Protocol on Heavy Metals enters into
force and
new work on persistent
organic pollutants agreed
Geneva, 23 December
2003 - The 19 new Parties to the Protocol
on Heavy Metals are to celebrate its entry
into force next Monday, 29 December.
The Protocol, signed by 35 countries and the European Union
at its adoption in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1998, is the seventh to take effect
under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution of the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Since the announcement earlier in the year that the Protocol
would enter into force, three more countries - Austria, Bulgaria and Monaco
- have ratified it. All 19 Parties, i.e. Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands,
Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the
United States and the European Community, are expected to attend the first
meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, which will take place at the time
of the next session of the Convention's Executive Body scheduled for December
2004. Their discussions are likely to focus on the three priority metals covered
by the Protocol - lead, cadmium and mercury.
Meanwhile new work on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
has already been agreed at the first meeting of the Parties to the 1998 Protocol
on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which took place in Geneva in conjunction
with the Convention's most recent session of its Executive Body.
This Protocol became effective in October and this was the
first chance for countries to consider future work on these toxic substances.
They agreed a work-plan for 2004, targeted at reviewing the provisions of
the Protocol to see if they are effective, and to establish a new Task Force
on POPs, which will also address longer-term work. The Task Force will meet
in March.
Work beyond 2004 will consider new POPs for addition to the
current list of those banned or restricted under the terms of the Protocol.
Already Norway has nominated pentaBDE, while other countries are lining up
to suggest other POPs to add to the list.
The POPs and heavy metals in the Protocols have a wide range
of harmful effects on man and on wildlife. Some POPs are believed to cause
birth defects or affect physical and intellectual development, some are carcinogenic,
whilst others may harm the immune system. Foetuses and infants are particularly
at risk, exposed through the placenta or breast milk. The metals lead, cadmium
and mercury have all been identified as having long-term effects on human
health.
For more information, please contact:
Keith BULL
Environment and Human Settlements Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations, office 346
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41(0)22 917 23 54
Fax: +41(0)22 907 06 21
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/
Ref. ECE/ENV/03/P27