Citizen-Based Global Affairs Agendas
Ratifying Treaties Controlling Toxic Chemicals
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@irc-online.org>, 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/
Back to Citizen-Based
Global Affairs Agenda Index
This
page was last modified on
Thursday, October 17, 2002 6:21 PM
Contact the IRC's webmaster with inquiries regarding the functionality of this website.
Copyright
© 2001 IRC and IPS. All rights reserved.
|