POPs - Persistent Organic Pollutants:

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001):

Sometimes referred to as the POPs Convention.

The objective of Stockholm Convention is to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants or POPs. POPs include the organochlorine pesticides; DDT, endrin, dieldrin, aldrin, chlordane, toxaphene, heptachlor, mirex, hexachlorobenzene; and the industrial chemicals and by-products; PCBs, dioxins and furans. These initial twelve chemicals, the 'poisons without passports' were chosen because they have the common hazardous characteristics of toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation, and are capable of travelling vast distances via water and air.

The Convention aims to eliminate the production, use and emissions of POPs while preventing the introduction of new chemicals with POP-like characteristics and ensuring the environmentally sound destruction of POPs waste stockpiles. The Convention sets out the actions to be taken by Parties to reduce and whereever feasible, eliminate releases of byproduct POPs chemicals. Technical and financial assistance is offered to developing country Parties to help implement the Stockholm Convention.



Countries that have Signed and Ratified the Stockholm Convention.

Albania
   signed   5 Dec 2001   ratified   4 Oct 2004

Algeria
   signed   5 Sep 2001   ratified  

Antigua & Barbuda
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   10 Sep 2003

Argentina
   signed  23 May 2001   ratified   25 Jan 2005

Armenia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   26 Nov 2003

Australia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   20 May 2004

Austria
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   27 Aug 2002

Azerbaijan
   signed   13 Jan 2004 a

Bahamas
   signed   20 Mar 2002

Bahrain
   signed   22 May 2002

Bangladesh
   signed   23 May 2001

Barbados
   signed   7 Jun 2004 a

Belarus
   signed   3 Feb 2004 a

Belgium
   signed   23 May 2001

Belize
   signed   14 May 2002

Benin
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   5 Jan 2004

Bolivia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   3 Jun 2003

Bosnia & Herzegovina
   signed   23 May 2001

Botswana
   signed   28 Oct 2002 a

Brazil
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   16 Jun 2004

Brunei Darussalam
   signed   21 May 2002

Bulgaria
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   20 Dec 2004

Burkina Faso
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   31 Dec 2004

Burundi
   signed   2 Apr 2002

Cambodia
   signed   23 May 2001

Cameroon
   signed   5 Oct 2001

Canada
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   23 May 2001

Central African Republic
   signed   9 May 2002

Chad
   signed   16 May 2002   ratified   10 Mar 2004

Chile
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   20 Jan 2005

China2
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   13 Aug 2004

Colombia
   signed   23 May 2001

Comoros
   signed   23 May 2001

Congo
   signed   4 Dec 2001

Cook Islands
   signed   29 Jun 2004 a

Costa Rica
   signed   16 Apr 2002

Côte d'Ivoire
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   20 Jan 2004

Croatia
   signed   23 May 2001

Cuba
   signed   23 May 2001

Czech Republic
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   6 Aug 2002

Democratic People's Republic of Korea
   signed   26 Aug 2002 a

Denmark3
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   17 Dec 2003

Djibouti
   signed   15 Nov 2001   ratified   11 Mar 2004

Dominica
   signed   8 Aug 2003 a

Dominican Republic
   signed   23 May 2001

Ecuador
   signed   28 Aug 2001   ratified   7 Jun 2004

Egypt
   signed   17 May 2002   ratified   2 May 2003

El Salvador
   signed   30 Jul 2001

Ethiopia
   signed   17 May 2002   ratified   9 Jan 2003

European Community
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   16 Nov 2004 AA

Fiji
   signed   14 Jun 2001   ratified   20 Jun 2001

Finland
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   3 Sep 2002 A

France
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   17 Feb 2004 AA

Gabon
   signed   21 May 2002

Gambia
   signed   23 May 2001

Georgia
   signed   23 May 2001

Germany
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   25 Apr 2002

Ghana
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   30 May 2003

Greece
   signed   23 May 2001

Guatemala
   signed   29 Jan 2002

Guinea
   signed   23 May 2001

Guinea-Bissau
   signed   24 Apr 2002

Haiti
   signed   23 May 2001

Honduras
   signed   17 May 2002

Hungary
   signed   23 May 2001

Iceland
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   29 May 2002

India
   signed   14 May 2002

Indonesia
   signed   23 May 2001

Iran (Islamic Republic of)
   signed   23 May 2001

Ireland
   signed   23 May 2001

Israel
   signed   30 Jul 2001

Italy
   signed   23 May 2001

Jamaica
   signed   23 May 2001

Japan
   signed   30 Aug 2002 a

Jordan
   signed   18 Jan 2002   ratified   8 Nov 2004

Kazakhstan
   signed   23 May 2001

Kenya
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   24 Sep 2004

Kiribati
   signed   4 Apr 2002   ratified   7 Sep 2004

Kuwait
   signed   23 May 2001

Kyrgyzstan
   signed   16 May 2002

Lao People's Democratic Republic
   signed   5 Mar 2002

Latvia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   28 Oct 2004

Lebanon
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   3 Jan 2003

Lesotho
   signed   23 Jan 2002    ratified   23 Jan 2002

Liberia
   signed   23 May 2002 a

Liechtenstein
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   3 Dec 2004

Lithuania
   signed   17 May 2002

Luxembourg
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   7 Feb 2003

Madagascar
   signed   24 Sep 2001

Malawi
   signed   22 May 2002

Malaysia
   signed   16 May 2002

Mali
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   5 Sep 2003

Malta
   signed   23 May 2001

Marshall Islands
   signed   27 Jan 2003 a

Mauritania
   signed   8 Aug 2001

Mauritius
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   13 Jul 2004

Mexico
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   10 Feb 2003

Micronesia (Federated States of)
   signed   31 Jul 2001

Monaco
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   20 Oct 2004

Mongolia
   signed   17 May 2002    ratified   30 Apr 2004

Morocco
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   15 Jun 2004

Mozambique
   signed   23 May 2001

Myanmar
   signed   19 Apr 2004 a

Nauru
   signed   9 May 2002   ratified   9 May 2002

Nepal
   signed   5 Apr 2002

Netherlands
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   28 Jan 2002 A

New Zealand4
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   24 Sep 2004

Nicaragua
   signed   23 May 2001

Niger
   signed   12 Oct 2001

Nigeria
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   24 May 2004

Niue
   signed   12 Mar 2002

Norway
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   11 Jul 2002

Oman
   signed   4 Mar 2002   ratified   19 Jan 2005

Pakistan
   signed   6 Dec 2001

Palau
   signed   28 Mar 2002

Panama
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   5 Mar 2003

Papua New Guinea
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   7 Oct 2003

Paraguay
   signed   12 Oct 2001   ratified   1 Apr 2004

Peru
   signed   23 May 2001

Philippines
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   27 Feb 2004

Poland
   signed   23 May 2001

Portugal
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   15 Jul 2004 A

Qatar
   signed   10 Dec 2004 a

Republic of Korea
   signed   4 Oct 2001

Republic of Moldova
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   7 Apr 2004

Romania
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   28 Oct 2004

Russian Federation
   signed   22 May 2002

Rwanda
   signed   5 Jun 2002 a

Saint Kitts and Nevis
   signed   21 May 2004 a

Saint Lucia
   signed   4 Oct 2002 a

Samoa
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   4 Feb 2002

Sao Tome and Principe
   signed   3 Apr 2002

Saudi Arabia
   signed   14 Mar 2002

Senegal
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   8 Oct 2003

Serbia and Montenegro
   signed   2 May 2002

Seychelles
   signed   25 Mar 2002

Sierra Leone
   signed   26 Sep 2003 a

Singapore
   signed   23 May 2001

Slovakia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   5 Aug 2002

Slovenia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   4 May 2004

Solomon Islands
   signed   28 Jul 2004 a

South Africa
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   4 Sep 2002

Spain
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   28 May 2004

Sri Lanka
   signed   5 Sep 2001

Sudan
   signed   23 May 2001

Suriname
   signed   22 May 2002

Sweden
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   8 May 2002

Switzerland
   signed   23 May 2001    ratified   30 Jul 2003

Syrian Arab Republic
   signed   15 Feb 2002

Tajikistan
   signed   21 May 2002

Thailand
   signed   22 May 2002   ratified   31 Jan 2005

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   27 May 2004

Togo
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   22 Jul 2004

Tonga
   signed   21 May 2002

Trinidad and Tobago
   signed   13 Dec 2002 a

Tunisia
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   17 Jun 2004

Turkey
   signed   23 May 2001

Tuvalu
   signed   19 Jan 2004 a

Uganda
   signed   20 Jul 2004 a

Ukraine
   signed   23 May 2001

United Arab Emirates
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   11 Jul 2002

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
   signed   11 Dec 2001   ratified   17 Jan 2005

United Republic of Tanzania
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   30 Apr 2004

United States of America
   signed   23 May 2001

Uruguay
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   9 Feb 2004

Vanuatu
   signed   21 May 2002

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
   signed   23 May 2001

Viet Nam
   signed   23 May 2001   ratified   22 Jul 2002

Yemen
   signed   5 Dec 2001   ratified   9 Jan 2004

Zambia
   signed   23 May 2001

Zimbabwe
   signed   23 May 2001

Acceptance (A), Approval (AA), Accession (a)





Version: 2.0 (June 1, 2006)