The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 4) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC) for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade convened from 27-31 October 2008, in Rome, Italy.

COP 4 adopted 13 decisions, including the addition of tributyltin compounds, pesticides used in antifouling paints for ship hulls that are toxic to fish, molluscs and other aquatic organisms, to Annex III of the Convention (Chemicals subject to the PIC procedure). The meeting also adopted the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Joint Working Group on Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Issues unresolved and forwarded to COP 5 included those on: compliance, effective implementation, and listing of chrysotile asbestos, the most commonly used form of asbestos and cause of mesothelomia, and endosulfan, a pesticide widely used in cotton production, in Annex III.
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