Summary
On Wednesday, the thirteenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-13) met in a brief plenary session in the morning, and then convened in contact groups throughout the day.
In the morning, the plenary heard reports from the two contact groups considering draft risk management evaluations for dicofol, and for pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In their reports, dicofol contact group Chair Marcus Richards (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), and PFOA contact group Chair Rameshwar Adhikari (Nepal), noted that progress had been made in the first round of discussions, and requested more time to consider the issues before them.
The Committee also heard, and took note of, a report on the activities for effective participation.
POPRC-13 Chair Maria Delvin, Sweden, then adjourned the meeting to allow for the contact groups on dicofol and PFOA to reconvene. The group discussing PFOA also met in the evening.
In the afternoon, Committee members met in a contact group to further consider 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. This group was chaired by Jack Holland (Australia).
At lunchtime, delegates attended a side event presented by Finland on the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, and considered chemicals of emerging Arctic concern.
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 contact group on dicofol (L-R) Abiola Olanipekun, Secretariat; Marcus Richards, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Contact Group Chair; Gamini Manuweera, Secretariat; and Robert Whiting, consultant on behalf of the EU
PFHxS contact group chair Jack Holland, Australia
Kei Ohno Woodall, BRS Secretariat
PFOA contact group Chair Rameshwar Adhikari, Nepal
The morning contact group on PFOA