IISD @ POPs COP5, Summary of the Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland

Daily Reports/Summary
IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has produced web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis from the meeting. To download our report click below in the HTML or PDF icons.

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Curtain Raiser

29 Apr. & Summary

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2 May

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2 May

Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

25-29 April 2011 | Geneva, Switzerland

Summary of the Meeting

POPs COP6 President, Osvaldo Álvarez, Chile

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention convened for its final day in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, 29 April 2011.

During the morning delegates convened in plenary and adopted several decisions, including on: listing endosulfan in Annex A of the Convention; guidance on technical assistance; effectiveness evaluation; and the endorsement of seven Stockholm Convention regional centres.

During the afternoon plenary, delegates considered and agreed decisions on the needs assessment and facilitating work with regard to financial resources and mechanisms.

Plenary was suspended at 6:00pm pending the outcome of informal negotiations on recycling of BDEs and PFOS and DDT.

9:00pm COP5 continues consideration of decisions on DDT and synergies.

10:45pm plenary continues debating BDE decision without translation.

11:15pm plenary adopts CRP.21 on BDEs and PFOS.

12:10am President Blaha gavelled the meeting to a close.

ENB SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS: The Earth Negotiations Bulletin Summary and Analysis of POPs COP5 is available in HTML and PDF format.

Daily Web Coverage - 25 April | 26 April | 27 April | 28 April | 29 April

The dais shares a laugh with the delegates

Delegates applauding during closing speeches of the meeting

Szilvia Deim, EU, expressing final thoughts on POPs COP5

A delegate speaking on behalf of the Inuit People

Friday, 29 April

Visit the web coverage for Friday, 29 April 2011.

COP5 President, Karel Blaha tapping his gavel

Romina Bocache, Argentina, applauding a decision

Participant at the Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production

Jennifer Federico, IPEN with Participants at the Annex A Café

Virginia Meneses, CETESB

Thursday, 28 April

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention convened for its fourth day in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, 28 April 2011.

During the morning delegates convened in plenary and considered polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT.

During the afternoon plenary, delegates considered and agreed draft decisions on information exchange, effectiveness evaluation, reporting and the operation of the POPRC. Decisions related to endosulfan were deferred until Friday.

Contact groups on budget, synergies, finance, and technical assistance met throughout the day.

Visit the web coverage for Thursday, 28 April 2011.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in English HTML or PDF format.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in French HTML or PDF format.

Contact group on Synergies

Kateřina Šebková, EU

Jorge Corrales, Panama

Franz Xaver Perrez, Switzerland

Peter Kenmore, FAO

Side Event: POPs-free Products & POPs in Articles

Kei Ohno, UNEP, asking participants "Does a mobile phone contain POPs?"

Liselott Säll, Norway

Deborah Altschuler, NPA, displays POPs-free lice remover for children and pets

Contact group on Finance

Jozef Buys, Belgium

Henrik Eriksen, Norway, having a discussion with other delegates

Fengqiao Mei, in informal discussions.

Wednesday, 27 April

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention convened for its third day in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, 27 April 2011.

During the morning, delegates convened in plenary and considered issues relating to exemptions, effectiveness evaluation, and non-compliance.

During the afternoon plenary, delegates addressed the reduction of unintentionally released POPs through best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP), information exchange, reporting and other matters.

Contact groups on budget, synergies, finance, and new POPs met throughout the day.

Visit the web coverage for Wednesday, 27 April 2011.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in English HTML or PDF format.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in French HTML or PDF format.

Contact group on Endosulfan

Hala Saif Al-Easa, Qatar, endosulfan and new POPs contact group Chair

Henrik Lauren, EU

Reiner Arndt, Germany, POPRC Chair

Contact group on Budget

Kerstin Stendahl, Finland, budget group Chair, Susanne Bengtsson, Secretariat, Peter Rossier, Secretariat

Jill Hannah, EC, in the budget contact group

Around the Venue

Display booth for POPs Social, a new social networking platform of the Stockholm Convention clearing-house mechanism

Participant enjoying his POPs-free organic Alaskan Salmon

Tuesday, 26 April

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention convened for its second day in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, 26 April 2011.

During the morning, delegates convened in plenary and held an initial exchange of views on finance and endosulfan.

During the afternoon plenary, delegates addressed work plans on new POPs, synergies and exemptions.

The budget contact group met throughout the day. The contact group on synergies convened during the afternoon. Contact groups on endosulfan and finance convened during the evening.

Visit the web coverage for Tuesday, 26 April 2011.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in English HTML or PDF format.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in French HTML or PDF format.

Xia Ying Xian, China

Caroline Wamae, Kenya

Kyi Kyi Myint, Myanmar

Halimah Syafrul, Indonesia

Charles R. Hanson, International Stewardship Centre, Inc.

Lulwa Nasser Ali, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

Mark Davis, FAO

Eva Krümmel, Inuit Circumpolar Council

Jim Willis arrives with Franz Xaver Perrez, Switzerland

COP5 President Karel Blaha arrives

ENB Team arrives

Monday, 25 April

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Stockholm Convention opened in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday 25 April 2011.

Delegates heard opening addresses by Gholamhossein Dehghani (Iran), and Jim Willis, Joint Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions. Bakary Kante, on behalf of Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, and Monique Barbut, Chief Executive Officer, Global Environment Facility (GEF), also addressed delegates. Delegates then addressed organizational matters and made opening statements.

During the afternoon plenary, delegates continued opening statements and initiated the discussion on substantive matters including national implementation plans and technical assistance.

During the evening, delegates attended a reception hosted by the Swiss Government.

Visit the web coverage for Monday, 25 April 2011.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in English HTML or PDF format.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary and analysis of the POPs COP meetings in French HTML or PDF format.

David Ogden, Secretariat, and Gholamhossein Dehghani, COP4 President, Iran

Jim Willis and newly-elected COP5 President Karel Blaha, Czech Republic

Olfat Hamdan, Lebanon

Szilvia Deim, EU

Gauri Kumar, India

Members of the Secretariat during the afternoon plenary session.

Franz Xaver Perrez, Switzerland

Monique Barbut, GEF with Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions

Visit POPs COP5 meeting information page
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) curtain raiser for the POPs COP meetings in English HTML or PDF format.
Download the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) curtain raiser for the POPs COP meetings in French HTML or PDF format.