objective
Major substantive provisions
General provisions
Assistance provisions
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Elimination of intentionally
produced POPs (Article 3)
• Production and use of chemicals in Annex A
eliminated (e.g., prohibited)
• Currently listed: aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin,
endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex,
PCBs, and toxaphene
• PCB use in existing equipment exempt
• Some minor exemptions and time limited countryspecific exemptions apply (Article 4)
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To eliminate POPs:
Each Party shall prohibit and/or take the legal and
administrative measures necessary to eliminate:
• Its production and use of chemicals in Annex A
subject to the provisions of the Annex; and
• Its import and export of chemicals in Annex A in
accordance with trade measures listed in
paragraph 2 of Article 3
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For PCBs:
• 3 main goals:
- cease production of new PCBs immediately
• i.e., entry into force of the Convention
- eliminate use of in-place PCB equipment by 2025
• until then continued use is subject to conditions and
restrictions
- achieve the environmentally sound management of
PCB wastes as soon as possible and by 2028
• Parties report to the COP every 5 years on progress
• COP to review progress toward 2025 & 2028
targets every 5 years
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Restrictions on intentionally
produced POPs (Article 5)
• Production and use of chemicals in Annex
B eliminated, except for “acceptable
purposes”
• Currently listed: DDT
• DDT production and use for disease vector
control allowed where countries have
registered their intention to make use of
this (the only) acceptable purpose
• Some minor exemptions and time limited
country-specific exemptions apply
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To restrict POPs:
Each Party shall restrict its production and
use of chemicals in Annex B in accordance
with the provisions of that Annex.
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For DDT:
Parties shall:
- eliminate production and use except for disease
vector control programs according to WHO
guidelines
• special public DDT register
• reporting and other obligations
- promote research/development for alternatives to
DDT
COP shall:
• review at its first meeting and every 3 years thereafter
to see when DDT is no longer needed for disease vector
control use (i.e., technically and economically feasible
alternative products, practices or processes are available)22
Trade limits on intentionally
produced POPs
• Imports of chemicals in Annex A and Annex B are
only allowed for the purpose of environmentally
sound disposal or for an exempted use
• Exports are only allowed of chemicals in Annex A or
B for which specific exemptions are still in effect, and
only (1) for the purpose of environmentally sound
disposal, or (2) to Party which has an exempted use of
the chemical, or (3) to a non-Party that certifies that
it will comply with the stockpile and wastes
provisions of the Stockholm Convention and will take
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necessary measures to prevent or minimize releases
Release reduction/elimination
(Article 5)
• Parties are to take measures to reduce or
eliminate releases of the unintentionally
produced chemicals in Annex C
• Currently listed: dioxins and furans, and
hexachlorobenzene and PCBs as
byproducts
• Goal: continuing minimization and, where
feasible, ultimate elimination of total
releases from anthropogenic sources
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To reduce releases of POP byproducts:
Each Party shall:
• Develop within 2 years of entry into force and
implement an action plan to evaluate release and
then take steps to address them
• Promote application of available, feasible and
practical measures to achieve realistic and
meaningful levels of release reduction or source
elimination
• Promote development and, where appropriate,
require use of substitute or modified materials,
products and processes to prevent formation and
release of POPs
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Stockpiles and wastes (Article 6)
• Parties are to develop strategies for identifying
POPs stockpiles, and products and wastes
containing POPs,
• Manage POPs stockpiles and wastes in an
environmentally sound manner, and
• Dispose of POPs wastes in manner consistent w/int’l
rules; additional requirements for destruction.
• Disposal that recycles POPs is not permitted
• Transport of POPs wastes is not permitted without
taking into account international rules
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Identifying new POPs (Article 8)
• Criteria and a procedure is established adding
new POPs to the Convention
• Any Party may submit a proposal for listing
chemicals in Annexes A, B or C
• POPs Review Committee is to be set up under
the COP to review submissions, develop risk
profiles and risk management evaluations and
make recommends to COP
• COP makes decision, Convention must be
amended accordingly (ratification required)
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Criteria for determining POPs
(Annex D):
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Persistence
Bioaccumulation
Long-range transport
Adverse effects
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Stockholm Convention
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Objective
Major substantive provisions
General provisions
Assistance provisions
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General provisions
• Implementation plans (Article 7): Parties
shall develop and implement plans for the
implementation of their treaty obligations
• Information exchange (Article 9): Parties
shall facilitate/undertake exchange of POPs
information and establish POPs focal points
for this purpose; Secretariat to establish
POPs information clearing house
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General provisions (continued)
• Public information, awareness and education
(Article 10): Parties shall promote the
provision of POPs information to the public
and decision makers, including training
programs, public participation in efforts to
address POPs
• Research, development and monitoring
(Article 11): Parties shall
encourage/undertake such activities
pertaining to POPs and their alternative, and
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identifying new POPs
General provisions (continued)
• Reporting (Article 15): Parties shall report
to COP on measures taken to implement the
treaty, and the effectiveness of these
measures
• Effectiveness evaluation (Article 16): COP
will evaluate the effectiveness of the treaty
beginning 4 years after entry into force
based on reports and monitoring data
received
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General provisions (continued)
• Final provisions (Articles 17-30): These
include non-compliance, settlement of
disputes, Conference of the Parties,
Secretariat, amendments to the Convention
and its annexes, right to vote, signature,
ratification, entry into force, reservations,
withdrawal, depositary and authentic texts.
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Stockholm Convention
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Objective
Major substantive provisions
General provisions
Assistance provisions
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Technical assistance (Article 12)
• Parties shall cooperate in providing
technical assistance to developing country
Parties and Parties with economies in
transition
• Parties shall establish arrangements for
technical assistance and promoting
technology transfer to the above Parties,
including through regional/subregional
training centers
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Financial resources (Article 13)
• Developed country Parties shall provide new and
additional funding to developing country Parties
and Parties with economies in transition
• Establishes (undefined) financial mechanism under
the treaty to assist countries in its implementation
• COP1 to adopt guidance to the mechanism on its
modalities and agree with the entity(ies)
participating in the mechanism on arrangements to
give effect thereto (COP2+ to evaluate its
effectiveness)
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Interim financial arrangements
(Article 14)
• The Global Environment Facility, on an
interim basis, will serve as the principal
entity entrusted with the operation of the
financial mechanism of the Convention until
the COP decides on the institutional
structure of the permanent financial
mechanism
• GEF is to fulfill this function through operational measures related specifically to POPs
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What is next?
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Interim activities
• Stockholm Convention does not enter
into force until 50 countries have ratified
• Stockholm Conference adopted
resolutions covering interim period
including continued meetings of the INC,
voluntary implementation of the
Convention, establishment of a capacity
assistance network, operation of interim
financial mechanism, & COP 1
preparations
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A first step:
implementation plans
• Development of national implementation
plans can begin immediately
• Financial resources are available through
through GEF and World Bank
• UNEP as a implementing agency of the GEF
and partner with the World Bank on POPs
is ready to assist countries in obtaining
assistance to develop these plans
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Present & Future Generations Benefit
For more information contact:
Interim Secretariat
Stockholm Convention
UNEP Chemicals
11-13 chemin des Anemones
CH-1219 Chatelaine
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel.: +41-22-917-8190
Fax: +41-22-797-3460
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.chem.unep.ch/sc
or www.pops.int
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