Extremely hazardous chemical products: Geneva awarded the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention
Bern, 06.05.2005 - The Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) will have its home in Geneva. The first Conference of the Parties, which is just drawing to a close in Punta del Este (Uruguay), has approved Switzerland’s candidature.
“The choice of Geneva is the fruit of Switzerland’s coherent and committed policy in the field of chemicals over many years in the UN forum” said State Secretary Philippe Roch, Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL), who headed the Swiss delegation in Punta del Este. He added: “The permanent location of the POPs Secretariat in Geneva will lead to synergies with similar organisations in the city, and ultimately to more effective implementation of environmental policy.”
The opening of the new permanent secretariat confirms Geneva’s reputation, developed over the years, as the centre of expertise for chemical products and wastes, in its role as European headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme’s chemical products division.
Geneva’s International Environment House is indeed already home to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, the Secretariat (with Rome) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, as well as the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
POPs, which include dioxins and PCBs, are highly toxic for both humans and animals because they accumulate in the host organism. They can cause cancer and interfere with the reproductive functions.
The aim of the Stockholm Convention is to introduce a worldwide ban on the production and use of these pollutants and to limit emissions to a minimum. To date the Convention applies to 12 chemical products and pesticides known as “the dirty dozen” (see box). The Contracting Parties can propose additional substances for inclusion in the Convention. The first conference has created a group of experts to examine and evaluate applications, as well as to provide support for the COP decision-making process.
What chemical products are among “the dirty dozen”?
The 12 chemical products which are at present subject to the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants are listed below:
The following insecticides: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene
A fungicide : hexachlorobenzene
Chemical products which are by-products of the manufacture of other chemical substances or result from the incineration of waste: dioxins and furans
A mixture of chlorinated hydrocarbons which have various industrial applications including as insulators in transformers and capacitors, paint additives and plastics: the so-called “PCBs”.
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