THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India maintained silence on listing of endosufan under the Rotterdam Convention at the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, which opened in Geneva on Monday.
The Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade requires the exporting countries of listed chemicals to provide the importing countries with advance information on the effects of the pesticide so that the importing country could opt to reject or prohibit the imports.
The Convention agreed, in principle, to list endosulfan under the Convention. However, a final decision was delayed because Cuba would not agree to the listing unless the decision included need for technical and financial assistance. An agreement may be worked out before the closure of the conference on Friday.
Meriel Watts, who is attending the Convention as a representative of Pesticide Action Network (Asia-Pacific), said in an e-mail message that the conference had decided to list alachlor and aldicarb under the Convention.
India, besides Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Sudan and a few non-member countries, objected to the listing of Chrysotile asbestos (white asbestos). However, it subsequently changed its stand and supported the listing. Discussions will continue to persuade others to agree to the listing.
Members of the Rotterdam Convention Alliance, an alliance of more than 500 environmental, health and labour groups from across the globe, said this was a major breakthrough and congratulated India. “India's change in position will have considerable influence in changing the opinion of the remaining dissenting countries,” Alexandra Caterbow and Madhumita Dutta of the Alliance said in a statement.
Achieving objectives
In its opening statement at the conference, India noted the importance of achieving the Convention objectives within the framework of sustainable development. It called for development of alternatives to listed chemicals, and emphasised the importance of consensus-based decision-making, said the Earth Negotiations Bulletin published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
China called for a consensus-based decision-making and a gradual approach in listing chemicals under the Convention, it said.
Opening the conference, President Noluzuko (Zukie) Gwayi expressed optimism that participants would use the conference to improve the effectiveness of the Convention. She noted that support for the attendance of all parties was not available because of the Convention's extreme financial constraints.
Subsidiary body
Jim Willis, Joint Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm, and Rotterdam Conventions, highlighted the successes of the Rotterdam Convention, including listing 40 chemicals and establishing the Chemical Review Committee as a strong, science-based subsidiary body.
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