March 2013: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved enabling activities for four countries to update their respective National Implementation Plans (NIPs) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Updated NIPs will be developed for Lesotho, Mexico, the Central African Republic (CAF) and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR).

According to the GEF, the overall objective of the projects is to update the countries’ NIPs to include the management of “new POPs,” that have been added to the Convention. The projects will ensure countries have the awareness, expertise and technical skills to manage the newly scheduled substances. The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will implement the projects.

The Stockholm Convention initially classified twelve POPs: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, toxaphene; hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and furans. Under the Convention, governments are required to promote best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for replacing existing POPs while preventing the development of new POPs. The NIPs set out government plans for addressing POPs.

In 2009, parties to the Convention agreed to add nine more chemicals to the Convention: c-pentabromodiphenyl ether; chlordecone; hexabromobiphenyl (HBB); alpha hexachlorocyclohexane (alphaHCH); betaHCH; lindane; c-octabromodiphenyl ether, pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), its salts and PFOS fluoride. In 2011 parties added endosulfan to the Convention. [Lesotho Project] [Mexico Project] [CAR Project] [LAO PDR Project]