Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Status and overview of obligations to Parties Don Cooper, Executive Secretary, Stockholm Convention.

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Status and overview of obligations to Parties

Don Cooper, Executive Secretary, Stockholm Convention

April 2009

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What is the status of the Convention? Convention adopted on 22 May 2001 152 Governments signed it Convention entered into force on 17 May 2004 162 Parties to date (17 November 2008) 3 COPs have already been convened

COP-1 held in May 2005 in Punta del Este Uruguay COP-2 held in Geneva in May 2006 COP-3 held in Dakar, Senegal in May 2007

COP-4 is scheduled to be convened in Geneva in 4-8 May 2009

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Stockholm Convention status of ratification

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Obligations of the Convention Elimination Restriction Continued reduction Promotion Preparation of NIP Reporting Effectiveness evaluation

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Obligations of the Convention: Elimination of 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 that Annex.

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Annex A: Elimination Currently listed: aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin,

heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, PCBs, and toxaphene

Some country-specific exemptions possible for aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, heptachlor, HCB, mirex

General exemptions for unintentional trace contaminants, quantities in articles before entry-into-force of the Convention and laboratory-scale research quantities

Exemption for HCB as closed-system site-limited intermediate

Elimination goal for PCBs Provision on POPs contaminated wastes

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For PCBs: 3 Main Goals

1. Cease production of PCBs immediately.

2. Eliminate use of in-place PCB equipment by 2025.

3. Achieve environmentally sound disposal of PCB wastes as soon as possible and not later than 2028.

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Restriction provisions:

Each Party shall restrict its production and use of chemicals in Annex B in accordance with the provisions of that Annex.

Currently listed: DDT Production and use of chemicals in Annex

B is eliminated, except for “acceptable purposes”

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For DDT:Parties shall: Eliminate production and use unless they have notified the

Secretariat of their intent to use it

If so, they must: Restrict such production/use to disease vector in

accordance with WHO guidelines, recommendations Provide information on use to the Secretariat every three

years

COP shall:

encourage Parties using DDT to develop and implement an action plan to ensure that DDT use is restricted to disease vector control, and implementation of suitable alternatives

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Release reduction/elimination

Each Party shall: Develop an action plan to evaluate and address releases Promote 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

Promote/Require BAT and BEP for new/existing sources

When applying BAT/BEP, Parties to consider COP guidelines (Now available in E, F, R, S)

Give priority to certain recovery, recycling and other waste management practices outlined in Annex C that prevent releases of unintentionally produced POPs

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Managing stockpiles & wastes

Parties are to: Develop strategies for identifying POPs stockpiles Manage POPs stockpiles & wastes in an

environmentally sound manner Dispose of POPs wastes consistent with

international rules Not dispose in a way that leads to reuse of POPs Not to transport POPs wastes unless comply with

international rules

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Working with Basel Convention on POPs contaminated wastesStockholm Convention shall cooperate with Basel

Convention to: Establish levels of destruction where POPs

characteristics are not exhibited Determine what methods constitute

environmentally sound disposal Define low POP content concentration levels

Under the Basel Convention several guidelines for management of POPs wastes have been developed.

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Implementation plans (Article 7)

Parties shall develop and implement plans for the implementation of their treaty obligations

Guidance for developing NIPs available 85 national plans have been submitted as of 17

November 2008 127 developing and EIT countries funded thus far to

develop their plans Plans of the first 50 Parties were due in May 2006

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Indicator of implementation: NIPs transmitted

Western Europe &

others

Central & Eastern Europe

AfricaAsia & Pacific

Latin America & Caribbean

Total

Parties 21 19 50 44 29 163NIP

required (end March 09)

21 14 41 38 20 134

NIP transmitt

ed19 12 30 23 12 96

% 90 85 73 60 60 71

NIP transmitted in EECCA   NIP status

Armenia yes

Azerbaijan no (due May 06)

Belarus yes

Georgia no (due Jan 09)

Kazakhstan no (due Feb 10)

Kyrgyz Republic no (due March 09) 

Moldova yes

Russian Federation not Party

Tajikistan yes

Turkmenistan not Party 

Ukraine no (due Dec 09) 

Uzbekistan not Party 

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Identifying new POPs (Article 8) Criteria and a procedure established for adding new

POPs Any Party may submit a proposal for listing chemicals POPs Review Committee was set up at COP-1 to

(1) review submissions, (2) develop risk profiles (3) risk management evaluations and (4) make recommendations to the COP

COP makes decisions, and the Convention is then amended accordingly

POPs Review Committee:Recommends adding nine chemicals to the Convention: ● Pentabromodiphenyl ether (flame retardant);● Chlordecone (pesticide)● Hexabromobiphenyl ether (flame retardant)● Lindane (pesticide)● Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane (byproduct in Lindane

production)● Beta hexachlorocyclohexane (byproduct in Lindane

production)● Perflurooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane

sulfonyl fluoride (multiple industrial uses)● Hexabromodiphenyl either and other hexa- and

hepabromodiphenyl eithers present in commerical octabromodiphenyl ether (flame retardant)

● Pentachlorobenzene (flame retardant, unintentional release

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Information exchange (Article 9)

Parties shall: facilitate/undertake exchange of POPs

information establish national Stockholm Convention focal

for point technical informaiton exchange Designate official contact points for formal

communications (required by COP decision)

Secretariat to be a POPs information clearing-house

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Promotion and research

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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Reporting (Article 15)

Each Party shall report to the COP on measures taken to implement the Convention (first reports by end of 2006)

Each Party to provide to the Secretariat information on quantities of POPs listed in Annex A and B produced, imported, exported, and where possible the States from which POPs are exported

On line reporting is available in the Convention web page.

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Effectiveness evaluation 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 Initiatives for first set of environmental

data collection is underway First effectiveness evaluation at COP-4

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For more information

Thank you!

www.pops.int