Regional capacity-building workshop on new POPs and the process for reviewing and updating NIPs

The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention held 4-8 May 2009, decided to amend the Convention by adding nine new chemicals to its Annexes A, B and C. In accordance with Article 22 of the Convention, the amendments will enter into force on 26 August 2010. By decision SC-4/19, the COP decided to undertake a work programme to provide guidance to Parties on how best to restrict and eliminate these newly listed persistent organic pollutants and invited Parties to support work on the evaluation of alternatives and other work related to the restriction and elimination of these new POPs.

Pursuant to Article 15 of the Convention, each Party to the Convention has to report to the Conference of the Parties on the measures it has taken to implement the provisions of the Convention and on the effectiveness of such measures in meeting the objectives of the Stockholm Convention. In line with decision SC-4/30, Parties have been requested to submit their second report by 31 October 2010 making use of the enhanced reporting format and electronic reporting system.

• Increased knowledge on the nine new POPs recently listed in Annexes A, B and C of the Convention and on the implications at the national level of the new obligations arising herewith;
• Increased understanding of the scope of the obligation to review and update national implementation plans under Article 7 of the Convention;
• Increased knowledge on the guidance and training tools available to assess their new obligations and to update their national implementation plans accordingly;
• Enhanced understanding of the reporting requirements under Article 15 of the Convention; and of the use of the electronic reporting system.

The workshop targeted national experts from French-speaking African countries, who are contributing to the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, such as Official Contact Points or Focal Points from the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and Togo.

Other French-speaking African countries, which are not covered under this workshop, were invited to take part in a similar workshop on new POPs and the process for reviewing and updating NIPs that was held in Barcelona, Spain on 2-4 December 2009.

The regional workshop for French-speaking Africa was held from 1 to 4 November 2010 in Hotel les Almadies in Dakar in collaboration with the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Francophone Africa, a nominated Stockholm Convention Regional Centre.