Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Article 14 of the Stockholm Convention entrusts the GEF as its financial mechanism, following the principles laid down under Article 13 relative to the new and additional financial resources necessary to enable developing countries and countries with economies in transition to implement the Convention. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Conference of the Parties and the Council of the GEF gives effect to this relationship. Guidance to the financial mechanism has been provided by each subsequent COP meeting.

At every ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the GEF provides a report on its activities related to persistent organic pollutants.

The Stockholm Convention’s objectives include:

• Eliminating the production and use of specific POPs;
• Restricting the production and use of DDT only to disease vector control under WHO guidelines;
• Restricting exports of POPs;
• Developing strategies for identifying stockpiles of POPs and products containing POPs;
• Taking measures to ensure that POPs wastes are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner;
• Developing strategies for identifying sites contaminated by POPs;
• Ensuring that PCBs are managed in an environmentally sound manner and, by 2025, take action to remove PCBs from use;
• Developing and implementing action plans to identify the sources and reduce releases of POPs byproducts; and
• Identifying other chemicals with POPs characteristics and bringing them under the control of the Convention.

GEF Report to the 1st meeting of the COPs to the Stockholm Convention on POPs (2005)