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Asia Monitor
UNU e-Newsletter Issue 21. May 2007 The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention: In accordance with the Stockholm Convention, the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) took place from the April 30th through May 5th in Dakar, Senegal. The COP3 discussed challenging issues such as use of DDT for vector control purposes, non-conformity, establishment of regional centers, global monitoring plans, identification and quantification of POPs emission (toolkit), effectiveness evaluation, synergies with Basel Convention, technical transfer, financial mechanisms, and Best Available Technology and Best Environmental Practices for sound POPs management. The use of DDT for vector control purposes was discussed in reference to the recent WHOfs statement on the indoor use of DDT. gDraft Guidelines on Best Available Techniques and Provisional Guidance on Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP)h was distributed in print. Many countries welcomed this document and emphasized the practical importance of its immediate use in the field. The document could be a living document and therefore subject to feedback and revision. Financial and technical support was also requested in order to successfully implement the identified BAT/BEP activities. The useful yet often inaccurate, gStandardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Release,h was reexamined. The need for verification was also requested but cost concerns were immediately raised. In relation to the Financial Resources Agenda, UNU took the floor to briefly introduce their successful private sector partnership program. This untapped and yet potential financial resources has supported the UNUfs project on POPs monitoring and governance since 1996 and could serve as a model for other partnerships in the future. While the achievement made by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) was warmly welcomed, some points were raised as concerns by several stakeholders including Signing Parties and NGOs. The main discussion points were (1) bioaccumulation properties as critical criteria for new POPs candidates; (2) financial burdens incurred as a result of the review results and; (3) inclusions of precursors as candidates. The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN), an active NGO in this field, also commented that the criteria need to be flexibly applied in order to meet the expectations of civil societies with serious concerns regarding the detected levels of some listed POPs candidates. POPRC now has 10 chemicals in the reviewing pipeline. Chemicals in the Step 3:
Development of Risk Profiles: Chemicals in the Step 4:
Development of Risk Management Evaluations: On the main agenda for the 2009 COP4 will be the result of the effectiveness evaluation. The UNUfs POPs monitoring data has been listed in an inventory of existing monitoring data as found in UNEP/POPS/COP.3/INF/15 at http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/cop_3/meetingdocs/default.htm
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