FG set to implement Stockholm Convention on Pollution
The federal government says it is preparing grounds to implement the Stockholm Convention on Pollution.
Minister of environment Helen Esuene said yesterday at a workshop in Abuja, that government was also working to keep its obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs).
The Stockholm Convention was essentially aimed at protecting human and the environment from POPs.
“ POPs are notorious environmental contaminants because they are characterised by persistent inability to resist degradation in various forms,‘’she noted.
Esuene said the workshop would work out revalidation and priority elements of the convention.
She said the ministry in collaboration with international partners such as FAO, UNIDO and UNEP had organised an international awareness seminar and sensitisation workshops on these hazardous substances.
She added that it was to this end that the ministry had put in place a standing Committee on National Chemicals Management Control Actions.
According to her, Nigeria is selected as one of the African countries for the implementation of the Africa Stockpile programme which is an initiative under the Stockholm Convention on POPs.
Speaking earlier, the UNIDO Consultant for the project, Mr Richard Termsuch said he was in the country to give guidance on how to set the priorities for the action plan.
Also speaking at the occasion, the director of UNIDO Nigeria, Mr. Adegboyega Ajani said the objective of the workshop was to engage broad stakeholders involvement to review the draft report on POPs.
The three-day workshop, organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UNIDO is being attended by participants from across the country.