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General Obligations of the Rotterdam Convention



This section provides information on the obligations of the Rotterdam Convention, including -


GoTo   Chemicals Covered by the Convention:
GoTo   What are the General Obligations on Parties?:





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Chemicals Covered by the Convention:

What Chemicals does the Convention apply to?

The Convention applies to:

Banned or severely restricted chemicals; and

Severely hazardous pesticide formulations;


What Chemicals does the Convention not apply to?

The Convention does not apply to:

  • Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;
  • Radioactive materials;
  • Wastes;
  • Chemical weapons;
  • Pharmaceuticals, including human and veterinary drugs;
  • Chemical used as food additives;
  • Food; and
  • Chemicals in quantities not likely to affect human health or the environment provided they are imported for the purpose of research or analysis, or by an individual for his or her own personal use in quantities reasonable for such use.


    What Chemicals are Currently Listed under the Convention?

    The Convention currently lists both pesticides and industrial chemicals.

    Pesticides include:

    • 2,4,5-T (dioxin contamination)
    • aldrin
    • binapacryl (new listed at INC6)
    • captafol
    • chlordane
    • chlordimeform
    • chlorobenzilate
    • DDT
    • dieldrin
    • dinoseb and dinoseb salts
    • 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB, or ethylene dibromide)
    • ethylene dichloride (INC7)
    • ethylene oxide (INC7)
    • fluoroacetamide
    • HCH, mixed isomers
    • heptachlor
    • hexachlorobenzene
    • lindane
    • mercury compounds, including mercuric oxide mercurous chloride, Calomel, other inorganic mercury compounds, alkyl mercury compounds and alkoxyalkyl / aryl mercury compounds
    • pentachlorophenol
    • toxaphene
    • monocrotophos 600 g/l (SL) formulation and higher
    • methamidophos 600 g/l (SL) formulation and higher
    • phosphamidon 1000 g/l (SL) formulation and higher
    • methyl parathion emulsifiable concentrates (EC) with 19.5%, 50%, 50%, 60% active ingredients and dusts containing 1.5%, 2% and 3% active ingredient)
    • parathion all formulations - aerosols, dustable powder (DP), emulsifiable concentrate (EC), granules (GR) and wettable powders (WP) of this substance are included, except capsule suspensions (CS)

    Industrial chemicals include:

    • crocidolite
    • polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
    • polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), except mono-
    • and dichlorinated
    • polychlorinated terphenyls (PCT)
    • ris (2,3 dibromopropyl) phosphate

    In addition, the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention has recently completed assessments of two pesticides - endosulfan and tributyl tin compounds and will recommend their inclusion in Annex III to the next Conference of Parties meeting in Rome during 2008.




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    What are the General Obligations on Parties?

    The obligations under the Convention require a number of actions. Each participating country must do the following:

  • Each party shall designate a National Authority and notify the Secretariat of their identity (Article 4);

  • Each Party which has banned or severely restricted a chemical shall notify the Secretariat in writing of the action. The notification should contain the information required by Annex 1 (Article 5);

  • Each Party shall notify the Secretariat in writing, of final regulatory actions in effect (Article 5);

  • Each developing country Party may propose to the Secretariat a listing of a severely hazardous pesticide for inclusion in Annex III (Article 6);

  • Each Party shall implement appropriate legislative or administrative measures to ensure timely decisions with respect to the import of chemicals listed in Annex III (Article 10);

  • Each Party shall ensure that the chemicals listed in Annex III are not exported from its territory to an importing Party contrary to the import decision notified by the Party (Article 11);

  • Each party which has banned or severely restricted a chemical shall provide an export notification to the importing Party unless the chemical is already listed on Annex 111 (Article 12);

  • Each importing Party shall acknowledge receipt of the export notification received (Article 12);

  • Each Party shall require that both chemicals listed in Annex III and chemicals banned or severely restricted in its territory are subject to labelling requirements that ensure adequate availability of information with regard to risks and/or hazards to human health or the environment (Article 13);

  • Each Party shall exchange scientific technical, economic and legal information concerning the chemicals within the scope of this Convention including toxicology, ecotoxicology and safety information (Article 14);

  • Each Party shall provide information to other Parties on domestic regulatory actions they have taken that substantially restricts one or more uses of chemicals. Some confidential information can be protected (Article 14);

  • Each Party shall take measures to establish and strengthen its national infrastructures and institutions for the effective implementation of this Convention (Article 15); and

  • Each Party shall ensure that the public has appropriate access to information on chemical handling and accident management and on alternatives that are safer for human health or the environment (Article 15).





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