New Charter On Chemicals To Be Drawn Up In Rome

Accra,(Greater Accra) 19 Oct. More than 250 delegates will meet in Rome from Monday for negotiations on a new convention on international trade in extremely hazardous chemicals and pesticides, an FAO statement said today. The legally binding convention would help to manage more safely and ultimately contain the trade of chemicals and pesticides, such as DDT, PCBs, Aldrin, Lindane and Dieldrin, which are highly harmful to human health and the environment. The statement released in Accra said many developing countries have reported acute poisoning and even fatalities among farmers, because pesticides cannot be handled safely. Protective gear is also too expensive and in many cases cannot be used due to the climate in these countries. The trade in extremely hazardous pesticides is currently monitored through the Voluntary Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC), in which 154 countries are participating. The PIC is jointly administered by the FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which are organising the five-day conference. According to this system, 22 harmful pesticides and five industrial chemicals, which have been banned or severely restricted in a number of countries, should not be exported without the acceptance of the importing country. UNEP said the PIC convention will provide the world with a vital first line of defense in managing extremely dangerous chemicals.