The Stockholm Convention is a treaty with major countries around the
world as signatories that addresses the environmental problems regarding POPs.
With over 150 countries signing the Convention, the treaty entered into force
on the 17th of May, 2004, 90 days after the ratification by the 50th
country. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is the designated interim
financial mechanism of the Convention. The COP, or the Conference of the
Parties of the Stockholm Convention, governs the POPs Convention, with its
members being the Convention's Parties.
POPs or Persistent Organic
Pollutants are toxic substances and chemicals that stay in the environment
for a long time without disappearing or disintegrating, in the process becoming
widely distributed geographically. Over time, it accumulates in the fatty tissues
of living organisms.
The Convention focuses on the
elimination or reduction of 12 POPs which the convention dubbed the “Dirty
Dozen”. A system was also formulated for tackling additional chemicals
identified as hazardous. The Convention recognizes that a great amount of
effort is needed to phase out certain chemicals and seeks to ensure that this
effort is made. It also channels resources for cleaning up the existing
stockpiles of POPs in the world today. Ultimately, the Convention envisions a
world free from dangerous POPs and seeks to erase the global economy’s reliance
on toxic chemicals.
For more
information on the “Dirty Dozen” or the 12 initial POPs listed under the
Stockholm Convention, you can click on this link:
The Stockholm Convention is perhaps best understood as
having five essential aims:
- Eliminate dangerous POPs, starting with the 12 worst
- Support the transition to safer alternatives
- Target additional POPs for action
- Cleanup old stockpiles and equipment containing POPs
- Work together for a POPs-free future
For the
complete text of the Stockholm Convention, here’s a link to the document:
Posted by: Segpierre Adrian A. Miradora
The Stockholm Convention has been quite successful in curbing the use of POPs. It would be nice if people won't need to rely on POPs anymore.
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