The webinar aims at: 

• Raising awareness of the obligations pertaining to endosulfan under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 
• Sharing information available on possible chemical and non chemical alternatives to endosulfan 
• Presenting Parties to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions with a proposed methodology to assess the continued need of endosulfan at national level

A list of concept notes for voluntary financial contributions for the biennium 2014/15 is now available.

The webinar aims to provide information on how to become a Party to multilateral environmental agreements, in particular the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. This will also cover processes for amendments and protocols to such agreements.

The objective of this webinar is to present tools, including case studies related to legislation and other legal instruments as adopted by Parties to implement the Rotterdam Convention and to see how these could be linked or integrated with the provisions of overarching legal frameworks that regulate hazardous chemicals and wastes, analysing the benefits of an integrated approach to hazardous chemicals and wastes legislation.

From the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Geneva and Rome, 25 October 2013 –The Chemical Review Committee, the scientific subsidiary body of the Rotterdam Convention, recommended this week that methamidophos (pesticide) and fenthion 640 ULV* (a severely hazardous pesticide formulation) be subject to the Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The Committee also adopted the draft Decision Guidance Document (DGD) for trichlorfon, a pesticide recommended for inclusion in the Committee’s eighth meeting held in March 2012.

The result of the ninth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee meeting is that three new Decision Guidance Documents will be forwarded to the Conference of the Parties in May 2015 for its consideration for inclusion in Annex III to the Convention and be subject to the PIC procedure.

The Prior Informed Consent procedure of the Convention is a key tool for developing countries to take informed and responsible decisions on the import and on the use of chemicals that represent a danger for the environment and for the human health. It enables member governments to alert each other to potential dangers by exchanging information on banned or severely restricted chemicals and to take informed decisions on them.  This provision prevents unwanted trade in the chemicals listed in Annex III of the Convention and constitutes an early warning system.

The Committee reviewed notifications of final regulatory actions taken by parties for five chemicals: cyhexatin, lead arsenate, lead carbonate, methamidophos, pentachlorobenzene, and one severely hazardous pesticide formulation, fenthion 640 ULV.

On four other chemicals – cyhexatin, lead arsenate, lead carbonate and pentachlorobenzene – the Committee agreed that criteria were not met and no further decisions will be taken for these chemicals at the moment.

“This is the second time since the Convention entered into force in 2004 that the Committee has recommended adding a severely hazardous pesticide formulation to the Prior Informed Consent list, using the ‘fast track’ mechanism that ensures developing countries’ rights to know and trade chemicals safely are respected,” said Clayton Campanhola, Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam Convention for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“Putting these pesticides under the Rotterdam Convention’s PIC procedure would continue to strengthen the hands of governments and support informed decision-making about the import and use of chemicals known to harm human health and the environment,” said Kerstin Stendahl, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

The Committee’s recommendations will be sent to the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention for consideration at the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties, scheduled to be held from 4 to 15 May 2015 in Geneva.

The tenth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee will be held in Rome, Italy, from 20 to 24 October 2014 followed immediately by the POPs Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention, scheduled for 27 to 31 October 2014.

Note for Editors:

The objective of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is to promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm. The Convention contributes to the environmentally sound use of such chemicals, by facilitating information exchange about their characteristics, by providing for a national decision-making process on their import and export and by disseminating these decisions to Parties.

Together, the Rotterdam, Basel and Stockholm conventions, the three leading global treaties governing hazardous chemicals, pesticide formulations and wastes, can help countries to manage hazardous chemicals throughout their life-cycle:

• Rotterdam Convention provides early warning on dangerous chemicals and prevents the unwanted international trade on certain chemicals.
• Stockholm Convention controls and eliminates production and use of  persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• Basel Convention limits “toxic trade” in hazardous wastes and ensures proper disposal of wastes.

The Chemical Review Committee is the scientific subsidiary body of the Rotterdam Convention.  The Committee consists of thirty-one scientific experts appointed by the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention charged with undertaking scientific review of chemicals proposed for listing.

Trichlorfon is an insecticide used on a number of crops, including fruits and vegetables. The recommendation by the Chemical Review Committee to list trichlorfon in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention was based on final regulatory actions submitted by Brazil and the European Union.

Fenthion 640 ULV, among wide range use, it is also used for birds control against grain-eating birds. The proposal has been submitted by Chad, which experienced problems for human health caused by the formulation under conditions of use in its territory. The Committee decided at its ninth meeting to recommend listing it in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention as a Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulation (SHPF), based on the proposal of Chad.

Methamidiphos is an insecticide used on many crops, it is already present in Annex III to the Convention and subject to the PIC procedure as severely hazardous pesticide formulation (soluble liquid formulations of substance that exceed 600 g active ingredient/L) and it is classified as highly hazardous (I b oral toxicity) by the World Health Organization. The Committee decided at its ninth meeting to recommend listing it in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention as a pesticide, based on final regulatory actions submitted by Brazil and the European Union.

Contact:

Elisabetta TAGLIATI, Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention (FAO), Rome, Tel. +39-06-5705-6420, elisabetta.tagliati@fao.org

Michael S. JONES, Public Information Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP), Geneva,  mobile/text message: +41-79-730-4495, michael.jones@brsmeas.org 

For more information, see  www.pic.int

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*fenthion (ultra low volume formulations (ULV) at or above 640 g active ingredient/L)

Schedule and registration

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Background:

The ninth meeting of the Stockholm Convention Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC9) was held at FAO in Rome, Italy, from 14 to 18 October 2013. During this meeting the POPRC reviewed chemicals proposed for listing in Annexes A, B, and/or C to the Convention and undertook tasks assigned to it by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention.

The ninth meeting of the Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee (CRC9) took place at the same venue, from 22 to 25 October 2013. The ninth meeting of the CRC included in its agenda the review of notifications of final regulatory actions received from Parties for inclusion of new chemicals and proposals for new severely hazardous pesticide formulations in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention.

The first joint meeting of the POPRC and the CRC took place at the same venue, on 20 October 2013. The joint session took place after the POPRC9, prior to the CRC9. During this session the two Committee members and observers discussed how to enhance synergies and improve the exchange of information between the two working bodies.

Objectives

The objective of this webinar is to inform parties to the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, observers and stakeholders on the outcome of these meetings.

Content

1. Introduction – 5 min.

2. Presentation by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions:

◦      Ninth meetings of the POPRC – 15 min.

◦      Ninth meeting of the CRC – 15 min.

◦      First joint meeting of the CRC and POPRC – 5 min.

3. Discussion – 20 min

Target group

The Swaziland Environmental Authority hosted a National workshop to identify elements of National Action Plans or strategies for the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention in Swaziland, from 17 to 19 September 2013. The workshop, which took place in the capital city of Mbabane, was attended by 31 representatives, including ones from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Labour and Social Services, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and Commerce, Industry and Trade; and academia, media, private sector and nongovernmental organizations. The World Health Organization and United Nations Development Programme and Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat were also represented.

Swaziland ratified the Rotterdam Convention on 24 September 2012 and became a contracting Party with effect from 24 of December 2012. The designated national authority for this convention is the Swaziland Environment Authority. Currently Swaziland has ratified the Basel and Stockholm and Vienna conventions. The Basel Convention was also domesticated in form of the Waste Regulations of 2010.

Under the Stockholm Convention a National Implementation Plan (NIP) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) inventory have so far been completed. The POPs NIP is to be updated to include the nine new POPs.

The country has also benefitted from the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Quick Start Programme Trust Fund for creating enabling environment for the implementation of sound management of chemicals. The major output of this exercise has been the compilation of the National Chemicals Profile and the Capacity Assessment Document. Among stakeholders this exercise raised awareness on chemicals management issues.

As a new Party to the Rotterdam Convention, Swaziland is seeking to meet its obligations. There is as yet no chemicals registry for imported chemicals and no information system is in place as far as chemical imports are concerned. Chemical imports are not regulated except for Ozone Depleting Substances.

Current challenges for implementation of the Rotterdam Convention are financial and technical resources to raise awareness to stakeholders, especially, farmers, agricultural, health and customs officers on the obligations of this Convention. A national legal instrument, information exchange and inter-ministerial co-ordinating mechanisms have to be put in place for effective implementation.

There will be need for the development of reporting mechanisms for chemical poisoning incidences to assess exposure risks. Health facilities will have to be capacitated to serve as poison centres. However, there are chemicals management activities currently running in the country synergies could be drawn from projects such as SAICM Quick Start Programme, Stockholm Convention and the Basel Convention.