Since May this year Boudewijn Fokke from Tauw represents the Netherlands in the expert group on sites contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) of the Stockholm Convention. The expert group consists of around 15 experts on this subject from all over the world.
The main task of this expert group is to develop guidance for identification and management of sites contaminated by persistent organic pollutants. Priority areas of work include collection of relevant information and case studies from Parties and others, related to management and remediation, inventory development, and financial mechanisms. The information should be relevant for developing countries, countries with economies in transition, and developed countries. The information should also cover a large range of scenarios and types of contamination (e.g., pesticides, production facilities) and should be relevant for managing multiple contaminant scenarios at single sites (e.g., covering simultaneously POPs, metals, hydrocarbons, etc.). These case studies should provide examples of problems that can occur as well as successes.
The expert group members work on the various issues of the guidelines and once a year the whole group comes together to discuss and work. This year the meeting is organized from 17 to 19 September 2019 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The draft guidance must be finalized by the end of 2020 so that it can be presented on the Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in May 2021.
More information about the Stockholm Convention >>
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