Mandate and Decisions

Under Article 5 of the Stockholm Convention Parties are obliged to take measures to reduce the total releases of the above chemicals derived from antropogenic sources listed in Convention Annex C Part II and III, with the goal of their continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination.

The following tables provide an overview of the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to facilitate implementation of Article 5; notes by the Secretariat to the Conference of the Parties on implementation of those decisions; and the related reports from subsidiary bodies, recommendations and guidance documents.

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COP decisions on BATBEP relevant to Article 5 and Annex C

 

 UN-numberTitleDownload
SC-1/19 Guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices relevant to Article 575.5 K37.16 K
 
 
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The Conference of the Parties,
[...]1. Encourages Parties to take the draft guidelines and provisional guidance into consideration, where practicable and feasible, in the development of action plans and other activities related to unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants;
2. Takes note of the need for further work to enhance or strengthen the draft document to address those priority areas which have been identified in the terms of reference for the expert group, so that guidelines and guidance may be adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its third session;
3. Decides hereby to establish an Expert Group on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices, with the terms of reference set forth in the annex to the present decision;
4. Invites the Parties and others to submit comments on the draft guidelines and provisional guidance to the Secretariat by 31 August 2005 for consideration by the Expert Group at its first meeting.

Annex to decision SC-1/19
Terms of reference for the Expert Group on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices
SC-1/20 Guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices and guidance on training and awareness-raising activities57.5 K10.42 K
 
 
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1. Requests the Secretariat to initiate activities to promote guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices through awareness raising, information dissemination and publicity at regional, subregional and national levels, subject to available funding;

2. Urges Parties and non-Parties and other donors in a position to do so to support such activities.
SC-2/4Guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices62 K11.1 K
 
 
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1. Welcomes the report of the first meeting of the Expert Group on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices and expresses its gratitude to the members of the group for their work; 2. Observes that the guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices under development by the Expert Group together form a living document which will be continually updated to take into consideration scientific and related advances or changes; 3. Invites Parties and other donors in a position to do so to support awarenessraising activities pursuant to decision SC-1/20, including awarenessraising workshops on the guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices, as requested by the Expert Group at its first meeting; 4. Also invites Parties and other donors in a position to do so to support informal consultations on the guidelines between the second meeting of the Expert Group and the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
SC-3/5 Guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices66 K16.06 K
 
 
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Requests the Secretariat, within available resources, to compile the information provided under paragraph 3 above and to collect information (e.g., make use of a questionnaire) on experiences gained in using the revised guidelines and guidance through field tests and other means by 31 December 2008 in order to report such information to the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting; Encourages Parties and observers to exchange information on their experiences in implementing the guidelines and guidance by electronic means such as electronic discussion groups facilitated, as appropriate, through the Secretariat; Invites Parties and others in a position to do so: (a) To fund awareness-raising and training workshops on the guidelines on best available techniques and best environmental practices; (b) To fund awareness-raising and training activities pursuant to decision SC-1/20; Invites the appropriate bodies of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal to consider the waste-related contents of the revised guidelines and guidance and to report any outcome of their doing so to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention; Requests the Secretariat to transmit annex II of the report of the Expert Group on the work of its second meeting to the appropriate bodies of the Basel Convention through the secretariat of the Basel Convention in response to a request by the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention at its seventh meeting.
SC-4/6Best available techniques/best environmental practices76.5 K10.13 K
 
 
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1. Takes note of the comments submitted by Parties and others on the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices;

SC-5/12Guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices143 K25.02 K
 
 
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The Conference of the Parties

1. Takes note of the comments provided by parties and others on the guidelines on best available techniques and the provisional guidance on best environmental practices;
2. Reminds parties, in accordance with Article 5 of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, to take into consideration the guidelines and guidance when applying best available techniques and best environmental practices and to assist decision-making in the implementation of action plans and other actions related to their obligations under Article 5, and invites them to share their experiences, such as in the form of case studies, via the Convention clearing-house mechanism;
[...]

Annex to decision SC-5/12
Procedure for the review and updating of the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices

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COP5 documents

Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geneva, 25-29 April 2011
 

 UN-numberTitleDownload
UNEP/POPS/COP.5/10Guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices176 K49.69 K
 
 
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Note by the Secretariat

1. By its decision SC-4/6 on best available techniques and best environmental practices, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, among other things:
(a) Reminded parties, in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, to take into consideration the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices when applying such techniques and practices and when implementing action plans and other actions related to the obligations under Article 5 of and Annex C to the Convention;

UNEP/POPS/COP.5/INF/5Compilation of comments on the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices357 K225.43 K
 
 
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Note by the Secretariat

1. By its decision SC-4/6 on best available techniques and best environmental practices, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, among other things:
(a) Invited parties to provide the Secretariat with their comments on their experience in using the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices and requested the Secretariat to compile any comments received;

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COP4 documents

Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geneva, 4–8 May 2009
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COP3 documents

Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Dakar, 30 April–4 May 2007
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COP2 documents

Second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geneva, 1–5 May 2006
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COP1 documents

First meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Punta del Este, Uruguay, 2–6 May 2005