adminThe Rotterdam Convention is a legally binding instrument for the prior informed consent procedure which was adopted in 1998 and came into force in February of 2004.
Its purpose was mainly to “advance environmental justice by providing a right to prior informed consent”, especially to countries importing pesticides and chemicals that are regarded as hazardous.
Its origins is traced to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which noted that control over the trade in hazardous chemicals is an essential element in eradicating poverty and illness and in protecting the environment.
The Summit also expressed concern that hazardous chemicals and pesticides, that are banned or severely restricted in industrialised countries, are increasingly being shipped to low and middle income countries or countries with economies in transition, where resources to safely monitor and manage these dangerous substances are often lacking or non-existent.
Ultimately it decided that a legally binding international agreement was urgently required to control traffic in hazardous chemicals.
As a result, the Rotterdam Convention was created in 1998 and came into effect in 2004. 154 countries have now ratified the convention.
By ratifying the convention countries that export a hazardous substance make a commitment, under an international, legally binding convention, to fulfil the obligations that the convention imposes on exporting countries.
This year chrysotile asbestos is being put before the COP for the fifth time.
Online Reporter