On 29 April, an international conference on chemical safety in Kazakhstan will take place in Astana. Organized by IPEN Regional Hub Arnika (Czech Republic), in cooperation with IPEN Participating Organization EcoMuseum Karaganda (Kazakhstan), as well as the European Union and Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, the conference will highlight the results of a 2-year monitoring project that studied environmental pollution in selected hotspots caused by persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals, and its impact on health of local communities.
April 2015, Quezon City. The EcoWaste Coalition, a toxics watchdog, has thrown its support behind the move by the Indonesian health authorities to ban hazardous lipsticks with arsenic and lead content.
Anchorage, AK, USA; Toronto, ON, Canada; Texcoco, State of Mexico, Mexico:
Today, health, human rights, environmental justice, and conservation organizations across North America are calling on the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States to join them in opposition to the continued use of pentachlorophenol (PCP). Coalitions in each of the three countries are sending letters in advance of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in May 2015 demanding support for a global ban on PCP, as well as two additional substances (chlorinated naphthalenes & Hexachlorobutadiene) recommended for global elimination by a UN expert committee (aka POPs Review Committee).
Some IPEN Participating Organizations from the south, southeast and east Asia regions are currently participating in an IPEN gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia. The gathering provides an opportunity for IPEN Participating Organizations and other local non-governmental, civil society groups with a shared mission of a toxics-free future to build relationships and share skills and experiences.
In addition to group discussions, the gathering will also provide presentations about topics such as:pesticides, dioxin and waste, National Implementation Plans in the Stockholm Convention, lead in paint and other toxic metals and hazardous chemicals in products, mercury use in artisanal and small scale gold mining, electronic waste, endocrine disrupting chemicals, contaminated sites, and more.