►Press release 3 May, 2011: Debate over export of toxic flame retardant chemicals erupts at UN meeting

Africa pushes developed countries to stop the export of toxic flame retardant wastes that can cause nervous system damage in infants and toddlers. New IPEN study highlights the presence of toxic flame retardants in carpet pads commonly sold to consumers in the USA and other countries.

IPEN / BFR Press Release 3 May, 2011

► VDI nachrichten: Die Welt wird ein wenig sicherer vor Schadstoffen, die sich über die Nahrungskette verbreiten, hoffen Experten. In Genf beschlossen jetzt 127 Regierungen, u. a. den Einsatz des Insektengifts Endosulfan zu bannen. Das Verbot tritt im April 2012 in Kraft, Ausnahmeregelungen sind möglich.

Read the full article: http://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/artikel/Langlebige-Gifte-erfolgreich-geba...

► Chemical Watch: Delegates agree endosulfan ban under Stockholm Convention

India supports listing after last minute deal provides key exemptions and long phaseout options

Endosulfan is to be banned under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) after delegates meeting at the fifth Conference of Parties in Geneva agreed to list the pesticide in Annex A of the Convention. The agreement was reached after last minute negotiations won over the support of India; previously the country had argued against adding the pesticide to the list of banned substances saying it was a cost effective and safe product for Indian farmers to use and that suitable alternatives do not exist.

Read the full article: Chemical Watch- Delegates agree endosulfan ban under Stockholm Convention

► ENDS: Stockholm POPs treaty stutters forward

The pesticide endosulfan has been added to the ten-year-old Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The widely anticipated move had been resisted by India, the largest producer, until the closing stages of the fifth conference of parties (COP5), held in Geneva on 25-29 April. More than 600 participants from 130 nations attended.  But the treaty still lacks a non-compliance mechanism after delegates yet again postponed agreement on the matter until the next conference of parties in 2013. As in 2009, China, India and Iran led the opposition (ENDS Report, May 2009). The provision of adequate financial and technical assistance to developing nations is a major sticking point.

Read the entire ENDS COP5 article

► Pesticide Chemical Policy: Endosulfan ban goes global, but POPs treaty struggles with compliance, financial assistance and flame retardants

Delegates at last week’s meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants agreed to a global ban on the production and use of endosulfan, making the organochlorine insecticide the 22nd persistent organic pollutant targeted for elimination under the 2001 accord.

Read the entire Pesticide Chemical Policy COP5 article

► IPS News: Endosulfan Ban Highlights Need for Alternatives

The question of alternatives involves a number of different facets, agricultural engineer Javier Souza of the Centre for Studies on Appropriate Technologies in Argentina told Tierramérica. “Some chemicals offer an intermediate solution, a lesser evil in the short term, but for the long term we need to aim at the development of production systems that don’t depend on chemical insecticides,” he said.

Read the entire article: IPS News on endosulfan ban

►Press release 29 April, 2011: Killer Pesticide Endosulfan to be Phased out Globally

Gathered in Geneva for the Fifth Conference of the Parties this week, the nations of the world agreed to add endosulfan, an antiquated persistent insecticide, to the Stockholm Convention’s list of banned substances. Environmental health and justice organizations from around the world who have been working towards a ban welcomed the decision.

Press Release Endosulfan

► IPS News:Pollutants Banned, But With Exceptions

“Endosulfan is so harmful that even some of the countries that still use it are calling for an international ban via the convention, because it would help them to enact national legislation and fighting against illegal trade…”

The IPEN study argues that carpet pads commonly sold to consumers in the U.S. and other developed countries contain dangerous chemicals that can cause nervous system damage, particularly in infants and toddlers. “The experts committee recommended to ban them and the conference should follow its recommendation…”

Read the full IPS News article- Pollutants Banned, But With Exceptions

► ENDS: Endosulfan facing global ban at POPs meeting

Parties to the Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) will decide whether to eliminate use of pesticide endosulfan at a meeting in Geneva this week. The convention’s review committee recommended an international ban last year. The EU backs the recommendation but some countries such as India are strongly opposed. According to a news report, India might not succeed to block the move as countries from the African and Latin American regions seem broadly in favour of a ban.

Read the full article: ENDS Europe DAILY- Endosulfan facing global ban at POPs meeting

►The Hindu: Leading by Example with Endosulfan-Free Produce

Health and community organisers from across the globe, including Kerala, are serving Endosulfan-free organic coffee, cashew nuts and chocolate to the delegates to the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in Geneva.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have set up a cafe at the venue to showcase Endosulfan-free foods and produce sourced from many countries to show that the toxic pesticide can, and should, be banned worldwide.

Read the entire article: The Hindu- Leading by example with Endosulfan-free produce

►Press Release, 25 April, 2011: Hazardous waste on your living room floor

In the first publicly available study of its kind, a type of foam carpet pad commonly sold in the USA and other developed countries was demonstrated to contain levels of flame retardant chemicals that raise concerns about human health. The substances, PentaBDE and OctaBDE, resemble PCBs in structure and toxic effects.

The study, conducted by IPEN, an international organization working on toxic chemical issues, examined levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in foam carpet pads commonly used in developed counties, including the United States.

IPEN Brominated Flame Retardants in Carpet Foam press release 25 April 2011

►The Island, 30 April, 2011: Stockholm Convention in Geneva to decide

Recycling materials containing dangerous chemicals

Governments around the world will decide, at the on-going Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention, whether to continue allowing the recycling of materials containing dangerous chemicals, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice Hemantha Withanage said.

Read the full The Island article- Stockholm Convention in Geneva to Decide

► Chemical Watch, 27 April 2011: NGOs want Stockholm parties to halt BDE recycling

IPEN says integrity of Convention could be damaged unless urgent action taken

NGOs have voiced their concern regarding discussions on a recycling exemption to the Stockholm Convention which permits plastics and foam containing brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) barred by the agreement to reenter the market. The issue was discussed during a workgroup meeting held today at the fifth meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which is currently underway in Geneva.

Read the full Chemical Watch article- NGOs want Stockholm parties to halt BDE recycling

►The Recycling of Brominated Fire RetardantsBy Tianjie Ma, Greenpeace East Asia (Translated into English by Shelley Jiang)

At COP5, a non-governmental organization has released findings that brominated flame retardants are prevalent in foam carpet pads made in the United States and several other developed countries, while these banned chemicals have not been found in similar products from developing countries.

Read the entire article: Tianjie Ma- The Recycling of Brominated Fire Retardants

Read the original Chinese version, featured in Caing.com, website of China’s news magazine New Century Weekly: http://policy.caing.com/2011-04-28/100253496.html

► Press Release, 26 April, 2011: NGOs Host Endosulfan-­free Café for Stockholm Convention Delegates

Health & community groups around the world call for an end to endosulfan

Health and community leaders from across the globe are serving organic coffee, cashews and chocolate — free of the pesticide endosulfan — to Stockholm Convention delegates in Geneva. At the gathering this week the governments will decide whether to include the  persistent insecticide in the Convention, which would ban it in the 173 countries that are  Parties to the treaty.

Annex A Cafe Press Release 26 April, 2011

►Dateline, 14 April, 2011: Visiting Indian NGO leader urges PH to back global ban on endosulfan

Manila, Philippines – A visiting advocate from India against the use of hazardous pesticides in agriculture has requested the government of the Philippines to vigorously support a looming global ban on endosulfan.

Jayakumar Chelaton of Thanal, an environmental health organization, based out in the state of Kerala in southwestern India, specifically urged the authorities to support the official listing of endosulfan in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for elimination with no specific exemptions.

Read the entire article: Visiting Indian NGO leader urges PH to back global ban on endosulfan