STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS


Summary

Persistent Organic Pollutants (PoPs) are toxic chemicals that pose significant risks to human health and the environment. Adopted on May 22, 2001, and entered into force on May 17, 2004, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants aims to reduce and eventually eliminate the release of a dozen hazardous PoPs into the atmosphere.

Status of US membership

The U.S. signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on May 23, 2001, but has not ratified the treaty because of a disagreement in Congress over how other toxic chemicals could be included over time. However, recent statements by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Claudia McMurray indicate that the Bush Administration supports the treaty.

Why the U.S. must ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

We live in an interconnected world. Environmental issues pay little attention to national boundaries, and a hazard for one country can easily threaten others. PoPs remain in the environment long after their initial use, travel long distances by air and water, and may even be transmitted by one species to the next through the food chain, resulting in birth defects, cancer, and other afflictions. While many developed nations – including the U.S. - no longer produce PoPs named in the Stockholm Convention, the use and sale of PoPs by some developing threatens the health and environment of people everywhere.

In a 2001 address concerning PoPs, President George W. Bush said, "The risks are great, and the need for action is clear. We must work to eliminate or at least severely restrict the release of these toxins without delay." It is time for the US to join the 98 nations that have ratified the Stockholm Convention to ensure the health and safety of present and future generations.

Updated June 9, 2005