Environment
Programme
GENERAL
UNEP/POPS/INC.1/INF/5
30 April 1998
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
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| UNITED NATIONS |
EP |
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United Nations Environment Programme
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Distr. GENERAL UNEP/POPS/INC.1/INF/5 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH |
INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE FOR AN
INTERNATIONAL LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT FOR
IMPLEMENTING INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON
CERTAIN PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
First session
Montreal, 29 June-3 July 1998
PREPARATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT
Paragraphs pertaining to persistent organic
pollutants from
the final report of the second session of the
Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety
Note by the Secretariat
The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, in the annex to the present note, the paragraphs pertaining to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the final report of the second session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), at its second session (Forum II). The paragraphs are attached as provided by the IFCS secretariat.
Annex
Forum II - Second Session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety Final Report (IFCS/FORUM-II/97.25w, March 1997)
PARAGRAPHS PERTAINING TO
PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
FORUM II AGREED ACTION ITEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Emerging Issues: Persistent Organic Pollutants
48. The Forum noted that the IFCS recommendations for international actions on POPs had been endorsed by the Executive Board of WHO and the nineteenth session of the UNEP GC. The UNEP GC requested that the Executive Director prepare for and convene an INC with a mandate to prepare an international legally binding instrument beginning with the twelve specified POPs and to establish at its first meeting an expert group to develop science-based criteria and a procedure for identifying additional POPs as candidates for international action.
49. In reviewing the work that had been accomplished on POPs, there was general support for continuing efforts to sustain the interest and maintain the momentum during the time period leading up to the INC, which would commence its work by early 1998. The efforts could be directed towards assisting governments to prepare for taking action on POPs and providing support in a number of areas to be considered by the INC. In extending the mandate of the Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs, activities would continue to be carried out through an open and transparent process involving all IFCS participants. In response to concern expressed by UNEP that the efforts of the IFCS may overlap with that of the INC, it was stressed that the IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs would feed into the INC process, supporting, not prejudging, the INC. The work would be undertaken expeditiously and would terminate when the INC convened its first meeting. The President invited Dr J. Buccini to solicit input from participants and submit a proposal to the meeting.
50. Japan pointed out the importance of maintaining coherence between regulatory methodologies that may be considered by the Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs and those being considered in the work under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention (LRTAP); the UNECE has already begun detailed negotiations which would seem to have direct relevance to future discussions on POPs. It was further noted that the UNECE is not an open-ended forum for all IFCS participants.
51. The Forum took note that the work of the INC would be funded entirely through voluntary contributions and that 5 to 6 million US dollars would be needed over the next three years.
52. The Forum agreed to extend the mandate
of the Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs and the
recommendations as adopted unanimously are presented in the Executive Summary.
MEETING SUMMARY
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs):
Revised Terms of Reference for IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs
96. The recommendation of the Executive Board of the WHO and the Decision at the nineteenth UNEP Governing Council (GC) have clearly indicated that international action will be taken on POPs.
97. The UNEP GC Decision gave priority to the establishment of an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) and subsequent negotiation of a global legally binding instrument on POPs, and urged governments to initiate action on the recommendations in the Final Report of the IFCS POPs Working Group and to provide technical assistance, capacity building and funding to enable developing countries and countries with economies in transition to take appropriate action on POPs.
98. To assist in preparing for the INC process and to focus efforts of governments to take action on POPs, Forum II agreed that the IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs should undertake the following tasks expeditiously while providing an opportunity for all IFCS participants to participate in its work:
A. Promote implementation, by IOMC Participating Organizations and other IGOs, NGOs and governments, of the recommendations in the Final Report of the IFCS Ad Hoc Working Group on POPs, including those adopted in the recent UNEP GC Decision 19/L.61 and the recommendations of the WHO Executive Board to theWorld Health Assembly (WHA);
B. Facilitate information sharing, including possible regional workshops, to prepare governments for taking action on POPs, including the INC process, especially governments of developing countries and countries with economies in transition: emphasis should be on scientific, technical and socio-economic information;
C. Provide, prior to the first INC meeting, scientific and technical information pertaining to the criteria and processes that will be developed in the INC process for selection of POPs in addition to the 12 specified in the UNEP GC Decision;
D. Characterize the issues for each of the 12 specified POPs that may have to be addressed by IGOs, NGOs and governments to design and implement action to reduce the risks to human health and the environment arising from the release of POPs;
E. Promote development of baseline data for sources, production and uses of the 12 specified POPs; and
F. Promote development of media/biota/human monitoring data for the 12 specified POPs.
99. The Working Group will complete its activities with the commencement of the first meeting of the UNEP INC and will report on its activities to ISG3.
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