International Actions

The international community has called on countries to take actions to reduce and eliminate the production, use, and release of these substances. To this end, two legally binding international instruments have been reached:

● The Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which was opened for signature in June 1998 and entered into force on October 23, 2003;
● The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which was opened for signature in May 2001 and entered into force on May 17, 2004.

For POPs, these two instruments stipulate the following control measures:

1. Prohibit or strictly restrict the production and use of intentionally produced POPs;
2. Restrict the import and export of intentionally produced POPs (Stockholm Convention);
3. Provisions for the safe disposal of stockpiles (Stockholm Convention);
4. Provisions for the environmentally sound disposal of POPs - containing waste;
5. Provisions for reducing the emissions of unintentionally produced POPs (such as dioxins and furans);
6. New substances added to the Stockholm Convention and the POP Protocol.