Technical Assistance Newsletter
The second issue of the Stockholm Convention newsletter on technical assistance is now available. The aim of the newsletter is to provide Parties and others information on the ongoing activities of the Secretariat and other Partners in the area of technical assistance and capacity-building.
Download the newsletter (PDF document).
Ibadan, Nigeria, 16-19 August 2010
On 26 August 2010, the amendments to the Stockholm Convention, listing nine additional persistent organic pollutants, will enter into force. To raise awareness on the new POPs requirements and the possible implications of such listing at the national level, a series of regional workshops is organised by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention. The next regional workshop is to be held in Ibadan, Nigeria for 24 country Parties from English-speaking Africa. The workshop also offers an opportunity to become familiar with the enhanced version of the online electronic reporting system in preparation for the second round of Party reporting. More
Brno, Czech Republic, 15-18 June 2010
The amendments to the Stockholm Convention, listing nine additional persistent organic pollutants, will enter into force on 26 August 2010. In light of this, a series of workshops is being delivered at the regional level to raise awareness on the steps to be taken by Parties to comply with their new obligations, including the process to review and update their national implementation plans. The workshops also offer an opportunity for participants to become familiar with the enhanced version of the online electronic reporting system in preparation for the second round of Party reporting pursuant to Article 15 of the Convention. More
Nairobi, Kenya, 7 - 11 June 2010
A training on implementing Integrated Vector Management (IVM) towards reduced reliance on DDT, organized by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, was successfully conducted at the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya, with the technical support of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The initiative was designed by the Global Alliance for the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT for disease vector control to support in-country capacity practice IVM approach using all available tools with cross sector coordination to overcome the complexity and cost of implementing alternatives to DDT. More
Geneva, Switzerland, 1-2 June 2010
The Ad Hoc Working Group, constituted and mandated according to the provisions made by decision SC-4/32 of the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting, convened its second meeting for finalizing a Framework for the Effectiveness Evaluation. The framework, which will be submitted for consideration by the COP at is fifth meeting in 2011, includes, among other items, indicators, data requirements and arrangements to prepare for and to undertake future effectiveness evaluations of the Convention. More
New Dehli, India, 19-21 May 2010
The second meeting of the Interim Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for the development and deployment of alternatives to DDT for disease vector control was successfully concluded, with a clear and progressive work plan, on the 21st of May 2010 after extensive deliberations over three days at the India International Centre, in Delhi. More
The simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions was held in Bali, Indonesia, at the Bali International Convention Centre in Nusa Dua, from 22 to 24 February 2010.
The convening of three independent treaty conferences simultaneously marks a historic departure for international environmental governance. The three extraordinary meetings of the planet's leading global chemicals and wastes treaties were organized in coordination with the 11th special session of the UNEP Governing Council. More at the ExCOPs website
On 26 August 2009, the depositary communicated the adoption of the amendment to Annexes A, B and C of the Stockholm Convention. As a result, the amendments shall enter into force on 26 August 2010 for all Parties that have not submitted a notification pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3(b) of Article 22.
Please note that in accordance with paragraph 4 of article 22, an amendment to Annex A, B or C shall not enter into force with respect to any Party that has made a declaration with respect to amendment to those Annexes in accordance with paragraph 4 of article 25. Thus, such amendment shall enter into force for such a Party on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit with the depositary of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with respect to such amendment.
For further information, please read the depository notification below.
English
French
Houston Heights Theater, USA - 25 July 2010
Safe Planet presented Stefan Jarl's documentary, "Submission: In Defence of the Unborn", at the Houston Heights Theater in Houston, USA. "Submission is a documentary about the 'chemical society' – the society we have been building since the Second World War. Back then, humans used 1 million tonnes of chemicals per year; the figure today is 500 million tonnes. The chemical industry is the fastest-growing industry in the world. The film is about the 100,000 chemicals we use every day, what they are used for and what they do to us and our health." - Stefan Jarl.
Michael Stanley-Jones and Liane Crae Soukup on Click2Houston TV chanel talk about the screening of Submission: In defence of the unborn (Facebook video).
Safe Planet Campaign is a United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes for ensuring the safety of the environment and human health. More about Safe Planet campaign in Facebook
The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is scheduled from 25 to 29 April 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Parties are requested to submit their second reports pursuant to Article 15 through the online Electronic Reporting System. For more information, Parties can visit the Reporting page, or go directly to the login page.
The simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions was held in Bali, Indonesia, at the Bali International Convention Centre in, Nusa Dua, from 22 to 24 February 2010, in coordination with the eleventh special session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) of the United Nations Environment Programme which was held at the same venue from 24 to 26 February 2010.
More...
Bali, 22 Feb. 2010. The PCBs Elimination Network (PEN) was launched at the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
See the interview on the Launch of PCBs Elimination Network (PEN) and the Global Alliance for alternatives to DDT(video)
For more information on the PEN please visit www.pops.int/pen
Bali, 22 Feb. 2010. The Global Alliance for developing alternatives to DDT for disease vector control was launched at the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
See the interview on the Launch of the Global Alliance for alternatives to DDT and the PCBs Elimination Network (PEN) (video)
Arabic
Chinese
Russian
Spanish
Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes invite high-profile personages and international experts to engage in a dialogue on how human biomonitoring information can support the Millennium Development Goals and World Summit on Sustainable Development 2020 target to achieve sound management of chemicals and wastes. Selected public figures volunteer to have their bodies tested and pledge to make their personal chemical "body burdens" public, to raise global awareness of the need for action on the threats posed by hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Forum will provide a sneak preview of Stefan Jarl's new film, "Submission: The defence of the unborn" (Sweden, 2010).
The UN Champions Body Burden Forum will gather major public figures involved in biomonitoring projects and information campaigns, including:
See also:
Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes - Background Statement (PDF document).
UN Radio interview (7 May 2010): Safe Planet campaign tests "body burden" of celebrities to expose risk of chemicals
American Premiere of the film "Submission: The defence of the unborn"
The learning session, which was organised by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, aimed at presenting and interacting with participants on the opportunities offered by the Stockholm Convention to protect human health and the environment from the harmful impacts of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A specific emphasis was put on the challenges of managing industrial chemicals contained in products or used during manufacturing processes, which was illustrated by the cases of the newly listed chemicals under the Stockholm Convention.
Side-event leaflet (PDF document)
Wednesday, 12 May 2010, from 6:15 pm to 7:45 pm, Conference Room 6, NLB
The event, which is organized by the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development (DSD/DESA), the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, and the UNEP DTIE Chemicals Branch, officially launches the publication on "Practices in the sound management of chemicals" which aims at supporting the work of the Commission in its current cycle in assessing the present trends, emerging issues and priority areas towards the achievement of the 2020 sound management of chemicals.
The Synergies Exhibition of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions with the support of the Czech Government featured art works by leading American, Colombian, Czech and Pakistani artists, including Anila Quayyum Agha, Barbara Benish, Santiago Cardenas, Brian Collier, Christopher Edgar, Chris Jordan, Floyd Newsum, Milos Sejn and Sharon Sprung.
The exhibition was presented at the Czech Center New York (321 E 73rd St.).
This panel, which was sponsored by International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN), Commonweal, and the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, described the UNEP/WHO milk monitoring program and discussed the significance of POPs and other industrial chemicals in human milk. It also described how monitoring results can be communicated in ways that ultimately lower the levels of POPs chemicals in all our bodies while supporting breastfeeding.
:: top