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Third Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs-3)

Geneva, Switzerland
6 - 11 September, 1999

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14 Sept
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11 Sept
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10 Sept
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9 Sept
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8 Sept
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7 Sept
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6 Sept
Curtain-raiser
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The third session of the International Negotiating Committee (INC- 3) for an International Legally Binding Instrument for Implementing International Action on Certain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was held from 6-11 September 1999 in Geneva, Switzerland. Delegates from over 110 countries, as well as representatives from UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and industry, convened to continue preparation of an international legally binding instrument on an initial list of 12 POPs grouped into three categories: 1) pesticides: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene; 2) industrial chemicals: hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and 3) unintended byproducts: dioxins and furans.

INC-3 made advances on language for articles on measures to reduce or eliminate releases, national implementation plans, the process for adding chemicals, and information exchange, and continued discussion on technical and financial assistance. It also made great strides in placing chemicals in the prohibition and restriction annexes. A legal drafting group completed text on 15 procedural articles of the convention. While INC-3 built upon the successes of INC-2, the pace of progress slowed a bit as divergent positions hindered movement on several key issues such as obligations and technical and financial assistance. This change from INC-2 indicates that delegates have now shifted gears from discussing general concepts and framing the issues to negotiating the actual text of a future convention to manage, reduce and/or eliminate certain persistent organic pollutants.

The Chemical Brothers: John Buccini (Canada), Chair of INC-3 and Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals Division
View of the plenary hall
The ever-popular Internet cafe
The POPs-3 ENB team, from left to right: Violette Lacloche, Leila Mead, Richard Cambell, Laura Ivers (Team Leader, back row), Kimo Goree (Managing Editor) and Valérie Colas. Behind the camera: Andrei Henry (Digital Editor).

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bulletENB coverage of the POP INC-2 (POPs-2) bulletJoint UNEP Chemicals / WHO-GEENET web site
bulletSustainable Developments coverage of the IFSC ISG-3 bulletLinkages chemical management Internet resources

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