SDPI has raised awareness on this issue via interventions given below during 2004-05:
At the second session of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) preparatory committee, the SDPI representative welcomed and endorsed the decision by the 65 member countries, including Pakistan to adopt SAICM. The statement delivered by SDPI highlighted the need to especially protect children from the impacts of chemicals. SDPI recommended that funding for implementation in developing countries and countries with economies in transition be one of the priority elements of SAICM.
The joint SDPI and ARNIKA, (an NGO based in the Czech Republic) fact sheet on Alternative Non-Combustion Technologies for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Disposal was published and distributed among delegates and participating organizations of IPEN. In the IPEN General Assembly meeting, the SDPI representative was requested to chair and conduct one of the panel sessions in which three UN agencies involved with POPs/Chemicals made presentations.
SDPI organized a one-day workshop, in collaboration with Toxics Link, India on POPs. The workshop was geared towards arousing awareness and interest in the general public, especially among the civil society organizations, providing them opportunities for direct contact/interaction, networking and enhancing their capacity to take up the issue of POPs. It was a part of the International POPs Elimination Project (IPEP) being implemented globally by the International POPs Elimination Network, (IPEN). IPEP primarily aims at encouraging and enabling CBOs in eight regions of the world, including South Asia, to engage in activities within their countries that will provide concrete and immediate contributions to country efforts in preparing for implementation of the global treaty on POPs – the Stockholm Convention.
An awareness-raising workshop was also organized for women councilors during the Global week of Action against POPs. This advocacy activity was supported by IPEN South Asia. Elected local government representatives need to raise awareness among the communities against POPs and legislate locally, if required. The workshop recommended banning open dump burning, use of DDT and household pesticides, control on leakage of electricity transformers, consideration of alternative technology along with incineration for waste disposal and ratification of Stockholm convention on POPs by the government. Elected women representatives from various union councils of Rawalpindi participated in the workshop and posed important questions about how local governments can play their role to eliminate POPs.
Please contact Dr.Mahmood A Khwaja (khwaja@sdpi.org) for more details.