Related to Policy Area

In order to promote SAICM’s provisions of green growth and sustainable development, the Kazakh NGO Greenwomen (in colloboration with Eco-Accord) organized several sessions, made key presentations, and actively participated and led discussion group forums at the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED-6). Specifically, their presentations centered on describing their experiences on what actions NGOs should be practicing to address the SAICM provisions.

Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales (OLCA) conducted a literature review and community based research in order to produce a report detailing the contamination and pollution coming from two open pit gold and silver mines in Chile. Among other results, OLCA found that both these mines use a very toxic process (cyanide) for extracting these metals, which has been found to leech mercury and cyanide into the environment. Additionally, workers at these mines were found to have symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning.

ESDO conducted a series of surveys with importers, retailers, repairers, and consumers to assess the amount of E-waste being generated by television, computers, mobile phones, CFL bulbs, and medical/dental wastes. The survey showed the production of E-waste from the electronic sector is increasing exponentially in Bangladesh, even though nearly all E-waste is manufactured abroad and imported. From this information, ESDO published an educational booklet on E-waste that was shared with the public, and developed an E-waste website with key information.

In an effort to create public awareness about illegal waste incineration in the Czech Republic as well as the larger issue of waste incineration residues in general, Arnika conducted several activities. The first involved sampling for PCB, dioxins, and PAH residues at a waste site and making the results public through mass media. Subsequently, a workshop on POPs wastes and waste incineration was organized for Czech NGOs, with 22 participants. A joint declaration from the workshop was created, as well as the formation of a new network.