ROTTERDAM
CONVENTION - ENVIRONMENT
News: Chlorpyrifos, Mercury Recommended for Listing Under Rotterdam Convention
What's
in the news?
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The 19th meeting of the Chemical Review
Committee (CRC-19) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent
(PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International
Trade, or the Rotterdam Convention for short, recommended that chlorpyrifos and
mercury be listed in Convention Annex III.
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Annex
III lists chemicals subject to the PIC Procedure, including pesticides and
industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted.
Rotterdam
Convention:
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Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed
Consent Procedures (PIC) entered into force in 2004.
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It is an international treaty designed to
facilitate informed decision-making
by countries with regard to trade in
hazardous chemicals.
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It is a legally binding instrument.
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India acceded to the Convention in 2006.
Objectives:
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To promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among State Parties
in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect
human health and the environment from potential harm.
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To contribute to the environmentally sound
use of these hazardous chemicals by facilitating information exchange about
their characteristics, providing for a national decision making process on
their import and export, and by disseminating these decisions to the Parties.
Prior
Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure:
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The PIC (Prior Informed Consent) procedure
is a formal process that involves
acquiring and publishing decisions.
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From importing countries regarding their
willingness to receive shipments of chemicals listed in Annex III of the
Convention.
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It also ensures that exporting countries
adhere to these decisions. For each chemical listed in Annex III and subject to
the PIC procedure. A decision guidance document (DGD) is prepared and shared
with all participating countries.
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The purpose of the DGD is to assist
governments in evaluating the risks associated with handling and using
chemicals.
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It provides valuable information to help
them make informed decisions about the future import. Use of the chemical,
taking into consideration local circumstances.
India’s
Stand as a Member of the Rotterdam Convention:
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The Convention was acceded by India on May 24, 2006.
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The Designated
National Authority (DNA) for industrial chemicals is the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals,
and the DNA for pesticides is the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation
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India is one of seven nations that have
opposed chrysotile asbestos being listed in Annex III despite the fact that it
is a recognised carcinogen. When asbestos firms expose people to asbestos
fibres, they violate their human rights.
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In this regard, the Indian government has
a responsibility to safeguard both the health of its citizens and the general
public. One way it can do this is by severing ties with nations that actively
promote the use of white chrysotile asbestos.
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The
"Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code" 2020,
which refers to asbestos as a hazardous substance and asbestosis as a
notifiable disease, has been enacted by the Indian government.
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It also forbids the trade in asbestos
waste and removes asbestos from 7,083 railway stations.