Follow-up to the fourth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention

Letter date: 12 November 2008

1. Deadline for submission of a new proposal for listing a chemical
The Committee agreed at its fourth meeting that more time is needed to process a proposal in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 8 of the Convention for listing a new chemical in Annexes A, B, or C of the Convention.  In order to ensure adequate time to prepare for and distribute the new proposals three months in advance of the meeting at which they will be discussed, the proposals have to be submitted to the Secretariat 20 weeks before the meeting of the Committee. Please be informed that the deadline for submission of a new proposal for listing a chemical to be considered at the fifth meeting of the Committee to be held from 12 to 16 October 2009 in Geneva is 25 May 2009. Please also take note that bulky submissions should be accompanied by a summary in English of up to 20 pages including the main data and reasons for concern which will be made available in the six official languages of the United Nations.

2. Invitation to submit comments on the POPRC Handbook
In response to highly positive feedback on activities undertaken in order to enhance the effective participation of Parties and observers in its work, the Committee decided to continue such activities. The main activities that will be implemented, subject to the availability of funding, include the following:

  • Revision of the POPRC handbook on effective participation;
  • Drafting of a shorter version of the handbook (“pocket guide”) that will be translated into the six UN languages; and
  • Implementation of further regional workshops on effective participation in the POPRC.


In order to update and improve the handbook, the intersessional working group established invites you to provide further comments on the handbook. Please send your feedback by 15 December 2008 to the Secretariat at the indicated address.

See also:


3. Intersessional work on substitutes and alternatives of POPs
The Committee established an intersessional working group on substitution and alternatives to POPs with the mandate to develop a general guidance text that would describe the issues relating to alternatives and the considerations that should be taken into account when dealing with possible alternative chemicals or the substitution of POPs. The group will also consider the modalities for producing a document on perfluorooctane sulfonate alternatives to undertake this work the intersessional working group needs information on substitution and alternatives. Please submit relevant information you may have on this topic to the Secretariat at the address below at your earliest convenience, but not later than 15 January 2009.

4. Nomination of national experts to be added to a roster of experts for the POPs Review Committee
In accordance to decision SC-1/7 of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the POPs Review Committee can invite experts who are not members of the Committee to support it in its work. A roster of experts on issues of relevance to the POPs Review Committee has been established for this purpose by the Secretariat. Parties to the Stockholm Convention are invited to nominate national experts to be included into this roster. Nominations of experts on toxicology, ecotoxicology, persistence and environmental monitoring are encouraged, especially from developing countries as due consideration to the balance between developed and developing countries will be given when inviting experts to the Committee’s meetings. Please send your nomination letter to the Secretariat at the address below. Please also attach a CV of the nominated individual, as well as his or her relevant field of expertise.

5. Forthcoming rotation of Committee members for the term 2010-2014
On 4 May 2010, the term of office of 17 of the 31 members of the POPs Review Committee expires. At its fourth meeting from 4 to 8 May 2009, the Conference of the Parties will need to decide on a list of Parties that are to nominate a member to the Committee to fill the offices of those members whose term expires. The newly nominated members would have a term of office extending from 5 May 2010 to 2014. To facilitate the nomination process, regions should be ready to identify a list of Parties that are to nominate a member to the Committee. In addition, Parties may wish to consider selecting an individual whose name could be put forward to the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting. Parties are invited to indicate to the Secretariat their interest in sitting in the committee and to provide names and CVs of individuals they may recommend as members of the Committee.  The final selection of new members will be done by each regional group for endorsement by the COP.

For this purpose and in response to all the requests above, please write to the Secretariat preferably by e-mail or by regular mail at:

        Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention
        Att: POPs Review Committee
        United Nations Environment Programme
        11-13 Chemin des Anémones
        CH-1219, Chatelaine, Geneva, Switzerland
        Fax: (+41 22) 917 8098
        E-mail: ssc@pops.int