The COP agreement to add endosulfan to Annex A of the Convention and phase out its use, as recommended by the Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee, brings the total number of chemicals listed by the Stockholm Convention to 22.
On synergies, it decides that the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam COPs should be held in a coordinated manner.
29 April 2011: The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 5) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which convened from 25-29 April in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded with an agreement to add endosulfan to Annex A of the Convention and phase out its use, as recommended by the Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee (POPRC).
This decision brings the total number of chemicals listed by the Stockholm Convention to 22. COP 5 also considered several reports on activities within the Convention’s mandate and adopted over 30 decisions on, inter alia: financial and technical assistance; synergies; mandating UNEP to coordinate the Global Alliance on DDT and the Polychlorinated Biphenyl Elimination Network; and endorsing seven new Stockholm Convention regional centres, in Algeria, Senegal, Kenya, South Africa, Iran, India and the Russian Federation.
At COP 5, delegates considered POPRC’s recommendations on eliminating of bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs) from the waste stream. Concerned about contamination through imported products, developing countries, proposed to ban such exports. The proposal led to extensive debate and a compromise decision was taken, discouraging parties from exporting such waste.
COP 5 also considered the issue of agreeing a non-compliance mechanism under the Convention. After informal talks as well as discussion in plenary, parties agreed to reconsider this issue at COP6.
A decision on synergies among the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions welcomes the establishment of the Executive Secretary of the three conventions, but regrets that the position was not appointed with the urgency. It authorizes the Executive Secretary to determine the staffing levels, numbers and structure of the secretariats in a flexible manner within a budget ceiling, and requests him to propose, in consultation with the Bureau, the organization of the secretariats by 31 December 2011, to be implemented by 31 December 2012. It further decides that the COPs of the three conventions should be held in a coordinated manner, approves the proposed cross-cutting and joint activities for inclusion in the programmes of work of the three secretariats for 2012-13, and decides to convene in 2013 an extraordinary joint meeting of the COPs. [IISD RS Earth Negotiation Bulletin coverage] [Stockholm Convention website]