NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE INDEX:
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
March 2006
The IPEP News Letter - Archive:
All the past IPEP Update Newsletters about the IPEP projects from around the world.
June 2005:
IPEP June Update
IPEP has completed or is currently conducting 184 activities in 48 countries:
Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Colombia, Congo, Egypt, Gambia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Yemen. At the recent First Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention, all eight IPEP Hubs presented results from their regions at presentation booths and IPEP participants from India, Russia, Mexico, and the US presented aspects of the project in a UNIDO side event with representatives from UNEP and UNIDO.
During this period IPEP completed two global bio-monitoring studies of POPs in eggs. The first study looked for dioxin, furan, PCB, and HCB contamination in free-range chicken eggs in 17 countries on five continents. The second study looked for the presence of the pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH, lindane), and brominated flame retardants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Both studies found dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in eggs that were collected near waste incinerators, cement kilns, the metallurgical industry, waste dumps and chemical production facilities. Seventy percent of the samples exceeded the EU limit for dioxins in eggs; sixty percent exceeded proposed EU limits for PCBs in eggs. Three egg samples reported in this study contain some of the highest dioxin levels ever measured in chicken eggs. Lindane, beta-HCH and the PBDE flame retardants were found in all samples. Another flame retardant, HBCD, appeared in 80 percent of the samples. The 17 countries included in this study were chosen to emphasize the lack of information about POPs pollution. The countries are: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Tanzania, Turkey, Uruguay and the United States. This study represents the first data about these substances in most of the countries examined. Results of the global bio-monitoring of eggs for POPs can be directly accessed on the IPEP website here:
http://www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb/egg/Hotspot%20Reports.html
Details about the IPEP project can be seen below.
Work in the Regions
Anglophone Africa
Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development (Tanzania)
Silvani Mnganya
In preparation to the COP1, minor activities were organized in six countries under the Global Day of Action to call for stakeholders to the Stockholm Convention. The activities were planned to take place in the Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. However due to delay of funds transfer, some NGOs were unable to do the planned activities. There has been follow up to those who were not able to organize the activities in the near future. Reports are being finalised for those who conducted some activities.
The Hub Coordinator together with some IPEP participating NGOs in the region participated in the IPEN General Assembly and the COP1 in Uruguay from 29th April - 1st May and 2nd - 6th May 2005 respectively and displayed and distributed some brief reports as well as holding discussions among the NGOs and NGOs with government delegates and stakeholders of the ASP on some key issues including the ASP partners and their position on the use of cement kilns for the disposal of obsolete chemicals.
The Hub prepared a brief report of the outcomes of the IPEN GA and the COP and distributed to all NGOs working on chemicals and health related issues in the region.
Four final draft IPEP reports have been submitted to the Global Management for comments. Other five reports are at their final review by the Hub and others at their initial review.
Central and Eastern Europe
Arnika (Czech Republic)
Jindrich Petrlik
The main activities in our region during April were related to the global eggs sampling project. Arnika worked on coordination of writing national reports since March through to last one finished at the end of April for all countries around the world. NGOs in five countries from our region took part in eggs sampling activities and released national reports at the end of March and/or during April (Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Belarus and Czech Republic). NGOs in Slovakia, Turkey, Belarus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic were also actively involved in the Week of Action organized within the IPEP framework at the end of April. New PAMs in the region were related especially to these events and acivities, but also new one focused on pesticides residues monitoring in Slovakia was prepared with newly involved Slovakian NGO ,,Oikos". In Bulgaria an NGO ,,Ecoglasnost" held in May an international workshop on POPs pesticides and IPEP regional core team was involved in this event as well. At the same time two people from Arnika working with our hub visited Bulgaria and Romania together with Ralph Ryder invited as external expert on waste incineration issue and met with NGOs, held meetings with state and regional officials and politicians, which helped to build up an NGOs network in the region. The Romanian tour led to engagement of two new NGOs on POPs. The CEE IPEP region was largely presented by several printed reports at COP1 in Uruguay.
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia Countries
Eco Accord (Russia)
Olga Speranskaya
1. Eco-Accord has submitted three new PAMs to IPEP International coordinator for the following project proposals:
i. Evaluation of POPs contamination of food products in different regions of Russia - initiated by a non-governmental Centre Environment-Risk-Health";
ii. Health Status of Residents the Impact Zone of Karabash copper Plan in Cheliabinsk region and chemical enterprise in Sterlitomak town, Bashkiria - Iskorka NGO
iii. PCB contamination of Eastern-Kazakhstan region: monitoring and inventories of PCB sources; ways to address the problem - Greenwomen, Kazakhstan.
2. Currently Eco-Accord is finalizing a PAM for the project, Identification of dioxin and PCB hotspots in Central Asia, campaign against POPs contamination" - initiated by PAN Central Asia.
3. Eco-Accord is collecting project reports for 21 projects initiated by EECCA NGOs in the framework of Global Day of Actions. Still some of these projects have not received $500 allocated for project implementation. As a result not all NGOs managed to implement these projects in time and had to postpone project activities because of financial obstacles.
4. Eco-Accord facilitated preparation of the workshop in the framework of the project The role of intersectoral partnership in development of regional and local PRTR according to the Stockholm convention" held in Volgograd, May, 15-16.
5. Eco-Accord is working with the Women Network in the Urals on its new project LIVING EARTH aimed at improving public participation in primary inventory of obsolete and banned pesticides including unauthorized storage of obsolete pesticides, and elaboration of local action plans aimed at elimination of obsolete pesticide stockpiles and rehabilitation of contaminated territories.
6. Eco-Accord is working with Greenpeace-Russia on a joint project proposal aimed at Identification of Sources and Releases of Brominated Flame Retardants in pilot regions of Russia
7. Eco-Accord made a presentation on IPEP results in the EECCA at IPEN side-event at COP-1, Urugway, May, 5, 2005. An electronic version of the presentation can be obtained from Olga Speranskaya, IPEP Coordinator in the EECCA.
8. Eco-Accord presented IPEP at a side-event organized by the ICC (International Circumpolar Conference) and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (RAIPON) held on May, 3, 2005, in Uruguay during COP-1 and also during a UNIDO – UNEP side event on May 4, 2005 at COP1.
Francophone Africa
PAN Africa (Senegal)
Henry Diouf
This month, we finalized one IPEP PAM. It’s from the NGO so-called “Property, Health and Environment” (PES) from Burundi and deal with elaborating the POPs country situation of Burundi.
We also participated in the International IPEN project dealing with global bio-monitoring of free-range chicken eggs for U-POPs (Dioxines, Furans, PCBs, HCB). Our role on this project consisted to identify a sampling site in Senegal, to collect eggs and to transfer them to the Czech laboratory (Axis Varilab) for analysis. We also contributed to the diffusion of the eggs testing results to the POPs focal points, the media groups and all the other stakeholders interested by the POPs issues of the Francophone Africa region. In this same framework we organized, on April 25th, a national press event to diffuse in Senegal the results of the testing of eggs collected in Senegal. The Press conference was relayed to the public through all the local radio stations, the written Press, the Senegalese TV, the Togolese TV (that took the image from the Senegalese TV) and the AITV (Association of Francophone Africa TV). This Press conference was also an opportunity to celebrate the IPEN Global Day of Action and thus was an occasion to highlight invited Press groups on POPs and Stockholm Convention issues.
We were also invited on 28 and 29 March in the Workshop for the updating of the Strategy of the UNDP/GEF-SGP in Mauritania and for capacity building of Steering Committee members to build capacities of Steering Committee members on POPs and Stockholm convention issues, on the new operational program of GEF on POPs (OP 14) and IPEN and the IPEP project and to help on the validation of the strategy.
We are currently in contact with NGOs from Benin, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea that expressed their interest to be involved in the IPEP project. The informational documents on the project were sent to them and for most of them, themes for project are already identified.
Latin America
RAPAM (Mexico)
Fernando Bejarano
The Latin America Hub participated in the GRULAC SAICM regional consultation meeting, IPEN General Assembly and COP1 Conference in Uruguay during the first week of May. Later, RAPAM wrote and distributed a report about these three meetings to their colleagues in the region. RAPAM has supervised final drafts with the results of the project on medical waste in Argentina with Health Care Without Harm and GAIA, and the country situation report for Argentina with Taller Ecologista. These two projects will be printed during the next month. In addition, final review is underway on the English translation of the Citizen’s Guide to the Stockholm Convention. Also has received the English Version of the Stockholm Convention Citizen Guide and is in the final review. Talks had begun with ACPO to have in the next month a PAM in Brazil
In Mexico RAPAM has been invited to be a member of the National Council on Sustainable Development a national advisory body from NGOs of the Environment Minister and will be participating in the International Affairs Commision that will include the Stolholm Convention in their agenda.
Middle East
Day Hospital/WIT (Egypt)
Mohamed El Banna
Wa attended COP1 in Uruguay and it was a successful meeting and a real situation that all IPEN members met and discussed together how they can impress their delegates to support the “keep the promise” declaration and the egg report. The team approach and division of roles & responsibilities with IPENers was real and effective. I believe every party has learned something from that meeting. We also received follow up reports from several Arab NGOs and sent them to the Global Management office. New PAMs were received and sent for review and funding. We have a meeting with an environmental NGO in Egypt and informed them about the new agreement between GEF SGP and IPEN about POPs .We circulated the template of a GEF SGP grant and so far we received several proposals for funding, but they need further refining.
South Asia
Toxics Link (India)
Upasana Choudhry
Last couple months were of great significance, with the First Conference of Parties (COP1) to the Stockholm Convention scheduled from May 2-6, 2005. Most of the activities in the region were in preparation for the same and ensuring that the Stockholm Convention Parties and stakeholders honour the integrity of the Convention text at the COP1.
Predominant among the activities taken up by the hub was sharing of the study findings from countries with the focal points as well as other key stakeholders within the region with the aim of preparing them for some action at COP1. This also included lobbying with the governments on the IPEN’s position as part of Keep the Promise campaign.
Toxics Link, Thanal and SDPI, who were involved in identification of sites and collection of egg samples as part of this global egg study, also released the findings within their countries. The findings were well received. In India, the report on samples collected near the medical waste incinerator by Toxics Link sparked some positive action by the concerned State Pollution Control Board who recently took up the task of investigating the irregularities in bio-medical waste disposal and the operation of incinerators.
Another sets of activities in line with COP1 were those organised in the region around the Global Action Day on April 23 this year. Joint activities were planned and organised in four countries in the region, namely India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The activities were coordinated in these countries by Toxics Link, NEFEJ, SDPI and CEJ respectively, of course involving other NGO partners in these countries.
NEFEJ (Nepal) organized an interaction program on “Battle with POPs: Problem of POPs in Nepal” involving various personnel from government, non-government and media sector to discuss issues related with disposal of stockpiled obsolete pesticide including POPs and approach of the state in this regard. The deliberations resulted in various useful recommendations. CEJ (Sri Lanka) organized a very successful Radio program and a workshop on the issue in Sri Lanka with the support from the Ministry of Environment. Toxics Link (India) coordinated a series of activities, all focusing on the two RDF plants coming up in the capital. These include roundtable meetings of the various stakeholders, a public debate on the issue, street play at Dilli Haat (a popular marketplace), submission of petition to the authorities, a panel discussion on the radio, and the like. These have led to the formation of an NGO coalition on the issue and there is wide range of activities still in the pipeline. With the aim of networking of elected councillors interested in green issues, SDPI (Pakistan) organized a half-day session. Green press and other civil society groups were also involved.
At COP1, the South Asia regional hub put up a display of the activities been taken up by the partners. NGO partners from various countries in the region contributed towards putting the display through their inputs as well as make available information on POPs. As NGOs such as SHELGA (Nepal), Toxics Link (India), ESDO (Bangladesh) and CEJ and Green Movement (Sri Lanka) have initiated/ been working on the Country situation reports on POPs in their respective countries, a brief abstracts from the findings so far were presented in the form of ‘Country Info sheets’ at COP1 for the information of the delegates.
In addition, Toxics Link was also a part of the joint UNIDO-IPEP side event organised during COP1, representing the South Asia region. This event was to showcase the project activities and the various initiatives been taken up across the regions as well as the future opportunities. Toxic Link presented Medical Waste Management system in India as a success story and how the civil society interventions have resulted in phasing out of POPs.
Besides the hub NGO, Toxics Link, SDPI was the other partner NGO that actively participated in the COP1 process.
The partners also continued to work on their respective activities across the region. NEFEJ is almost in the final stages of completion of its hotspot identification activity and likewise SHELGA is ready to compile the country situation report, which has got delayed due to the non-receipt of funds. Likewise DISHA has been proactively moving ahead with its awareness raising activity. They have by far managed to document the existing literature, build initial contacts with prospective campaign/network partners and worked out an outline plan for the POPs Infopack that they shall be bringing out as part of the activity.
One new activity PAM has also been recently submitted by Chintan, India. This would involve preparation of a manual on POPs and women’s health. Few more ideas are in the pipeline and may take more concrete shape in the coming months.
Southeast Asia
SEAPEN (Philippines)
Romy Quijano
Manny Calonzo
As part of the "Keep the Promise" campaign, GAIA and PAN Philippines wrote to the concerned government agencies of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, informing them of the hopes and goals of IPEN as regards COP1. The lead departments were reminded of the promises of the Stockholm Convention,and requested to remember and honor these promises at COP1. In the Philippines, local NGOs met the National Focal Point on 18 April 2005 to share our concerns, and to influence the positions that will be taken by the Philippines at the Conference.
The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) completed its report on the proposed municipal waste incinerator in Broga, Selangor, Malaysia, which will be used in raising the awareness of policy makers and the public on the issues and problems with the said facility. The People's Task Force for Bases Cleanup (PTFBC) has started preparing for a community health assessment targeting residents, mostly indigenous people, of a contaminated site within a former US military facility in the country.
Gita Pertiwi from Indonesia has submitted a PAM on the determination of circulation of prohibited pesticides in Indonesia. This monitoring will be done to detect impacts and compliance to the implementation of the Indonesian Minister of Farming Decree, which prohibits the use of 37 active pesticide ingredients, including POPs pesticides. The Philippine Society for the Protection of Animals has also submitted a PAM on determining POPs profile in hogs. Both PAMs are currently being reviewed.
Philippine NGOs met with government representatives on 17 May 2005 to discuss the outcome of COP1. The National Focal Point Ms. Angie Brabante of the Environment Department informed the NGOs about the key decisions arrived at the by Parties. Romy Quijano and Manny Calonzo, who were also at COP1, provided supplementary comments, highlighting the achievements made by COP1 from the perspective of IPEN, and the contributions made by the Philippine delegation. Ms. Brabante renewed her call for NGOs to critically comment on the draft National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention, which the NGOs welcomed as an opportunity to revise and strengthen the strategies and actions to eliminate the "Dirty Dozen" and other priority chemicals with POPs characteristics. Participating NGOs include the Archdiocese of Manila Ecology Office, Bangon Kalikasan Movement, Cavite Green Coalition, EcoWaste Coalition, GAIA, Mother Earth, PAN Philippines, and the People's Task Force for Bases Cleanup.
The GAIA Secretariat in Manila submitted its preliminary comments and suggestions as regards the draft NIP of the Philippines for the Stockholm Convention, providing a constructive critique of the Plan. GAIA, through Abi Jabines, had the chance of articulating some of its more fundamental observations and proposals on the draft NIP at the multistakeholders' consultation organized by Environment Department on 19 May 2005.
Website
The IPEP website can be reached through the IPEN website at http://www.ipen.org or directly at http://www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb/. The site featured a special section on the IPEN egg biomonitoring which contains the final reports for each country where the study was performed along with two global reports and news articles. This area of the website is located here: http://www.oztoxics.org/ipepweb/egg/world%20map%20index%20egg.html
Currently, efforts are being directed at provided short summaries of every IPEP project completed or in progress to provide information and stimulate ideas for adapting and replicating activity ideas in various regions.
Funding
IPEP needs $200,000 new cash co-finance to achieve full funding. Proposals to foundations and governments are in progress to close this gap.
April 2005:
IPEP March 2005 Update
IPEP has grown substantially since the last update.
The Project has now completed or is currently conducting 148 activities in 39 countries:
Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Czech Republic, Congo, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, and Ukraine. The results of these project activities can be viewed at the new IPEP website by clicking the IPEP link on the IPEN page at http://www.ipen.org
Results of the global bio-monitoring of eggs for POPs will be released nationally in many countries beginning in March and continuing in April. Final reports can be downloaded from the IPEP website along with other documents pertaining to IPEN’s “Keep the Promise” campaign. A large number of activities are in preparation for the Global Week of Action that culminates on Earth Day (22 April). Projects include a wide variety of public awareness raising activities; schoolchildren who live near obsolete pesticide dumps in Russia, radio and TV programs; information about POPs in Western Siberia; the role of local communities in addressing POPs in Moldova; activities in Jordan and Chile, and awareness raising activities with farmers and doctors. Details about the IPEP project can be seen below.
WORK IN THE REGIONS
Anglophone Africa
Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development (Tanzania)
Silvani Mnganya
One PAM on Policy brief for South Africa, by Earth Life Africa is being finalised and another on Hotspots by groundWork is still at discussion stage. There has been discussion on involvement of NGOs in the Region in the Global Day of Action (GDA) on the Earthday 22 April 2005. The Hub has advised for joint activities by NGOs in one country. The interest of NGOs is higher and the Hub has already reviewed two PAMs from Uganda on awareness raising on POPs. One is a joint PAM by three NGOs (ENGOLOG, UCSD and UEEF) and the second is from NAPE.
A joint PAM from three Kenyan NGOs, PSR Kenya, ENVILEAD and CEAG Africa has been finalised and two PAMs from Tanzania are about ready, and discussion of joint activities is going on. One GDA PAM from South Africa is under final review and one PAM is expected from Nigeria and Gambia.
The egg sampling results for the Keep the Promise Campaign done by ARNIKA for Kenya and Tanzania are out and indicate elevated Dioxin levels.
The Hub is finalising Review of Draft Final Reports as follows:
1. POPs Situation Report - by ENVIROCARE, Tanzania
2. Hotspot: Management of POPs Contaminated Site at Kawanda - NAPE, Uganda
3. Hotspot: PCB release and contamination study - AGENDA, Tanzania
4. Hotspot: Contaminated site - AGENDA, Tanzania
Central and Eastern Europe
Arnika (Czech Republic)
Jindrich Petrlik
We have almost finished the PAM for POPs pesticides monitoring report for Slovakia (it will be done by CEPA NGO) and also have negotiated with Ecoglasnost in Bulgaria about a PAM for the nationwide conference on POPs pesticides in the country in cooperation with PAN Europe.
There were published two eggs sampling reports in the region: for Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Arnika also continued in coordinating the work of this campaign globally.
We celebrate in the region the upcoming launch of a new NGO focused on POPs in Turkey called Bumerang as a result of IPEP activities. The eggs sampling report will be their first action and they will use also all reports developed until now under Arnika for this country. This is an important follow up of the workshop held by Hana Kuncova and Martin Skalsky in Turkey in January.
We have also started to schedule workshop with NGOs in Romania. There are also ongoing negotiations with NGOs in the region about their participation in IPEN global week of action.
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia Countries
Eco Accord (Russia)
Olga Speranskaya
1. Eco-Accord is currently working with three NGOs over three project proposals:
2. Eco-Accord prepared and submitted to IPEP International coordinator PAMs for 21 projects initiated by EECCA NGOs in the framework of Global Day of Actions
3. Eco-Accord facilitated intermediate report preparation for the project “The role of intersectoral partnership in development of regional and local PRTR according to the Stockholm convention”
Francophone Africa
PAN Africa (Senegal)
Henry Diouf
This month, we finalized one IPEP PAM. It’s about a Senegalese Consumers Organization so-called ADEC (Association pour la Défense de l’Environnement et des Consommateurs). This organization would like to work on municipal waste management policy brief. We also perform 5 PAMs for IPEN Global Day of Action. All of these PAM was submitted to organize Press Conference on POPs issues and the necessity to implement the Stockholm Convention. The submitting NGOs are OFEDI (Organisation des Femmes pour la Gestion de l’Energie, de l’Environnement et la Promotion du développement intégré) in Benin, AGREEM (Agir pour une Gestion Rationnelle pour l'Environnement en Mauritanie) in Mauritania, PAN Togo in Togo, PES (Propreté, Environnement et Santé) in Burundi, ALPEPAB (l’Association pour la Protection de l’Environnement et pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique) in Congo Brazzaville.
Latin America
RAPAM (Mexico)
Fernando Bejarano
The Hub has been working with NGOs in the region to have Project Activity Memorandums for activities during the coming global week of action as part of the Keep the Promise Campaign 18-22 April 2005. We expect activities will be supported in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina. The Latin America Hub Coordinator participated as an IPEN member in the Expert Group on BAT/BEP during the consultation meeting for Latin America, in Buenos Aires, Argentina 14-16 March.
The Hub is also helping to interchange information regarding the upcoming egg sampling reports from Mexico and Uruguay with IPEN coordinators of the egg samplinng report and RAPAL-REDES from Uruguay.
Middle East
Day Hospital/WIT (Egypt)
Mohamed El Banna
The month of March 2005 was a month of preparation and communication with NGOs in the Arab world for celebrating the Global Day of Action (GDA) with Earth Day 22/4/05. Invitations with a sample PAM were sent to 12 Arab NGOs in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya. Most of them are new and this PAM for celebrating GDA would be a boost to encourage their participation in the IPEP project and prevent monopoly in its implementation. Up to date we have received 2 PAMs and sent them for funding but we expect more in the next coming days.
We also attended the African intersessional meeting for SAICM in Saly, Senegal 15-18 March 2005 which was a golden opportunity to meet African delegates and representatives from UNEP, GEF, IFCS, and WHO. The discussion and interaction in that meeting proved the indispensable leading role of IPEN particularly in issues like financial considerations and the SAICM Institutional arrangement. We are now preparing for the egg sampling report, presentation at COP1, and follow up of the GDA celebration.
South Asia
Toxics Link (India)
Upasana Choudhry
During the reporting period, the region submitted/ approved four new PAMs. Three of the PAMs are with regard to the Global Action Week activities in Sri Lanka, Nepal and India submitted by Centre for Environmental Justice, Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalist (NEFEJ) and Toxics Link respectively. The fourth PAM submitted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute on “Egg Sampling for by-product POPs”. This takes the total number of projects in the region to 17 in 5 countries.
The work by partner organisations on their respective projects has continued and further progressed. In India, Toxics Link has finished compilation of the Hotspot report for Lucknow city. It focuses on the various sources of POPs in the city. This has been produced to compliment the “Keep the Promise Campaign” and a major release of the report along with the findings from the egg samples is planned around end of the month. Toxics Link is also working on compilation of the country situation report on POPs. It is researching into the available information on POPs in the country. This also involves interaction with various stakeholders. Once completed, it would work at compiling this information. Toxics Link also organised a Roundtable meeting involving other civil society organisations to discuss strategy to counter the proposed RDF plants in Delhi. The inputs from this meeting will act as a lead up to the Global Action Week.
Society for Direct Initiative for Social and Health Action (DISHA) also has initiated the project titled “Campaign and Awareness Building on POPs Elimination in West Bengal”. So far their work has involved documentation of existing literature on POPs. They also developed initial contacts with prospective campaign/network partners in addition to drawing up an outline plan for the POPs Info pack. A poster set exhibition was also organised. The response so far has been quite encouraging and lot of organisations have expressed interest and given some useful feedback and suggestions to take forward the campaign. The contents of the poster set was also published by one organisation their magazine. Future plan of action includes publishing the information pack on POPs, its sources, health and environmental impacts, and appropriate alternatives. A campaign leaflet would also be produced in addition to organising a state level meeting/workshop to work out future campaign.
In Nepal, CEPHED, based on the information collected, came up with an initial draft of the awareness material largely focusing of incinerators (medical waste) as a source of POPs. Based on the feedback received on the draft they are working on modifying the same. Another NGO, SHELGA (Society for Human Rights, Environment, Law and Governance Activities) is all ready to compiling the Country situation report for Nepal and produce the draft report. However the work has been stalled, as they have not received the funds for the activity, which is making it difficult for them to carry on with the work. This is soon expected to get resolved.
In Pakistan, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) is taking up the Physical verification, environmental and health impacts of a POP (DDT) factory in NWFP, Pakistan. A day long visit, by the project team, to the factory and surroundings in Nowshera was made and found that although the production of DDT stopped in 1972 but the interior of the production hall and stores were still full of DDT odor. Literature survey for information about any earlier DDT related study in the project area is also in progress. Chemicals/ equipment (in addition to already available in the laboratory) to be required for the analyses are being estimated and suppliers contacted for details of their cost are pursued.
In addition, partners in Bangladesh are also being mobilised to participate in the Global Action Week. Centre for Action Research-Barind (CARB), a new partner NGO has expressed interest in taking up activities. The details shall be worked out soon.
Some of the activity plans currently under discussion are “Manual on POPs and Women’s Health” by Chintan, India, in addition to those from the previous month, as they could not be finalised yet.
Southeast Asia
SEAPEN (Philippines)
Romy Quijano
A science public interest NGO has finally submitted its revised proposal for IPEP. It will be sending a representative to the IPEP SEA meeting in Bangkok on April 2-3. A preliminary draft (based on collected documents so far) for the country situation report is now being prepared. Inputs from other IPEP activities will be incorporated later. Fisherfolk Against Toxics is now implementing the Project Activities as stipulated in its PAM. RESIST, while waiting for the first remittance for its PAM, is now conducting consultations with its partners at the target area (Bulacan, Philippines) of monitoring. CEDAC of Cambodia has not submitted its promised PAM yet but will send a representative to the IPEP SEA meeting in Bangkok. FIELD Indonesia is conducting a workshop related to its PAM activities and is also sending a representative to the IPEP SEA meeting in Bangkok.
There was good attendance of SEAPEN participating and allied organizations at the POPs briefing and dialogue conducted with the national POPs focal point, the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR, Republic of the Philippines. There was a comprehensive presentation of what has been accomplished so far by the government in preparing its NIP. There was frank discussion about the lack of mechanisms for more effective participation from public interest NGOs. The presenters from government promised more transparency and incorporation of NGO comments in their report.
Some 30 activists coming from 19 NGOs working on waste, pollution and chemical issues attended a briefing last 14 March 2005 by the Environmental Management Bureau, the national focal point, about the country’s efforts to reduce and eliminate POPs and the opportunities for enhancing NGO/PO engagement in the process. The three- hour briefing held at the Air Quality Management Training Center was initiated by GAIA and PAN Philippines and covered crucial concerns such as the Philippine Enabling Activity Project, the draft National Implementation Plan on POPs Management, and the non-combustion demonstration project for the destruction of PCBs. The NGOs, in particular, provided critical observations and suggestions as regards the draft NIP, particularly on the timeline and the activities being proposed. The government and NGO representatives agreed to meet again in April 2005 to discuss the agenda and preparation for the first Conference of Parties of the Stockholm Convention.
Thai NGOs have submitted a revised PAM that is set to enhance civil society participation in the management and eradication of POPs in Thailand. The work involves connecting with target groups, developing basic organizational documents and a public launch of the proposed Thai POPs Elimination Network (ThaiPEN). The work will also involve liaising with the national focal point (the Pollution Control Department) and participation in relevant meetings and activities.
Preparations are underway for the IPEP Southeast Asia Project Meeting/Skillshare to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 2-3 April 2005 prior to the SAICM Asia Pacific Meeting. The event is expected to boost the development and implementation of projects and activities geared at increasing the involvement of the region’s vibrant civil society on POPs issues.
WEBSITE
Bio-Region Computer Mapping & Research has launched the IPEP website. It can be reached through the IPEN website at http://www.ipen.org
FUNDING
IPEP needs $200,000 new cash co-finance to achieve full funding. Proposals to foundations and governments are in progress to close this gap.
March 2005:
IPEP March 2005 Update
Joseph DiGangi, Environmental Health Fund
IPEP has completed or is currently conducting 95 activities in 36 countries: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, and Ukraine.
A sample of completed reports available soon on the IPEP website include: Country situation reports for Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Russia; PCB monitoring in Armenia; reports on obsolete pesticide sites in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia; dioxins and furans in breast milk in Russia; Citizen’s Guide to the Stockholm Convention in Spanish; and the No POPs Caravan in Moldova.
Twenty-eight IPEP-related NGOs are participating in some way in the NIP processes in 25 countries.
Details about the IPEP project can be seen below.
Work in the Regions
Anglophone Africa
Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development (Tanzania)
Silvani Mnganya
The Coordinator attended the review meeting of Hub Coordinators and SC meeting in Vienna where also shared experience with other hubs. Egg sampling was performed in two countries, Kenya and Tanzania for the Keep the Promise Campaign. Eggs were sampled and sent to the Czech Republic for analysis. More information and data is being finalised and reports are being prepared.
Follow up on funds transfer problems and some progress has been made although not completely successful. This is still ongoing discussions involving the respective NGOs, Bankers, UNDP and Project Management.
Two draft PAMs from South Africa are being reviewed by the Hub on the Hotspots and Policy brief with components of awareness. Communication with some NGOs in Nigeria is going on for their involvement in the IPEP.
The draft final report on the Tanzania Situation has been submitted to the Hub for comments.
Central and Eastern Europe
Arnika (Czech Republic)
Jindrich Petrlik
We have finished preparatory work for presentation of the region at COP1 - we prepared cover pages for reports and decided how the region will be presented at COP1.
We were also finalizing work with EEA on CSR for Romania and continued with work on their other two reports focused on pesticides and hospital waste incineration which is quite common in crematories in Romania.
Arnika finished the report on Lysa nad Labem hot spot and did coordination of eggs sampling between NGOs, the delivery service and the laboratory. The Bulgarian NGO "Za zemiata" (For Earth) finished two hot spots reports (both related to eggs sampling project) and FRI in Belarus finished two hot spots reports as well. Slovakian Friends of the Earth finished their hot spot report on Kosice municipal waste incinerator. It seems that at least 5 projects are coming to the point they will be finished in our region (including the previously finished project in Turkey).
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia Countries
Eco Accord (Russia)
Olga Speranskaya
Eco-Accord prepared and submitted to IPEP International coordinator PAMs for two project proposals initiated by North-West Public Health Research Center, Russia. One project is aimed at analysis of reproductive health effects associated with exposure to PCB among natives of the Russian Arctic. The other project is focused on the development of an action plan for reducing the exposure to POPs among Natives of the Russian Arctic.
Eco-Accord prepared and submitted to IPEP International coordinator PAM for the project initiated by NGO Volgograd ECO-Press aimed at strengthening the role of intersectoral partnership in development of regional and local PRTR according to the Stockholm convention.
Eco-Accord has finalized project reports based on the projects initiated by the following organizations: Ecotox (Armenia) - overview of PCB contaminated hospots; Iskorka (Russia) - Community monitoring; For Civil Society (Kirgizstan) - Country situation report;.
Eco-Accord facilitated intermediate report preparation for the project Inter-agency and inter-sectoral co-operation at national and local levels to address POPs-associated problems" initiated by Independent ecological Expertise, Kirgizstan.
Currently Eco-Accord is working to prepare seven new projects in the framework of the Global Day of Action as well as three more new projects proposals within IPEP activities.
Francophone Africa
PAN Africa (Senegal)
Henry Diouf
This month we finalized three PAMs. The first is for a Beninese NGO called OFEDI that concerns training grassroots communities on exposure risks to POPs in the district of Oueme-Benin. The second is for the NGO “Property, Health and Environment” (PES) from Burundi and deals with elaborating the POPs country situation of Burundi. The third is for AGREEM, a Mauritanian NGO that will work on a policy brief for a strategy proposal for the identification and control of devices containing PCBs in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Latin America
RAPAM (Mexico)
Fernando Bejarano
The Hub reviewed a draft report from Taller Ecologista for the Argentina country situation report on POPs. It is expected that the final report will be printed in the coming month. Two PAMs for sampling POPs in eggs were finalized and approved; one for Mexico and the other for Uruguay. Eggs were sent to the Czech Republic under the supervision of the Central and Eastern European Hub, Árnika, as part of the Keep the Promise Campaign activities. Other PAMs in progress are from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina and will be sent during March. A PAM for Spanish translation of the Dirty Dozen magazine articles will be sent the second week of March. The Hub attended the IPEP Steering Committee Meeting; 7-8 February with UNIDO and UNEP representatives in Vienna, Austria
Middle East
Day Hospital/WIT (Egypt)
Mohamed El Banna
The month of February 2005 was a meetings month. We attended the Vienna IPEP steering committee meeting in UNIDO and it was very interesting meeting with a lot of information and an occasion to solve the funds transfer problem as we noticed that all funds now requested for IPEP projects are received by NGOs. Following that we had a UNEP meeting in Cairo for all the Arab countries’ officials responsible for the NIP process and we were joined by Joe DiGangi so it was a golden occasion to meet all the Arab environmental decision makers and to discuss the IPEP project and how to encourage Arab NGOs to participate. A presentation about the project was delivered to the audience and it raised great interest, so it is expected to get more requests from Arab NGOs to participate. Representatives from UNEP were among the participants and in the declaration after the meeting it was acknowledged that participation of the civil society with the governments was essential for effective implementation of Stockholm Convention. Also UNEP representative promised to invite NGOs to future meetings.
NGOs in Gaza (Palestine) started activities and also the Jordanian NGO started work. We are currently expecting PAMs from NGOs in Sudan and Yemen.
South Asia
Toxics Link (India)
Upasana Choudhry
The NGOs from the region that have already submitted the PAMs, continued to work on their respective activities during the past month. At the beginning of the month, there were 11 ongoing activities in the region. To this list, one new PAM got added during the month. This was submitted by Toxics Link for the “Country Situation Report on India”.
In India, Toxics Link continued work on the hot spot report for Lucknow city, a site to numerous POPs sources namely the medical waste incinerators; organochlorine pesticide factories; brick kilns; PVC recycling units and the like. The first draft of the report has been compiled and a final version would be available soon.
In Nepal, NEFEJ (Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists) that finished the first phase of the project testing DDT and Lindane in vegetables has now moved on to the second phase. They are now preparing for the mass awareness materials based on the information collected in the earlier phase.
SHELGA (Society for Human Rights, Environment, Law and Governance Activities) is now in the final stages of compiling the Country situation report for Nepal. They recently organized an interaction program on the issues associated with POPs and ways to address them involving the various stakeholders, including the government. The various valuable inputs from this interaction program would go into the preparation of the report.
Forum for Justice has been working on preparing a Discussion Paper as part of the awareness raising activity on POPs and shall be circulated to government officials, judges, public prosecutors, public interest lawyers, and members of local government, libraries, and NGOs. As part of this activity, the organisation has been holding interaction meetings with various experts and groups and collecting materials on POPs.
CEPHED has also been actively working on collecting information for the awareness material that they are planning to produce focussing on incinerators (medical waste) as a source of POPs. This is a part of the awareness campaign that the NGO plans to take up on the issue.
In Pakistan, SDPI (Sustainable Development Policy Institute) has started work on the hotspot report. As part of the activity, their team visited the DDT factory site and also identified sampling sites. Interviews with ex-employees/ employer are being held, along with meetings with other stakeholders. They have also identified the laboratory and co-investigators for the analytical work. Literature survey and preparation of SOPs for sampling and analytical work are also in progress.
In Sri Lanka, CEJ (Centre for Environmental Justice) and Sri Lanka Green Movement have started work on the Country Situation Report on POPs. They have been working on collecting information for the same.
In addition, NGOs are being mobilised from the region to participate in the Global Action week in April. Already rough action plans have been chalked out with partners in Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. Pakistan has also shown interest in participating. The emphasis in the region is on conducting joint activities. Further details shall be worked out in the coming months.
New activity plans currently being discussed are: “Country Situation Report for Iran” by Parandeh Sabz; Awareness Raising on POPs by SABAWON, Pakistan; and “Manual on POPs and Women’s Health” and “Study to determine the incidence of and to raise awareness about open burning of PVC coated copper wires in Delhi” both by Chintan, India. These are soon expected to get finalised and submitted.
Southeast Asia
SEAPEN (Philippines)
Romy Quijano
PAN Philippines has started implementing the approved PAM on POPs pesticides (country situation report). Initial consultations with partner organizations at the grassroots level regarding the project have been done. Some documents on POPs have been identified and collected and are now being reviewed. Fisherfolk Against Toxics(FAT), PAN Asia Pacific, and Field Indonesia have confirmed the receipt of the initial $500 dollars for their approved PAMs and are now in the process of implementing the initial stages of their respective projects. CEDAC, our partner in Cambodia, has confirmed that they are preparing a PAM on POPs pesticides and promised that they will send the draft very soon. PAN Philippines, with GAIA, are preparing for the IPEP SEA meeting (April 2-3), coinciding with the SAICM regional consultation meeting in Bangkok(April 4-7). SEAPEN is also organizing a meeting on March 14 with the POPs focal point from the Philippine government scheduled to give a briefing for NGOs regarding the progress of the country implementation of the Stockholm Convention.
PAMs for various projects from participating groups in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines were submitted to the EHF for review and evaluation. The projects deal with a range of concerns such as a policy brief on Zero Waste non- POPs strategy for managing municipal discards in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines; a country report on POPs in Malaysia; and hot spot reports from the Philippines targeting a community impacted by a medical waste incinerator and another community contaminated with POPs from the operations of former US military facilities. The Zero Waste project represents the first three-country Project activity under IPEP.
In February 2005, three groups from the region joined IPEN: BaliFokus from Indonesia; and the Ecological Waste Coalition and the Measles Immunization Support Group, both from the Philippines.
WEBSITE
Bio-Region Computer Mapping & Research is currently constructing the mapping portion of the site and preparing for a launch of the site later in March.
FUNDING
IPEP needs $200,000 new cash co-finance to achieve full funding. Proposals to foundations and governments are in progress to close this gap.
February 2005:
IPEP February 2005 Update
Joseph DiGangi, Environmental Health Fund
IPEP has completed or is currently conducting 83 activities in 34 countries: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgystan, Mexico, Malaysia, Moldova, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, and Ukraine. The projects include country situation reports, dioxin sampling of fish, an NGO – IGO – governmental meeting on chemical safety agreements, participatory mapping of POPs hotspots, environmental and social investigation of POPs effects in waterways, characterization and health impacts of a DDT factory, and growing NIP participation. Details about the IPEP project can be seen below.
WORK IN THE REGIONS
Anglophone Africa
Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development (Tanzania)
Silvani Mnganya
There has been continuation of activities as per individual PAMs by the participating NGOs despite delay of funds transfer to some NGOs. Communication with individual NGOs has been going on and sharing the progress and advice from both the NGOs side and the Hub. The Coordinator participated in a training and monitoring of POPs organized by TPAWU for community and Workers representatives from flower farms in Arusha Tanzania. Introduction of the IPEP, Stockholm Convention and POPs were briefly covered. The Coordinator visited Uganda and held a meeting with NGOs participating in the IPEP. The objective of the meeting was to know those who are participating in the IPEP and exchange some thoughts on the project. As well, the NGO representatives would get time to hear from each other on what they are doing and exchange and share experience and ideas. There were general and specific suggestions and comments from each side for the successful project. Eggs have been sampled for measurements of by-product POPs for the inter-regional project,“Keep the Promise” campaign. Sites included a severely DDT-contaminated site in Tanzania (AGENDA) and a burning waste dump in Kenya (ENVILEAD).
Central and Eastern Europe
Arnika (Czech Republic)
Jindrich Petrlik
IPEP for Central and Eastern Europe continued in gathering reports according to PAMs. One project was already fully completed - these are two hot spots reports for Turkey. Printed copies in Turkish language were put into package on POPs for Turkish government people in cooperation with Greenpeace Turkey. Also Slovakian NGO Earth Friends Society almost finished its report on municipal waste incinerator in Kosice, which had a serious fire last year. Two persons from Arnika went at the end of January for round trip to Turkey and Bulgaria to meet NGOs working on IPEP and to discuss further collaboration and opportunities for including their activities under IPEP. Some projects have delays, but generally cooperation with NGOs in our region is very good and they are quite actively involved. We got also new NGOs interested at the end of year.
Global eggs sampling activities: Arnika finished and distributed a hot spot report template for eggs sampling about a hazardous waste incinerator in Lysa nad Labem. A team of people working on IPEP is very actively involved in the global "Keep the Promise, Eliminate POPs" campaign - especially in its eggs sampling project, so we spend a lot of time with communication with NGOs involved in this project, with DHL and the laboratory doing analysis for us.
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia Countries
Eco Accord (Russia)
Olga Speranskaya
Eco-Accord has prepared 4 final reports for the following IPEP EECCA projects: Moldova Country situation report; Time to Act (Women Network in the Urals); Public environmental inventory of pesticides in the republic of Azerbaijan and organisation of a public movement for pesticides elimination (RUZGIAR NGO); and PCB monitoring in the environment of Armenia and hot spots identification (Eco-Tox NGO). All reports were approved by IPEP international coordinator and can be found on Eco-Accord website: http://accord.cis.lead.org
Eco-Accord has finalized a project proposal on the role of inter-sectoral partnership in development of regional and local PRTR according to the Stockholm convention with Volgograd-ECOPress as a responsible NGO. The PAM was submitted to the IPEP international coordinator. The key aim of the project incorporates analysis and broad dissemination of available experience in the sphere of development of regional PRTRs with involvement of representatives of different stakeholders (particularly NGOs, industrial and governmental facilities). The project mainly focuses on NGOs of the European part of Russia as the territory where the majority of industrial sources of POPs releases are located.
Eco-Accord together with Russian NGO ECO-SPES participated in IPEP International campaign aimed at collecting eggs in hotspots with further analysis on dioxins, furans, PCBs and lindane. Two hot spots were identified in Dzerjinsk city. A description of hotspots and protocols were send to Arnika in the Czech Republic.
Eco-Accord is currently working with North-West Public Health Research Center on two project proposals: Reproductive health effects of selected congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among natives of the Russian Arctic. The purpose of this work was to evaluate whether single PCB congeners (referred to different types) may be responsible for the specific reproductive health effects among natives of the Russian Arctic. This aim fully meets the main IPEP priorities in the sphere of health POPs influence for raising scientific awareness and reasoning the necessity of the Stockholm Convention implementation; and Development of an action plan for reducing the exposure to POPs among Natives of the Russian Arctic
Finally, Eco-Accord is working with Iskorka NGO on its final report for community monitoring project, Health Status of Residents, particular Children, of the Impact Zone of the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant
Francophone Africa
PAN Africa (Senegal)
Henry Diouf
We finalized the progress report of CAPANET a Cameroonian NGO working on a Country situation report and submitted it to the Global Coordination Unity (GCU) to launch the execution for his second payment. They are some delays in this process because the report was due for the December month.
We also organized in collaboration with IPEP Project an NGO – government – IGO an international conference on the theme, “Implementing multilateral agreements relating to chemicals in African French-speaking countries: Obstacles and opportunities”. The conference was organized by PAN Africa in Dakar from December 7th to 9th 2004.
We are currently in contact with NGOs from Benin, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Mali that expressed their interest to be involved in the IPEP project. Thus, we received PAM draft from 2 Beninese NGOs and one of them is involved in POPS National enabling activities. These drafts were reviewed and improved. The comments for improvements and supplementary information requests were submitted to the 2 NGOs for approval and responses. We are waiting for their reaction to finalize the PAMs; to translate them and to send them to the GCU for approval.
In our previous update info we informed you that two PAMs (from Togo and Benin) were finalized and submitted to the global coordination centre for review and final approval. These PAM were approved and the first payment process was launched but these NGOs still have difficulties getting the money transfer. For these reasons, they have not yet started their activities and that will lead to some delays in the execution of the work as scheduled in the planning. These 2 NGOs assured me that they completed the Bank info correctly and that they hope to get the transfer in a few days.
Latin America
RAPAM (Mexico)
Fernando Bejarano
In the last month three new PAMs have been finalized. One is a project with Asociación Argentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente in Argentina to support participation in the National Implementation Plan. Two other projects in Mexico were discussed. One was already finalized with a local NGO, Centro de Análisis Social, Información y Formación Popular to do a regional POPs inventory through a participatory approach. The third project is to do a POPs report on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the States of Veracruz and Oaxaca regarding the impact of a organochlorine complex and DDT pesticide residues. Part of the project will include sampling eggs for by-product POPs as part of the inter-regional “Keep the Promise” campaign in the lead up to COP1. Egg Sampling was also performed in Uruguay in communities near cement plants and another site near a pulp and paper company. Reports of the sampling are in progress. Finally, work has begun on translating the Citizen’s Guide to the Stockholm Convention into English.
Middle East
Day Hospital/WIT (Egypt)
Mohamed El Banna
In the last period our activities were mainly communication with Arab NGOs in the region, mostly country situation reports which had to be matched to the guidelines in project forms. We completed the hot spot report about Egypt and protocol about the egg-sampling project and send the sample to Czech Republic. We completed the country situation report for Tunisia and sent the first draft for review. So far we have had 6 PAMs from the region.We received the final draft of the Arab ministers of Environment about their 16 meeting in the Arab League in Cairo 4-6/12/04 including the draft about Stockholm Convention that we shared in writing and it is going to be translated in English and sent. We still working on country situation report for Egypt to finalize it.
South Asia
Toxics Link (India)
Upasana Choudhry
The period saw more action and a few more PAMs ready for implementation in the region. New partners joining the project include: Social Action Bureau for Assistance in Welfare and Organisational Networking (SABAWON International) from Pakistan; Sri Lanka Environment Exploration Society (SLEES) from Sri Lanka; and Association For Community Development (ACD) and Centre for Action Research Barind (CARB), both from Bangladesh have also shown interest by sending their endorsements.
A one-day Skill-share workshop was hosted by SDPI, in collaboration with Toxics Link, in Islamabad, Pakistan. The workshop was attended by over 30 organizations from the South Asia region, a majority being from the host country. It aimed at enhancing the capacity of the civil society organizations to deal with issues related to POPs and to play a constructive role in the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. The workshop also gave further impetus to the IPEP implementation in the region by arousing interest among NGOs, providing opportunities for direct contact/ interaction, networking and enhancing their capacities to take up the issue of POPs. The report of the proceedings is in preparation.
The First Regional Hub meeting was also convened in Islamabad, Pakistan. A Steering Committee at the regional level has been formed comprising of one representative from each country. These are Ravi (Toxics Link, India), Bharati (Chintan, India), Dr. Mahmood (SDPI, Pakistan), Saiful Islam (Bangladesh), Ram (CEPHED, Nepal), Hemantha (CEJ, Sri Lanka), Cai Kui (China) and Nancy (ARIC, representing Afghanistan). The Committee, Co-chaired by Ravi and Dr. Mahmood, has a fixed tenure and the members would represent on rotation basis. Each member would push forth the project agenda in their country and collectively set national priorities that need to be addressed under the project. They would also help mobilise NGOs in their country as well as South Asia region and incite action. The Steering Committee collectively would provide the requisite direction to the project as well as provide inputs for post-project sustainability.
In Nepal, NEFEJ completed the first phase of the proposed activity on the Identification of POPs Hotspot while SHELGA and Forum for Justice have been working on the Country Situation Report and Awareness Raising on POPs respectively.
In Bangladesh, ESDO continued work on the Country Situation report as well as Hotspot Identification. A good part of data collection work has been completed.
In India, Toxics Link and Thanal have been working on identification of hotspot sites and collection of egg samples as part of IPEN’s “Keep the Promise” campaign. Hotspot reports on these sites would soon follow.
Five new PAMs were submitted/ approved. These are: ‘Production of IEC material on POPs’ by CEPHED Nepal; “Country Situation Report on POPs in Sri Lanka” by CEJ and Green Movement, Sri Lanka; “Physical verification, environmental and health impacts of a DDT Factory” by SDPI, Pakistan; “Campaign and Awareness Building on POPs’ by DISHA, India; and “Egg Sampling for by-product POPs” by Toxics Link India.
A few activity plans in the pipeline are: “Identification and physical verification of hotspots of POPs pesticides in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan” and “Awareness raising workshop for farmers in extensively pesticides use districts” both by SDPI Pakistan; “POPs contamination in river and ground water of Bhaktpur Agricultural Production area” by CEPHED Nepal; and “Country Situation on POPs in India’ and “Policy Brief Approaches to effective malaria vector control that avoid DDT” both by Toxics Link.
Southeast Asia
SEAPEN (Philippines)
Romy Quijano
Pesticide Acton Network Philippines (PAN Phils.) has submitted four PAMs so far to the IPEP global coordinator, which have already been approved and forwarded to UNIDO. The PAMs were from the following NGOs: Fisherfolk Against Toxics (FAT), PAN Asia Pacific (Malaysia), Field Indonesia, and PAN Philippines. PAN Philippines is continuing its outreach work to other organizations in the region to have them participate in IPEP. Contacts have been made with CEDAC in Cambodia and ISAC in Thailand. IPEP was also introduced and explained through small meetings with contacts within the PAN Asia Pacific network and other networks involved in pesticides, environmental, and sustainable agriculture issues, including several organizations in Mindanao, Philippines, which are involved in campaigns to protect the watershed. They expressed interest in participating in IPEP activities and are being encouraged to come up with project ideas and submit PAMs. PAN Philippines continues to be active in the process of preparing the Philippine National Implementation Plan (NIP) on the Stockholm Convention. Last January 19-20, 2005, PAN Philippines participated in the Action Planning Workshop for the development of the NIP, where action plans were drawn up in order to meet identified goals and objectives set for POPs Pesticides, PCBs, Dioxins and Furans, and Contaminated Sites. A combined team of 17 persons from the Cavite Green Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Health Care Without Harm and the volunteer students and faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences of De La Salle University-Dasmarinas took part in the global egg sampling project, collecting eggs on 24 January 2005 from free range chickens in a community impacted by an incinerator for health care waste. Environmental groups are concerned about the facility, which emits toxic fumes in violation of the Philippine Clean Air Act. The project activity memorandum for IPEP projects in Malaysia (with the Consumers’ Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia) and Thailand (with the Campaign for Alternative Industry Network and Greenpeace Southeast Asia) are still being prepared by the local groups.
WEBSITE
Bio-Region Computer Mapping & Research is currently constructing the mapping portion of the site and preparing for a launch of the site in March.
FUNDING
The Canada POPs fund has granted $250,000 USD for IPEP funding through UNEP Chemicals. IPEP needs $100,000 new cash co-finance to achieve full funding. Proposals to foundations and governments are in progress to close this gap.
January 2005:
IPEP January 2005 Update
Joseph DiGangi, Environmental Health Fund
IPEP is currently conducting 71 projects in 32 countries. The countries and project titles are listed below.
More detailed reports of work in the regions will resume in February.
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Benin
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Czech Republic
Congo
Egypt
Indonesia
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kyrgystan
Mexico
Malaysia
Moldova
Nepal
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Romania
Russia
Senegal
Slovakia
Tanzania
Togo
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
Version: 2.0 (June 1, 2006)
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