Summary
Delegates gathered for the first day of the thirteenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-13), which is taking place in the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN in Rome, Italy. A members-only closed meeting concerning review of conflicts of interest was held before the opening of the meeting. An orientation for new members attending POPRC-13 as observers was organized over lunchtime.
In the morning, the Committee elected Maria Delvin, Sweden, as Vice-Chair and Chair of the meeting. In his opening remarks, Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions, said the scientific and technical work of the POPRC is at the core of the Convention, and underscored that listing chemicals in the annexes results in tangible differences on the ground.
The Committee adopted its agenda and organization of work, considered the rotation of membership, and heard a report on the review of the outcomes of the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP8) related to the POPRC. It then began discussions on technical issues, including considering: draft risk management evaluations for dicofol and pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds; a proposal for the inclusion of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts and PFHxS-related compounds in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Stockholm Convention; and the process for the evaluation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) pursuant to paragraphs 5 and 6 of part III of Annex B to the Stockholm Convention.
Contact groups on dicofol and PFOA convened in the evening. Delegates also attended a reception.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web highlights from POPRC-13. In addition IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary and analysis report which is available in HTML and PDF.
Dais during the morning plenary. (L-R) Kei Ohno Woodall, BRS Secretariat; Maria Delvin, Sweden and Chair of POPRC-13; Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary of the BRS Conventions; David Ogden, Secretariat; and Abiola Olanipekun, Secretariat
Maria Delvin, POPRC-13 Chair
Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, BRS Secretariat
View of the room during POPRC-13