Montevideo, Uruguay, 5 - 8 August 2014

Background: The addition of chemicals to Annexes A, B or C of the Convention triggers the need for most parties to review and update the national implementation plans (NIPs) in accordance with decision SC-1/12. In 2009, nine new chemicals were added to the Annexes of the Convention and in 2011, endosulfan was added to Annex A of the Convention.

The process of reviewing and updating the NIPs can be challenging for parties that lack adequate resources and technical capacity. Parties have expressed the need for assistance in that regard and in particular in addressing newly listed POPs that are widely used for industrial purposes and are contained in products and articles. In accordance with decision SC-4/9 that requested the Secretariat to identify any additional guidance that might be required to assist parties in their development and implementation of the Convention, a set of guidance documents has been developed to assist parties in reviewing and updating their NIPs with information relating to newly listed POPs. These documents should assist parties in developing strategies to restrict and eliminate the newly listed POPs by providing guidance on establishing inventories, controlling the import of new POPs, monitoring the presence of products and articles containing new POPs, selecting best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of new POPs.

Parties to the Stockholm Convention are also required to transmit national reports every four years to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention. The reports contain qualitative information on the measures taken to implement the Convention and on the effectiveness of such measures. Additionally, Parties are required to report quantitative information which includes statistical data on the production, import and export of the chemicals listed in Annexes A and B, among others. Based on these obligations, the Secretariat has developed electronic reporting systems, one for each convention, where Parties can report directly online.

Organized by: The training is organized by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in cooperation with the Regional Centre for the Basel and Stockholm Conventions based in Uruguay. The European Union has kindly provided the funding for the training course.

Working language: Spanish is the working language of the training.

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Rome, Italy, 27 - 30 October 2014

Venue: FAO Headquarters, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.

Highlights: The tenth meeting of the POPs Review Committee (POPRC.10) will be held from 27 to 30 October 2014, with pre-meetings on Sunday, 26 October 2014, at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The Committee will review the draft risk management evaluation on pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters, draft risk profile on decabromodiphenyl ether, and the proposal for listing dicofol in Annex A, B, and/or C to the Stockholm Convention. The Committee will also consider the draft reports prepared for the evaluation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride pursuant to paragraphs 5 and 6 of part III of Annex B to the Stockholm Convention.

The Committee’s meetings are open to observers in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties and the terms of reference of the POPs Review Committee. To participate as an observer, please read the information for admission of observers and submit the completed registration form before 29 August 2014 by e-mail to the Secretariat.

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