What is the Origin of Stockholm Convention?

This multilateral environmental agreement was signed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2001 and officially entered into force in 2004, following years of global scientific and political effort led by the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP. It was born from the scientific discovery of long-range transport of chemicals to remote areas, highlighting the need for a unified global response to chemical pollution.

What is the Mechanism of Stockholm Convention?

The Convention operates by listing chemicals in three annexes, mandating their elimination, restriction, or minimization of unintentional release. Its core mechanism involves a rigorous, science-based process managed by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee, or POPRC, to identify and evaluate new chemicals using the Annex D Criteria. This process provides the legal and scientific basis for international action, compelling signatory countries to develop national implementation plans to phase out the listed chemicals.

Stockholm Convention ∞ Area

Stockholm Convention

Meaning

The Stockholm Convention is a globally recognized, legally binding international treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. These are chemical substances that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects. The Convention mandates its parties to eliminate or restrict the production, use, and release of these highly hazardous chemicals. Its work is critical in the hormonal health domain due to the established endocrine-disrupting properties of many POPs.