Keeping the Promise - IPEN COP1 Press Release
Uruguay | May 6, 2005
6 May 2005, Punta del Este, Uruguay:
The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) congratulates
Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
for keeping the promise at the first meeting of the Conference of the
Parties in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
IPEN views the Stockholm Convention as a promise by the global community
to take action to protect human health and the environment throughout the
world from the injuries that persistent organic pollutants cause. After a
week of hard work by governments, NGOs, and other civil society
stakeholders, IPEN is pleased that the Stockholm Convention is on track
toward realizing its promise.
Financial and Technical Resources: Parties laid the necessary
legal groundwork to provide developing country Parties with financial and
technical resources that will cover the full incremental costs associated
with fulfilling their obligations under the Stockholm Convention.
Public Participation and Awareness: Parties agreed to keep the
Convention promise of full access to information, transparency, and public
participation in Convention implementation activities. IPEN congratulates
the many governments that maintained an open dialogue with our Participating
Organizations throughout the Conference, and that committed themselves
toward building a transparent, participatory process for implementation of
the Convention. This cooperative spirit and practice directly contributed to
the successful results of COP 1.
Elimination of Intentionally Produced POPs: IPEN is encouraged by
those Parties that recognized the importance of public health measures and
non-chemical alternatives to address the problems posed by intentionally
produced POPs. Regarding DDT, we congratulate Kenya for highlighting the
need for integrated vector management (IVM) to address malaria. We remain
concerned, however, by the resistance of some countries to take adequate
measures to eliminate their reliance on DDT. We strongly encourage donor
countries and financial institutions to support public health measures and
non-chemical alternatives and techniques to rollback malaria.
Elimination and Reduction of Unintentionally Produced POPs: The
Convention’s goal for unintentional POPs (e.g., dioxins) is to achieve
“their continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination.”
IPEN is encouraged by the Parties’ recognition that more work is necessary
to improve the guidelines for eliminating and reducing dioxins. These
guidelines are crucial because of their implications for public health and
their role in determining how financial resources will be allocated. IPEN’s
recent “Global Egg Project” demonstrates the need for urgent action on
unintentionally produced POPs. (See http://www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb)
Disposal Of POPs Wastes: The COP acknowledged that more work is
necessary to improve the guidelines for the management of POPs stockpiles
and wastes. We applaud the COP for recognizing the importance of continued,
close cooperation and coordination with the Basel Convention in further
improving and developing these guidelines.
Identification of New POPs: IPEN congratulates COP 1 for keeping
the promise to establish an effective, transparent, and participatory body
for evaluating new POPs that may be added to the Convention. We welcome and
support the nomination by Norway of the flame retardant pentabromodiphenyl
ether (penta-BDE) and the plan by
Mexico to nominate the pesticide lindane (HCH). IPEN further urges
Parties to consider the many other substances that are widely used and known
to have POPs characteristics, including other brominated flame retardants;
dicofol; endosulfan; perfluorinated chemicals, including but not limited to
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS); chlorinated paraffins; organotins;
brominated dioxins and bromo-chloro-dioxins; polychorinated napthalenes (PCN);
and octachlorostyrene (OCS).
Notes:
1. The International POPs Elimination Network is a global network of
public interest non-governmental organizations working together for the
elimination of persistent organic pollutants, on an expedited yet socially
equitable basis. IPEN includes more than 350 public health, environmental,
consumer, and other non-governmental organizations in 65 countries.
2. The Stockholm Convention on POPs is the first global, legally binding
instrument whose aim is to protect human health and the environment by
controlling production, use and disposal of toxic chemicals.
For additional information please contact:
Björn Beeler
IPEN International Coordinator
BjornBeeler@ipen.org
www.IPEN.org
www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb/
http://ipen.ecn.cz/index.php?z=&l=en&k=news&r=viewtxt&id=109&id_rubriky=1
|