Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a scenario note developed by the Chair of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee, Mr. Reiner Arndt (Germany), to assist participants in preparing for the fifth meeting of the Committee.

Note by the Secretariat

A tentative schedule for the work of the fifth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee is contained in the annex to the present note. The schedule will be adapted as work progresses.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants considered the work of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee at its fourth meeting under agenda item 5 (e) on listing chemicals in Annexes A, B or C of the Convention. Discussions under that item are reflected in paragraphs 72–115 of the meeting report.

Note by the Secretariat

1. Decision SC-4/20 on operating procedures of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee contains provisions on, among other things, the nomination of new members of the Committee.¹ By that decision, and consistent with paragraph 2 of decision SC-1/7, the Conference of the Parties adopted a list of Parties to be invited to nominate Committee members for terms of office commencing on 5 May 2010.

Note by the Secretariat

1. Paragraph 10 of the terms of reference for the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee, adopted by the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention in the annex to decision SC-1/7, provides for the establishment of a roster of experts who are not members of the Committee that the Committee may invite to support it in its work.

Note by the Secretariat

As part of the activities to support the effective participation of Parties in the Committee’s work, the Secretariat convened two regional workshops during the intersessional period between the Committee’s fourth and the fifth meetings: in Amman for the Middle East and in Brno, Czech Republic, for Central and Eastern Europe.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The annex to the present note contains what has been termed the “pocket guide” for effective participation in the work of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee.1 It is presented without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The intersessional working group on effective participation, established at the fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee was mandated to elaborate additional guidance for Parties on how to complete the forms for submitting the information specified in Annexes E and F of the Convention.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a supporting document for the draft risk profile on endosulfan prepared by the intersessional working group established at the fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee. The draft risk profile on endosulfan is contained in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/3.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains the full annotated outline for a guidance document on alternatives to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives developed by the intersessional working group on substitution and alternatives. A summary of the annotated outline is contained in annex I to document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/6.

Note by the Secretariat

The draft risk profile on endosulfan and the supporting document therefor are contained in documents UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/3 and UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/INF/9, respectively.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a table listing the comments received from Parties and observers on the pocket guide for effective participation in the work of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee and the responses thereto by the intersessional working group on support for effective participation. The pocket guide is contained in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/INF/7.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a table listing the comments received on the general guidance on considerations related to alternatives and substitutes for persistent organic pollutants and the responses thereto by the intersessional working group on substitution and alternatives. The general guidance is contained in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/6.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a table listing the comments received on the annotated outline for a guidance document on perfluorooctane sulfonate alternatives and the responses thereto by the intersessional working group on substitution and alternatives. The annotated outline and its summary are contained in documents UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/INF/10 and UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/6, respectively.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The Government of Norway has submitted a proposal to list hexabromocyclododecane in Annex A to the Stockholm Convention in accordance with Article 8 of the Convention. A summary of the proposal is set out in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/4 and a copy of the proposal itself is set out in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/INF/16.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The Government of Norway has submitted a proposal to list hexabromocyclododecane in Annex A to the Stockholm Convention in accordance with Article 8 to the Convention. The proposal is reproduced in the annex to the present note. It is presented as submitted by Norway and has not been formally edited by the Secretariat.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The Government of Norway has submitted a proposal to list hexabromocyclododecane in Annex A to the Stockholm Convention in accordance with Article 8 of the Convention. A summary of the proposal is set out in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/4 and a copy of the proposal itself is set out in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/INF/16.

Note by the Secretariat

1. Annex I to the present note contains information on considerations on substance identity, while annex II contains an updated supporting document for short-chained chlorinated paraffins, both prepared by the intersessional working group established at the third meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee. The annexes are presented as prepared by the working group and have not been formally edited by the Secretariat.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The work programmes on new persistent organic pollutants adopted by the Conference of the Parties are described in document UNEP/POPS/POPRC.5/9. In accordance with decision SC-4/19, the Secretariat has prepared draft questionnaires for gathering information on brominated diphenyl ethers and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride as contained in annex I to the present note.

Note by the Secretariat

The World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety has developed a draft framework for assessing the combined risk from exposure to multiple chemicals via all relevant routes and pathways. The draft, entitled “Risk assessment of combined exposures to multiple chemicals: a WHO/IPCS framework”, is contained in annex I to the present note and two case studies, one on polybrominated diphenyl ethers and the other on carbamates, are contained in annexes II and III, respectively.

Note by the Secretariat

Annex I to the present note contains a table prepared by the Secretariat comparing the processes followed by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention and the Task Force on Persistent Organic Pollutants of the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Agenda item

Item 2 (a)

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a bioconcentration study of a chlorinated paraffin (C=13), submitted by Japan.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

ARMENIA

Dr. Anahit Aleksandryan

Head