National/sectorial policy and planning to control emissions of ODS and POPs
The Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) is the first legally binding international agreement formally recognizing the significant threat of ozone depletion. The Protocol and its subsequent amendments espoused a precautionary approach; they set out a strategy to immediately reduce and phase out the global production and consumption of ODS, even before all the scientific ramifications of ozone depletion were fully understood.
Certain chemicals – such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) – adversely affect human and ecological health when released into the air, water or soil. Even in small quantities, POPs can wreak havoc in human and animal tissue causing nervous system damage, immune system diseases, reproductive or developmental disorders, and cancers. These pollutants persist in the ecosystem, are capable of traveling long distances on wind and water currents and biomagnify in food chains.
To protect humans and the environment from adverse effects caused by the use or misuse of toxic and hazardous chemicals, numerous Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) have been drawn up. The MEAs tackle Sound Management of Chemicals (SMC) issues related to the use of a specific chemical, a class of chemicals with similar characteristics, or provide comprehensive holistic approaches to chemicals governance as a whole.
Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
Main challenges in the region
At present, 191 nations are signatories of the Montreal Protocol. The overall level of compliance has been high, and its implementation has been hailed as an example of exceptional international cooperation. By the end of 2006, the signatories had phased out more than 95 percent of ODS, reducing annual production levels from more than 1.8 million tonnes in 1987 to some 83,000 tonnes in 2005.
UNDP priority areas and activities
The UNDP helps its partners comply with the Montreal Protocol by providing:
- Capacity development—assisting governments to develop more effective national policies and programmes to meet ODS elimination targets, including development of country programmes, institutional strengthening and national phase out management plans.
- Technical assistance, training and demonstration programmes—providing technical support and information dissemination regarding ozone-friendly alternatives to ODS through practical, hands-on training sessions, and in-field demonstrations designed to build technical and economic confidence in alternative substances and processes.
- Technology transfer—facilitating access to the best available alternative technologies, and providing related technical assistance to allow governments and enterprises to adopt alternative production processes and ozone-friendly technologies. [back to top]
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Certain chemicals – such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) – adversely affect human and ecological health when released into the air, water or soil. Even in small quantities, POPs can wreak havoc in human and animal tissue causing nervous system damage, immune system diseases, reproductive or developmental disorders, and cancers. These pollutants persist in the ecosystem, are capable of traveling long distances on wind and water currents and biomagnify in food chains. The world’s poor routinely face unacceptably high risks from mismanagement of chemicals due to their occupations, living conditions, lack of knowledge related to safe handling practices, and limited access to sources of uncontaminated food and drinking water.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) thus promotes the sound management of chemicals as an important component of the global poverty reduction effort. We, at UNDP, advocate for the importance of addressing issues related to chemicals management and chemically linked pollution in developing countries by integrating rigorous chemicals management schemes into national development policies and plans. We also help these countries obtain the necessary resources to improve their chemicals management regimes to achieve desired results.
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (May 2001) recognised that a global effort was required to address the threats posed by POPs. The convention’s objective is to protect human health and the environment from the harmful impacts of POPs by eliminating or restricting the production and use of all intentionally produced POPs (industrial chemicals and pesticides), encouraging a continuous reduction of unintentionally produced POPs (dioxins and furans), applying environmentally sound alternative processes and chemicals and effectively managing wastes and contaminated products. The convention targets an initial group of 12 priority POPs, known as the “Dirty Dozen”, with the option of adding others.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is designated as the principle entity entrusted with the operations of the financial mechanism of the convention. UNDP, in its role as a GEF Implementing Agency, assists developing countries and countries with economies in transition to reduce and eliminate POPs under the Stockholm Convention. UNDP manages a US $50.2 million POPs portfolio and undertakes projects in 29 countries that support activities in four principle areas known as the GEF Strategic Objectives for POPs. These are:
National Implementation Plan (NIP) programme development and dissemination of best practices - UNDP supports countries in meeting their reporting obligations under the Stockholm Convention, by sharing lessons learnt and helping them adopt global best practices
Strengthening capacity for NIP implementation - UNDP assists countries in building capacity to implement POPs risk reduction measures;
Partnering in investments for NIP implementation - UNDP helps countries reduce the effect of POPs on human health and the environment; and
Forming partnerships to demonstrate innovative technologies and practices for POPs reduction - UNDP helps demonstrate effective alternative technologies and practices that avoid POPs releases. [back to top]
Sound Management of Chemicals (SMC)
Sound management of chemicals (SMC) means applying managerial best practices to chemicals throughout their life cycle to prevent, and where this is not feasible, to reduce or minimize, the potential for exposure of people and the environment to toxic and hazardous chemicals, as well as those chemicals suspected of having such properties.
To protect humans and the environment from adverse effects caused by the use or misuse of toxic and hazardous chemicals, numerous Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) have been drawn up. The MEAs tackle Sound Management of Chemicals (SMC) issues related to the use of a specific chemical, a class of chemicals with similar characteristics, or provide comprehensive holistic approaches to chemicals governance as a whole.
The best-known MEAs are the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure, the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and the recently adopted Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).
With the support of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the SAICM Quick Start Programme (QSP) Trust Fund and several bi-lateral contributors UNDP supports projects that advance SMC and help countries strengthen national capacities in the following areas:
SAICM promotes strengthened focus on improved cross-sectoral governance for SMC at the national and local levels, and works on the basis that that for SMC to be advanced significantly beyond the existing situation, much stronger links need to be established with the development planning priorities and processes of developing countries.
Following the adoption of SAICM, and drawing from experience and expertise gained in providing support to developing country partners under the auspices of other chemicals-related MEAs, namely the Montreal Protocol and the Stockholm Convention, UNDP been assisting national governments and UNDP Country Teams to begin more systematically incorporating SMC into their MDG-based national development planning processes. UNDP interventions in support of SAICM, and more broadly sound chemicals management, are two-fold: strategic policy and economic guidance related to the interaction of SMC and the MDGs; and support in building SMC capacity in developing countries, consistent with the UNDP mandate to advocate for change and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
Thanks to financial support received from the Norwegian government, and working with recognized SMC experts, UNDP has developed a guidance document to help national partners in their effort to incorporate SMC in MDG-based policies and plans.
In order to build national SMC capacity, and in line with the SAICM objectives in 2006 UNDP and UNEP developed a Partnership Initiative for SMC to help client countries to:
- Assess their SMC regimes relative to the strategic objectives of SAICM and put in place a plan to begin addressing gaps in the national regime;
- Improve the incorporation of national SMC priorities into the national development planning agenda.
This Partnership Initiative will draw on the unique support services that can be provided by each of the cooperating agencies and seek to broaden its scope through the involvement of other partners.
In 2007, with funding secured through the first round of the SAICM Quick Start Programme (QSP) Trust Fund, the Partnership Initiative will launch implementation in Uganda and Ecuador, and using bi-lateral funding received from the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) will begin related activities in Cambodia and Zambia. The Partnership Initiative now intends to offer its services to additional countries and may serve to assist the government of Macedonia in implementing its recently approved SAICM QSP project. [back to top]
