UN meeting on chemicals moves forward on flame retardant ban, but stalls on asbestos and paraquat

IPEN highlights outcomes from the combined meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions and decisions on chemicals and wastes from more than 120 countries.

Read the press release.

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IPEN joint press release on provisional decision to ban production and use of the flame retardant HBCD

IPEN, Pesticide Action Network and the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus released a joint press release at the culmination of the Stockholm Convention's COP6 congratulating governments for their provisional decision to globally ban production and use of the commonly-used flame retardant, HBCD.

"We applaud countries for their decision to ban this chemical and not to allow the recycling of products containing it," said Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, IPEN senior adviser. "This will prevent materials containing HBCD from being recycled into new products and protect people from contamination that would otherwise cause serious damage to their health."

To read the entire release, as well as IPEN's Quick Views on the Stockholm Convention COP6 and other information about IPEN's participation in the meeting, visit our COP6 page.

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Action on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)

EDCs are present in consumer products and pesticides and play a role in increased incidence of reproductive diseases, cancer, obesity, and type-2 diabetes worldwide. In 2012, more than 100 governments reached consensus agreement that action is needed on EDCs through the SAICM process. IPEN and The Endocrine Society call for swift action by UN agencies and recommend key principles to form the basis of the work going forward.

Scientist open letter calling action on EDCs by the UN:
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Press Release: English

For more information on endocrine disrupting chemicals, see:

• The Endocrine Society's scientific statement
• UNEP-WHO State of the Science Report on endocrine disrupting chemicals

For more information about SAICM, the global body that recognized the need for action on endocrine disrupting chemicals, see IPEN's SAICM Guide.

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A Public Interest Guide to Toxic Flame Retardant Chemicals

IPEN has updated its guide to toxic flame retardant chemicals booklet to reflect new developments since it was first released in June 2012. The guide is an introduction to the science and industry manipulation of toxic chemicals marketed as flame retardants. These toxic chemicals do not provide fire safety but are widely present in consumer products that release them into dust, as well as in the millions of tons of electronic waste that is dumped in developing countries each year, polluting people and the environment.

English | Spanish

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Guide to the New Mercury Treaty

The final meeting on the new mercury treaty was held in Geneva in January 2013 and reached agreement on the text of the new treaty. The treaty will be adopted in October 2013 at a diplomatic conference in Japan. IPEN believes that, at minimum, a global treaty on mercury should incorporate provisions that, if taken together and fully implemented, will actually reduce total anthropogenic mercury emissions and releases to the global environment. Read our Guide to see our assessment about whether the new treaty accomplishes this.

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