Chemical Management

under the Basel, Rotterdam and

Stockholm Convention

Katarina Magulova, Programme Officer in the

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm

Conventions Tarnov 2012

Global Chemicals Policy Goals: from Stockholm 1972, Rio 1992 and Johannesburg 2002

Stockholm principle 13: “States should adopt an integrated and coordinated

approach to their development planning so … that development is compatible with the need to protect and improve environment for the benefit of their population.”

Rio Agenda 21, Chapter 19: Environmentally Sound Management Of Toxic Chemicals,

Including Prevention Of Illegal International Traffic In Toxic And Dangerous Products

World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD 2002) “By 2020 chemicals are to be used and produced in ways

that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment”

Rio 2012

reiterated the

global chemicals

policy goals

‘Ensure that the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes

and other wastes is reduced to the minimum consistent with the

environmentally sound and efficient management of such

wastes, and is conducted in a manner which will protect human

health and the environment against the adverse effects which

may result from such movement’

Control system for transboundary movements

Principle of the environmentally sound

management of waste

Basel Convention on Control of

Transboundary Movement of

Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Adopted in 1989 179 parties

‘…promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among

Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous

chemicals in order to protect human health and the

environment from potential harm and to contribute to their

environmentally sound use, by facilitating information

exchange about their characteristics…’

Criteria for listing chemicals and a list of agreed

chemicals.

Rotterdam Convention on Prior

Informed Consent

Adopted in 1998 150 Parties

‘ Prohibit and/or take the legal and administrative measures

necessary to eliminate: Its production and use of chemicals

listed in Annex A subject to the provisions of the Annex; Its

import and export of the chemicals listed in Annex A in

accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2; and restrict

its production and use of the chemicals listed in Annex B in

accordance with the provisions of that Annex; as well as

minimize and where feasible eliminate unintentionally

produced and released POPs, listed in Annex C’’

Criteria for listing include persistence,

bioaccumulation, toxicity and long-range transport

Stockholm Convention on POPs Adopted 2011 178 Parties

Scope and coverage of the three conventions

Regulating chemicals and wastes

(elimination / ban / restriction) X X X

Import / export controls X X X

Waste management X

X

Hazard identification / risk assessment

X X

Hazard / risk communication X X X

Replacement / alternatives X X

Reporting environmental releases X

Technical assistance X X X

Financial assistance x x

Basel Convention

Cradle to grave management

Words to Actions: Treaties to Partnerships SAICM:

Strategic Approach to International Chemicals

Management

ILO

170,

174

Rotterdam

Convention: Prior

informed

consent

Basel Convention: Transboundary

Movements of

Hazardous Wastes

and their Disposal

Chemical ‘life cycle’

Chemical

‘coverage’

Specific

Halogenated

Compounds

Other

chemicals

of concern

Trade Waste & disposal Production Use

Mercury Heavy metals

Montreal Protocol: Ozone Depleting Substances

Stockholm Convention: Persistent Organic Pollutants

Chemicals covered by the three conventions

Basel Convention covers hazardous wastes that are explosive, flammable, reactive, poisonous, infectious, corrosive, toxic or ecotoxic

Rotterdam Convention covers 43 pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons

Stockholm Convention covers 14 pesticides, and 7 industrial chemicals and unintentional by-products

Common Link

Most POPs are covered by all three Conventions

Many pesticides are subject to the three Conventions

POPs/PTS properties 9

• remain intact in the environment for a long time

• accumulate in living organisms

• become widely distributed throughout the environment

• are toxic to humans and wildlife.

Scientific Support Branch Chemistry 101 Chemistry 101

Bioaccumulation

70 000 x

10 Bioaccumulation:

Increase in concentration of a

pollutant from the environment

to the first organism in the food

chain.

Bioconcentration:

Increase in concentration from

one link in a food chain to

another.

Phytoplankto

n

Zooplankto

n

Small

fish 50 x

8 x 25 x

Environmen

t

Big fish

Humans

From ng to mg

How do we evaluate it?

•Global assessment reports such as: UNEP GEO-5 Chapter on Chemicals and Waste(2012) UNEP Chemicals Global Chemical Outlook and Cost of Inaction (2012)

•Effectiveness evaluation under Article 16 of the Stockholm Convention

•Monitoring of chemicals in humans and the environment

•Assessment and interpretation of changes in levels over time

Effectiveness of the global chemical agenda

Levels of PCDD/PCDF in human milk

12

0 10 20 30 40

Uganda

Kenya

Mauritius

Tonga

Nigeria

Syria

Haiti

Ghana

Kiribati

Mali

Rep. Korea

Fiji

Antigua and Barbuda

Taijikistan

Cyprus

Georgia

Australia

Hungary

Norway

Finland

Lithuania

Sweden

Switzerland

Sudan

Slovak Republic

Uruguay

Senegal

Hong Kong

Czech Republic

Moldova

Chile

Belgium

Luxembourg

Côte d'Ivoire

DR Congo

India

1987-2002 2005-2010

Secretariat of Stockholm

Convention

13

Changes in dioxin levels in human milk over time

Changes in PCBs levels in air over time

Changes in PCBs levels in air over time

PCBs (Kobe, Japan)

Relevant obligations for Parties

http://synergies.pops.int/

Thank you !