UNEP POPs Negotiations Background Mandate Status Report Relevance to Great Lakes.

UNEP POPs Negotiations

• Background• Mandate• Status Report• Relevance to Great Lakes

POPs Characteristics

• organic compounds• natural or anthropogenic origin• resist degradation in environment• low water + high lipid solubility• bioaccumulate in fatty tissues• semi-volatile + multi-media• regional and global distribution

POPs: International Initiatives

• Canada-USA Great Lakes Agreement• Oslo-Paris Convention: Protection of the

North-East Atlantic Ocean• Helsinki Convention (Protect Baltic Sea)• Int’l Conference to Protect the North Sea• Barcelona Resolution: Protection of the

Mediterranean Sea

POPs: International Initiatives

• Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy• NAAEC/NACEC Resolution on Persistent

Toxic Substances (1995, POPs & metals)• UNEP Global Program of Action for

Protection of Marine Environment (1995) • UN ECE LRTAP Convention:– Protocols on POPs & Metals (1998)

• New UNEP POPs Convention (2001?)

POPs: The UNEP “12”

• Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin• DDT, Heptachlor, Chlordane• Mirex, Toxaphene• Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)• PCBs• Chlorinated dioxins and furans

UNEP POPs: Mandate #1

UNEP GC Decision 18/32 (May/95):• assessment of chemistry, toxicology,

environmental fate & transport, socio-economics, sources, risks & benefits, and possible substitutes for the “12”

• IFCS to recommend any international actions to UNEP GC and WHA by 1997


Conclusion:

• there is sufficient science to warrant immediate international action to protect health and environment.


Recommendations:• initiate immediate international action

through:– “measures which will reduce and/or

eliminate the emissions and discharges of the 12 … and, where appropriate, eliminate production and subsequently the remaining use of those POPs that are intentionally produced”.


Recommendations:

• different treatment for pesticides, industrial chemicals and by-products

• criteria and process to identify new POPs• develop global legally binding instrument• involve stakeholders in negotiations


UNEP GC Decision 19/13C (Feb/97):

• develop convention, preferably by 2000,

and start in “early 1998”• governments encouraged to take

immediate action on recommendations• UNEP directed to take actions to

support countries’ efforts

UNEP POPs: Negotiations

• INC1: Montreal (June 29 - July 3, 1998)• INC2: Nairobi (Jan. 25 - 29, 1999)

• INC3: Geneva (Sept. 6 -11, 1999)• INC4: Bonn (March 20 - 25, 2000)• INC5: South Africa (November 2000)• Diplomatic Conference: Sweden (2001)• In effect by 2003-2004 (?)

UNEP POPS: Key issues

• Controls on the initial 12 POPs• Criteria and procedure for adding POPs• Implementation aspects– technical assistance– technology transfer– financial assistance

UNEP POPs Negotiations: INC3

• The following summarizes the draft proposals for controls on the “12” which will be subjected to review by governments and discussed at INC4 (March 2000)


Goal for intentionally produced POPs:

• to eliminate production and use.

Aldrin, Endrin, Toxaphene:

• at entry into force of the convention

Chlordane, Dieldrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, HCB:• production limited to some critical uses,

subject to review at specified dates


Goal for DDT:• elimination of production for all except

public health uses (e.g. malaria) and• review the need for remaining uses to see

when production may be completely halted.


Goal for PCBs:• elimination of production for all new

uses, but• permit current uses in equipment• phase out “as soon as possible”• specify a deadline (?)


By-products:• dioxins, furans, HCB• no agreement on statement of a goal• “minimization, elimination”• limited support for targetted reductions

against baseline year emission levels• agreement on reducing releases


By-products:• Promote use of strategies & measures:– to reduce releases and/or eliminate

sources by feasible & practical means– to prevent formation & release– to apply BAT for new & existing sources– national & sub/regional action plans


By-products:• National & sub/regional action plans:– evaluate current & projected releases– develop & maintain source inventories and

release estimates– evaluate adequacy of laws & policies– develop strategies to prevent & reduce

release based on obligations & evaluations


By-products:• National & sub/regional action plans:– education, training & awareness of

prevention & reduction strategies– implementation schedule– monitoring progress of strategies and

review success every [x] years


POPs wastes:• strategies for identification of articles,

products & wastes• environmentally sound waste destruction

• concern for dioxin & furan generation and POPs release to environment

• technical & financial assistance for less developed countries


New industrial chemicals & pesticides:

• these should be screened for– persistence– bioaccumulation– toxicity– potential for long range transport

Relevance to Great Lakes

• Great Lakes experience should be shared with NACEC, Arctic, UNEP, etc.– what worked & what did not– multistakeholder consultation approach

• Benefits of past & future actions• Impacts of regional & global actions

POPs: UNEP Actions

• POPs web site: http://irptc.unep.ch/pops/• Support for country actions:– national POPs contact points– UNEP/IFCS sub/regional workshops: 138

countries in 8 workshops (Jul/97 - Jun/98)– PCB inventory & disposal projects– list of national, regional & global actions:• the future POPs Global Action Plan?

UNEP POPs Negotiations Background Mandate Status Report Relevance to Great Lakes.

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