Overview

The PCB Elimination Network (PEN) was established by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention at its fourth meeting in 2009 through decision SC-4/9. Following decision SC-5/7 of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2011, the leadership and implementation of the PEN was transferred to the Chemicals and Health Branch of the UN Environment Programme.

The PEN was established to promote and encourage the environmentally sound management of PCB with a view to attaining the 2025 and 2028 goals of the Stockholm Convention with respect to PCB. The PEN operates according to the following principles:

  • The PEN members support the environmentally sound management of PCB as prescribed by the Basel Convention “Technical Guidelines on the Environmentally Sound Management of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Persistent Organic Pollutant Wastes” while striving to achieve the phase out goals of the Stockholm Convention;
  • The PEN is a multi-stakeholder mechanism for the exchange of information and the implementation of coordinated activities targeted to the elimination of the use of PCB, and is intended to foster transparency and openness between all sectors;
  • The PEN is intended to catalyze new initiatives and provide support for ongoing activities to achieve the environmentally sound management of PCB and their phase out, while avoiding duplication of effort.
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Terms of Reference of the PEN

Membership

Membership of the PEN is open to governments, intergovernmental organizations, donors, PCB holders, non-governmental organizations, industry, experts/academia, and business sectors relevant to PCB.

The PEN members enjoy equal status and shall foster collaboration, exchange information and share experiences with one another. They shall promote the network and its activities at the global, regional, national and community levels and participate in meetings and related activities, including thematic groups. They are eligible for the awards being offered by the PEN.

The members’ main roles are to provide support for the implementation of the PEN’s work plan, provide quality-assured information through the sharing of experiences and knowledge on the environmentally sound management of PCB and their alternatives, to provide financial support for the network’s activities, as appropriate, and to participate in PEN meetings and discussion forums.

Application for membership in the PEN

Parties to the Stockholm Convention (Official Contact Points and National Focal Points) are members of the PEN. All other stakeholders relevant to the management of PCB are welcome to apply for membership. Please fill in the application form and send it to the Secretary of the PEN at science.chemicals@un.org.

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Application form  

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee oversees the work of the PEN. The Committee meets annually, subject to availability of resources, to review the activities undertaken by the PEN and establish the direction for future work of the PEN.

The work of the Advisory Committee includes the following:

  • Develop and periodically review the work plan and activities for the PEN;
  • Endorse the establishment of Thematic Groups and nominate Chairs for each Group;
  • Prepare the budget for the work of the PEN;
  • Establish a strategy for the mobilization of resources to support the work plan of the PEN;
  • Prepare a progress report on the work and future plans of the PEN for the Governing Council of UNEP, the Basel and Stockholm COPs and the general membership for their information and any appropriate action;
  • Prepare the criteria and the process for the selection of awardees and other incentives

Thematic groups

Thematic groups were established by the Advisory Committee to deal with specific issues related to the environmentally sound management of PCB and to implement activities as agreed in their workplans. The Advisory Committee members serve as leaders of the thematic groups. Members of the PEN may participate in the activities of any of the thematic groups. The thematic groups’ activities have been supported by the regional centres of the Stockholm and Basel Conventions as appropriate. 4 thematic groups:

  • Inventories:
  • Maintenance, handling, and interim storage of equipment containing PCB
  • Disposal of PCB and remediation of contaminated sites
  • Open applications of PCB

For more information about the PEN membership and activities, please visit the website of the UN Environment on PCB and on PCB Elimination Network.

Brief history of the PEN

  • At COP-4 in 2009, by decision SC-4/5, the COP endorsed the proposal by the Secretariat for the establishment of a PCB Elimination Network (PEN), as described in UNEP/POPS/COP.4/9/Rev.1, and urged Parties to become members of the PEN.
  • At COP-5 in 2011, by decision SC-5/7, the COP took note of the Secretariat’s report on progress in establishing the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.5/9) and requested the Secretariat to facilitate a transition of the leadership of the PEN from the Secretariat to one or more UN agencies whose mandate is better suited to the implementation of the PEN.
  • At COP-6 in 2013, by decision SC-6/6, the COP welcomed the decision by the UNEP to accept the leadership of the PEN and took note of the report by the UNEP on the progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.6/INF/5).
  • At COP-7 in 2015, by decision SC-7/5, the COP took note of the report by the UNEP on progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.7/INF/10) as well as the preliminary assessment of efforts made towards the elimination of PCB developed by the UNEP in cooperation with the Secretariat and in consultation with the advisory committee of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.7/INF/9).
  • At COP-8 in 2017, by decision SC-8/3, the COP took note of the report by the UNEP on progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.8/INF/11) as well as the consolidated assessment of efforts made towards the elimination of PCB (UNEP/POPS/COP.8/INF/10.
  • At COP-9 in 2019, by decision SC-9/3, the COP took note of the report by the UNEP on progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/11) as well as the report on progress towards the elimination of PCB (UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/10).
  • At COP/10 in 2022, by decision SC-10/7, the COP took note of the report by the UNEP on progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.10/INF/14) and requested the Secretariat to continue to participate in the activities of the PEN.
  • At COP/11 in 2023, by decision SC-11/3, the COP took note of the report by the UNEP on progress in the implementation of the PEN (UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/14) and requested the Secretariat to participate in the activities and the coordination efforts of the PEN in their task to assist Parties in their work to meet the 2025 and 2028 goals of the Stockholm Convention.