Ratifying Treaties Controlling Toxic Chemicals

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Citizen-Based Global Affairs

Agendas

Ratifying Treaties Controlling Toxic Chemicals

http://www.irc-online.org/fpif/cgaa/toxics.html

 

The Earth Summit in Rio (1992) and World Summit on Sustainable Development in

Johannesburg (2002) highlighted the growing scope of transnational citizens'

movements on issues relating to sustainable development. One of the most

developed transnational networks has emerged around the issue of pollution from

toxic chemicals, particularly from chemicals that threaten biodiversity and

human

health, such as chemicals that are endocrine disrupting, bioaccumulative,

persistent, or particularly hazardous. A closely linked area of focus is the

international trade in toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes.

 

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are one such example. These carbon-based

POPs compounds or mixtures pose a particular hazard because of four common

characteristics: they are toxic; they resist the normal processes that break

down contaminants in the body and the environment; they are not readily excreted

and are instead accumulated in body fat; and they can evaporate and travel

great distances. POPs jeopardize human and wildlife health in all parts of the

world.

 

Pressure from citizens' groups and scientists has succeeded in raising

concerns over pollution from toxics to the international level, where four key

treaties are widely viewed as the building blocks for effectively regulating the

production and trade of toxic chemicals and preventing pollution from toxic

chemicals:

 

The Basel Convention on transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, together

with its 1995 Ban on OECD to non-OECD waste transfers.

 

The Basel Convention aims to control the transboundary movement of hazardous

wastes, promote their environmentally sound management and disposal, and

prevent illegal waste trafficking. In 1994, a coalition of developing countries,

and some from eastern and western Europe managed to pass by consensus what has

come to be known as the Basel Ban, which bans all forms of hazardous waste

exports from developed (OECD) to developing countries. While the Basel

Convention

came into force in 1992, only 32 countries have ratified both Basel Convention

and the Ban Amendment as of October 10, 2002 (62 countries must ratify for

the Ban Amendment to enter into force.)

 

 

The 1996 Protocol to the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine

Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter

 

The purpose of the London Convention 1972 is to control all sources of marine

pollution and prevent pollution of the sea by regulating the dumping of waste

materials into the sea. The 1996 Protocol, when in force, will replace the

outmoded 1972 Convention. The revised text embraces strong precautionary

language in its general obligations; urges parties to consider the polluter-pays

principle; and calls for waste prevention audits to carefully assess

alternatives

to dumping. The original convention entered into force in 1975. Sixteen

countries have ratified the Protocol as of April 2002, with 26 needed to enter

into

force.

 

 

The Stockholm POPs Convention

 

Adopted in 2001 the Stockholm Convention calls for outright banning and

destruction of some of the world's most dangerous chemicals. The treaty is

designed

to eliminate or severely restrict the production and use of 12 persistent

organic pollutants (POPs) (with provisions to include additional POPs in

future);

ensure environmentally sound management and chemical transformation of POPs

waste; and prevent the emergence of new chemicals with POPs-like

characteristics. As of October 10, 2002 there were 22 parties to the convention

(50 are

needed for it to enter into force).

 

 

The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent

 

The Rotterdam Convention (adopted in 1998) provides important controls on the

international trade of highly toxic chemicals. This convention is the

formalization of a voluntary Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure,

administered

jointly by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) since 1989. The

PIC procedure requires that any country importing pesticides and certain other

hazardous chemicals must be informed of bans or severe restrictions on that

chemical in other countries.

 

As of October 10, 2002 there were 33 countries that had ratified the

Convention (50 are needed for it to enter into force). The United States has

failed to

ratify any of the four treaties but has signed all four. The U.S. has

actively opposed the Basel Ban and is actively working to weaken the Ban,

despite the

fact that the Ban has widespread international support and was adopted by

consensus of the Parties to the Basel Convention.

 

When in force and fully implemented, these four global instruments will help

safeguard wildlife and people from hazardous industrial chemicals and

pesticides while also tackling the collateral problems of obsolete stockpiles,

hazardous materials dumped at sea, and toxic waste trafficking. Citizens groups

are

campaigning for the U.S. to ratify these conventions and provide leadership in

their implementation.

 

Compiled by John Gershman <john,

senior analyst at Interhemispheric Resource Center (IRC)

(online at www.irc-online.org ).

 

Sources for More Information about Combating Toxic Pollution:

 

Pesticide Action Network-North America

http://www.panna.org/

 

World Wildlife Fund's Toxic Chemical Initiative

http://www.panda.org/toxics/pubs.cfm

 

Greenpeace Toxics Campaign

http://www.greenpeace.org/campaigns/intro?campaign_id=3941

 

Basel Action Network

http://www.ban.org/

 

International POPs Elimination Network

http://www.ipen.org/

 

Center for Health, Environment and Justice

http://www.chej.org/

 

Basel Convention

http://www.unep.ch/basel/

 

London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes

and Other Matter

http://www.londonconvention.org/

 

Stockholm Convention on POPs

http://www.chem.unep.ch/sc/

 

Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent

http://www.pic.int/