IPEN News Centre:
IPEN News:
POPRC-6
Endosulfan Ban Recommended by the POPRC Report
Press Release
Quick Guide to IPEN Views on POPRC6 October 2010
Adobe .pdf 176KB.
Endosulfan in Brief by PAN and IPEN
Adobe .pdf 108KB.
GEF Newsletter IPEN Article
An IPEN article in the recent Global Environment Facility newsletter outlines how IPEN has grown and expanded since its inception and highlights what types of activities it is focusing on to ensure healthier environments for communities and our future.
Link full article Link to the GEF websiteTime Magazine in Partnership with CNN
Heroes of the Environment 2009
IPENers lauded
as Time's 2009 Environmental Heroes
Dear IPENers,
Please join me in congratulating fellow IPENers
Olga
Speranskaya (EcoAccord, Russia)
Sheri
Liao (GVB, China)
Yuyun
Ismawati (Balifokus, Indonesia)
for their being acknowledged by Time Magazine as 2009 Environmental Heroes!
Keep up the good work everyone!
Best,
Bjorn
42 Groups Demand EPA Action on Endosulfan
International panel finds that "global action is warranted" on persistent pesticide
WASHINGTON, DC (December 3, 2009) - A broad coalition of 42 environmental, health, labor, and farming groups today urged EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to finally take action to ban the antiquated insecticide endosulfan.
National Congress of American Indians Stockholm Convention Resolution
Resolution #PSP-09-021 - pdf 238KB
I am very happy to announce that at its 2009 annual conference in Palm Springs, October 11 - 16th 2009, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) adopted the following resolution:
The National Congress of American Indians Resolution #PSP-09-021, TITLE: Protection of the Health and Human Rights of Present and Future Generations through Ratification and Implementation by the United States of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
We are very thankful for the work of our respected colleague, Chief and Tribal Chairman Mike Williams (Akiak Native Village, Yupik Nation, Alaska, and NCAI Regional Vice President for Alaska) to acheive the adoption of this resolution as well as for the assistance of the Alaska Community Action on Toxics and IITC advisor Shawna Larson who worked with IITC and Akiak in the drafting process.
This is a very important step forward for the the work of the North South Indigenous Network Against Pesticides. We sincerely thank NCAI and its members for this important resolution, which we hope will have a significant impact on US policy in this regard.
Best regards
Andrea Carmen
Executive Director, IITC
456 N. Alaska St., Palmer, AK 99645
phone (907) 745-4482, fax (907) 745-4484
andrea@treatycouncil.org
www.treatycouncil.org
Newsletter:
Welcome to the April 2010 IPEN CEE Newsletter!
This month's newsletter includes up to date news on the following:
1. IPEN CEE website launched
2. International HCH and Pesticides Association
appeal
3. Eco-Sense launches a new
chemicals-in-products project
4. Industrial landfill planned in Navodari,
Romania
5. Mare Nostrum launched a website with
information on pesticides
6. Basel Action Network appeal: Sign on
Endorsement of e-Stewards' Electronic Waste Recycling Certification
7. Upcoming events
IPEN CEE website launched:
Arnika Association that also serves as IPEN coordination hub for CEE recently launched English website. Among other sections it includes a section for IPEN CEE. You can find it at http://english.arnika.org/ipen-cee.html. This website provides space for news and updates from our region. Please don't hesitate to send information on your recent activities, projects and campaigns that you want others to know about to jan.samanek@arnika.org. It's an opportunity on how to share news and experiences from our activities.
International HCH and Pesticides Association appeal:
End of January, Executive Board Meeting of the World Health Assembly decided to put the Resolution on Improvement of health through sound management of obsolete pesticides and other obsolete chemicals on the Agenda of the 63. WHA (World Health Assembly) which will take place on 17-22 May, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The adoption of this resolution could lead to a major breakthrough and political consequences in the work to solve the problems in the Central, Eastern European, Caucasus and Central Asia region. It may be clear that all governmental representatives of the respective Ministries of Health from the Caucasus and Central Asian countries attending the WHA in May of the region strongly should support this resolution. Please inform your representatives and request them to strongly support for your countries so important resolutions.
Eco-Sense Launches a new chemicals-in-products project:
Macedonian NGO Eco-sense launches a new project aiming to raise public awareness about the presence of
chemicals in the cosmetics, household products and children's toys and the alternatives to these products.
The topic is linked to the NGO Regional Action Plan and it falls within the area of REACH. Although there
legislation framework legislation, lack of additional bylaws or regulations causes that the limit or ban of
the existence of specific dangerous substances in products is still not functional. Due to uncontrolled
import, there is a great risk that many of these substances are available on the market and accessible to the
consumers. The project is indirectly targeting children, by firstly informing their parents of the potential
hazards of various chemicals (especially in toys). For more information contact Dragana Ugurovska or Bojan
Talevski.
http://www.ekosvest.com.mk/home/vest1_eng.html
Industrial landfill planned in Navodari, Romania:
New plans to build Industrial Waste Management Centre on the outskirts of town Navodari, Romania are being opposed local residents and NGOs. The main point of critics is that the landfill is planned to be constructed close to a populated urban area and the sea so the landfill may have significant negative impact on human health and the environment. You can find more information on the website of the NGO Mare Nostrum: http://www.marenostrum.ro/ro/comunicate-de-presa/comunicate-de-presa/25-05-2010-mare-nostrum-impotriva-construirii-depozitului-de-deseuri-industriale-de-la-navodari-9930.html
Mare Nostrum launched a website with information on pesticides:
The NGO Mare Nostrum launched a website providing various information on pesticides in Romanian. The website is one of the outputs of a project focused on raising awareness about the use of pesticides and their effects on human health and the environment. You can find the website here: http://pesticide.marenostrum.ro/ and more information on the project here: http://www.marenostrum.ro/ro/comunicate-de-presa/comunicate-de-presa/11-02-2010-constantenii-cunosc-insuficient-problematica-pesticidelor-51135.html
Basel Action Network appeal: Sign on Endorsement of e-Stewards Electronic Waste Recycling Certification:
Dear Friends,
It's been my pleasure and privilege to share in environmental and social justice activism work with many of
you for the past two decades. Today, I need your help.
Many of you have been instrumental in helping us publicize the grave damage that toxic electronic waste has caused and in particular the damage caused by the global exportation and dumping of such wastes from rich countries to poorer communities worldwide. One of the insidious aspects of this trade is that it is often perpetuated by businesses calling themselves recyclers. Indeed, in the US we believe that about 75% of the companies calling themselves electronics recyclers are involved in exporting toxic e-wastes to developing countries instead of actually recycling them at home. Such exports violate the Basel Convention for importing countries and yet the US government continues to allow them.
So BAN and the Electronics TakeBack Coalition have been working hard to 1) create legislation to halt the export of toxic e-waste to developing countries, and 2) to create a global certification for ethical, responsible electronics recyclers. (see www.e-Stewards.org)
On April 15 we will be announcing the launch of this certification. We have a global solution for a major part of the toxic waste dumping crisis and we need your organization's endorsement.
BAN's e-Stewards Certification program helps generators of electronic scrap identify recyclers that operate at the highest level of global responsibility. Certification entails a rigorous independent audit process conducted by internationally accredited Certifying Bodies that qualify the integrity of the specific recycling operation and all downstream processors involved in the recovery supply chain. The e-Stewards Standard requires adherence to the Basel Convention, that is; no export of hazardous e-waste whatsoever from OECD to non-OECD countries.
Now, we are in a fight with the lower road, trade-group "look alike" standard, one initiated by the US Environmental Protection Agency and known as "R2". The R2 (Responsible Recycling) standard looks greenish on the outside but fails to ban export, prison labor or dumping in landfills and includes very few worker protections. (See our short comparison below.)
It is therefore vital that it is the e-Stewards Certification, and not R2, that wins the day in the marketplace. There are big companies and wealthy interests profiting from our lack of e-waste recycling laws. Many are supporting R2 since, by allowing export, their costs can be kept low. As such, they don't want the e-Stewards Standard to succeed. History has proven that the marketplace will follow the non-profit NGO environmental community if our message is clear. So please join me in speaking with one voice loud and clear.
It's simple. Please send your name, title, organization and country to us in an email by April 7, 2010 to yuka@ban.org. if you wish to have your organization signed onto the following statement:
After your "signing" we will add your organization's name to our forthcoming website endorsement page under the above heading and will highlight your organization as a supporter during our April 15 launch.
Thank you very much. Next, please help us circulate this letter by forwarding it with your personal endorsement to the various NGO networks and lists you may be a part of. We look forward to your involvement and support.
Appreciatively,
Jim Puckett
Executive Director
Basel Action Network
2009 IPEN Annual Report:
Download:
2009 IPEN Annual Report as an Adobe PDF 980KB
April 2010
News/Press Release