Treaty finalised on global toxic chemicals ban

The text of the treaty, finalised after six days of talks in Johannesburg, is to be formally adopted and signed at a conference in Stockholm on May 22-23 next year. The treaty will come into force once 50 governments have ratified it - a process that would take four to five years, a UNEP statement said.

According to the statement, the treaty sets out control measures - applicable to an initial list of 12 chemicals - covering production, import, export, disposal, and use of POPs. A POPs Review committee would consider additional chemicals for the POs list on a regular basis. Governments were to promote the best available technologies and practices for replacing existing POPs, while preventing the development of new POPs, the statement said.

Most of the 12 highly toxic chemicals, dubbed the "dirty dozen", are subject to an immediate ban, the statement said. "However, a health-related exemption has been granted for DDT, which is still needed in many countries to control mosquitoes with malaria. This will permit governments to protect their citizens from malaria until they are able to replace DDT with chemical and non- chemical alternatives that are cost-effective and environmentally friendly," the statement said.

"Similarly, in the case of PCBs, which have been widely used in electrical transformers and other equipment, governments may maintain existing equipment in a way that prevents leaks until 2025 to give them time to arrange for PCB-free replacements," the statement said.

Persistent organic pollutants threaten the health and well-being of humans and wildlife in every region of the world," chairman of this fifth and final round of negotiations, Canadian John Buecini said. "This new treaty will protect present and future generations from the cancers, birth defects, and other tragedies caused by POPs," he said.

(la/dpa)