Global action to substitute Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) with safer alternatives will be on the agenda of the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) that began at Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.
Press release (Geneva): More than a thousand non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from more than 100 countries called for the creation of a Global Alliance to Phase-out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) today at the opening session of the world’s only forum on international chemical safety.
“In many developing and transition countries, ordinary conditions of pesticide use are a source of significant harm to farmer and ecosystem health. That’s why the governing Council of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization called for the progressive ban of HHPs in 2006. However, to this day, HHPs continue to be widely used and there is no comprehensive, international approach to their phase-out,” said Olga Speranskaya, IPEN Co-Chair. “It’s time for this meeting to take that step.”
This letter from IPEN and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) was circulated to delegates that will attend the upcoming 4th Conference on International Chemicals Management (ICCM4) to ask for support to establish a Global Alliance to Phase-out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) at the Conference. IPEN and PAN believe that such an Alliance, building on lessons learned by the successful SAICM Global Alliance for the Elimination of Lead in Paint, is vital for assisting countries to adequately deal with HHPs and their replacement in a manner that supports the livelihoods of farmers.
This letter from IPEN and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) was circulated to ICCM4 delegates to ask for support to establish a Global Alliance to Phase-out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) at the 4th Conference on International Chemicals Management (ICCM4) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. IPEN and PAN believe that such an Alliance, building on lessons learnt by the successful SAICM Global Alliance for the Elimination of Lead in Paint, is vital for assisting countries to adequately deal with HHPs and their replacement in a manner that supports the livelihoods of farmers.