Progress towards PCB Elimination

The Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention reviews progress towards elimination of PCBs (paragraph (h) of Part II of Annex A to the Convention), every four years at its ordinary meetings, taking into account the information provided in the national reports submitted by Parties pursuant to Article 15 of the Convention and other relevant sources of information.

At its eleventh meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted decision SC-11/3, by which it welcomed the new report on progress towards the elimination of PCB (UNEP/POPS/COP.11/INF/11).

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Under decision SC-11/3, the Conference of the Parties aslo:

• Urged Parties to implement measures to meet their obligations under the Stockholm Convention, in particular with respect to paragraphs (a) and (e) of part II of Annex A on polychlorinated biphenyls in equipment and on their environmentally sound waste management, respectively;
• Urged Parties, in accordance with paragraph (f) of part II of Annex A to the Convention, to endeavour to identify articles containing more than 0.005 per cent polychlorinated biphenyls in open applications, such as cable sheaths, cured caulk and painted objects, and manage them in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 6;
• Urged Parties to develop, update and maintain national inventories of polychlorinated biphenyls following the guidance for the development of inventories of polychlorinated biphenyls and analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls; and
• Encouraged Parties, in accordance with Article 10 of the Convention and within their capabilities, to continue promoting and facilitating the provision of public information, and developing and implementing educational and public awareness programmes on persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls, in closed and open applications, as well as on their health and environmental effects and on their alternatives;

The Conference of the Parties decided to undertake, at its thirteenth meeting, a new review of progress towards the elimination of PCB in accordance with paragraph (h) of part II of Annex A to the Convention with the support of the Small Intersessional Working Group on PCB (PCB SIWG).