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?

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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

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 Pesticides Industrial Chemicals

By-products

Aldrin Chlordane DDT Dieldrin Endrin Heptachlor Mirex Toxaphene

+ + + + + + + +

Hexachlorobenzene PCBs

+ + +

+ +

Chlorinated dioxins Chlorinated furans

+ +

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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

“No government acting alone can adequately protect its citizens or its environment from the threat of POPs” -

Dr. Klaus TöpferExecutive Director UNEP

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How will the treaty address

POPs?

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Stockholm Convention

• 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

• 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 country-

specific 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)

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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 necessary measures to prevent or minimize releases

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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):

• Persistence

• Bioaccumulation

• Long-range transport

• Adverse effects

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Stockholm Convention

• 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 identifying new POPs

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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

• 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 oper-ational 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 SecretariatStockholm ConventionUNEP Chemicals11-13 chemin des Anemones CH-1219 ChatelaineGeneva, SwitzerlandTel.: +41-22-917-8190Fax: +41-22-797-3460E-mail: ssc@chemicals.unep.chInternet: www.chem.unep.ch/scor www.pops.int