a consolidated guide to the chemical codes & conventions

MANUAL
INTERNATIONAL TOOLS
FOR PREVENTING LOCAL
PESTICIDE PROBLEMS:
A CONSOLIDATED GUIDE TO THE
CHEMICAL CODES & CONVENTIONS
E d i t e d b y G r e t t a G o l d e n m a n a n d E s t h e r P o z o Ve r a
E u r o p e a n C e n t r e o n S u s t a i n a b l e P o l i c i e s f o r H u m a n a n d E n v i r o n m e n t a l R i g h t s

International Tools for Preventing Local Pesticide Problems:
A Consolidated Guide to the Chemical Codes & Conventions
ABBREVIATIONS USED
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1. Introduction 1
1.1. WHY A CONSOLIDATED GUIDE? 1
1.2. WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR? 3
1.3. WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT IN THIS GUIDE 4
2. How to Use the Guide 7
2.1. SUGGESTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 7
2.2. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PESTICIDE INDUSTRY, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL USERS 8
2.3. SUGGESTIONS FOR FARMERS & AGRICULTURAL WORKERS 8
2.4. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY 9
2.5. SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING 9
ENVIRONMENTAL NGOS
2.6. SUGGESTIONS FOR JOURNALISTS 10
3. An Overview of the Codes & Conventions Covered in this Guide 11
3.1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS AGREEMENTS 11
3.2. THE VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS 13
3.2.1. International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides 15
3.2.2. WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme 16
3.2.3. The Globally Harmonised System for Classification & Labelling (GHS) 16
3.2.4. UN Recommendations on Transport of Dangerous Goods 17
3.2.5. Codex Alimentarius & the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues 18
3.2.6. Agenda 21, Chapter 19 19
3.2.7. Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) 20
3.2.8. Global Mercury Partnership 21
3.3. THE BINDING AGREEMENTS 23
3.3.1. The Rotterdam (PIC) Convention 23
3.3.2. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 24
3.3.3. The Montreal Protocol on Ozone-Depleting Substances 25
3.3.4. The Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes 26
3.3.5. The ILO conventions on protection of workers using chemicals 27
3.3.6. The International Plant Protection Convention 28
3.3.7. The conventions on protection of biodiversity 29
3.4. THE REGIONAL AGREEMENTS 30
3.4.1. Comité Sahélien des Pesticides (CSP) 30
3.4.2. The regional agreements on movements of hazardous waste 30
3.4.3. The REACH Regulation & the EU regulatory framework for pesticides 31

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4. Implementing the Codes & Conventions to Prevent Pesticide Problems 33
4.1. WHAT IS IMPLEMENTATION? 34
4.2. CROSS-CUTTING ELEMENTS FOR BASIC CHEMICALS & PESTICIDES REGULATION 36
4.2.1. Assessment & classification of chemicals, including pesticides 37
4.2.2. Hazard communication (symbols, labelling, safety data sheets) 40
4.2.3. Authorisation & de-authorisation (bans) 44
4.2.4. Data collection & management, including registries 46
4.2.5. Regulatory structures for protection of human health from chemical impacts 48
4.2.6. Regulatory structures for protection of the environment from chemical impacts 49
4.2.7. Good governance in the context of chemicals regulation 50
4.2.8. International information exchange & coordination of national reporting 54
4.3. CONTROLS DURING THE PESTICIDE ‘LIFE CYCLE’ 56
4.3.1. Manufacturing/formulation 56
4.3.2. Crossborder trade 61
4.3.3. Distribution & marketing within the territory 64
4.3.4. Controls during use 70
4.3.5. Protecting farmers and agriculture 70
4.3.6. Disposal of waste 77
4.3.7. Inspection and enforcement 80
5. Phasing in the Chemicals Codes & Conventions 83
5.1. STEP-WISE APPROACH FOR PHASING IN THE CHEMICALS 83
CODES & CONVENTIONS
5.1.1. Phase 1: Defining the country situation 83
5.1.2. Phase 2: Plan for implementing the international obligations 86
5.1.3. Phase 3: Implementation 87
5.2. HORIZONTAL CUTTING ISSUES 88
5.2.1. Stakeholder consultation & participation. 88
5.2.2. Awareness raising 88
5.2.3. Monitoring & evaluation (feedback mechanism) 89
6. Where to Get Assistance for National Efforts 91
6.1. INTERNATIONAL SOURCES 91
6.1.1. Global Environment Facility 91
6.1.2. SAICM Quick Start 92
6.1.3. UNITAR 93
6.1.4. FAO 94
6.1.5. World Bank. 94
6.1.6. European Union 95
6.2. BILATERAL DONORS 95
6.2.1. Sweden 96
6.2.2. Denmark 97
6.2.3. USA 97
6.2.4. Japan/OTHER 97
6.3. OTHER
6.3.1. PAN International 98
6.3.2. Private foundations 98
6.3.3. International charities 98

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Annex I: Checklists for Implementation 99
1. STATUS OF THE MAIN CHEMICALS CONVENTIONS 99
& OTHER RELEVANT INSTRUMENTS
2. LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE CHEMICALS CONVENTIONS & CODES 100
3. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES 107
4. TECHNICAL CAPACITY OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS 112
Annex II: Source Guide 115

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ABBREVIATIONS USED
ADN
European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland
Waterways
ADR
European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
ASP
African Stockpiles Programme
BAN
Basel Action Network
BAT
Best available techniques
BEP
Best environmental practices
C170
Convention on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work (ILO)
C184
Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture (ILO)
CAC
Codex Alimentarius Commission
CBD
Convention on Biological Diversity
CCPR
Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
CG/HCCS Coordinating Group for the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems
CILSS
Comité Inter-Etate pour la Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel (Permanent Inter-State Committee
for Drought Control in the Sahel)
CPM
Committee on Phytosanitary Measures
CWC
Chemical Weapons Convention
CXL
Codex maximum residue limit
DDT
Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane
DGD
Decision guidance document (under the Rotterdam Convention)
DNA
Designated national authority
ECHA
European Chemicals Agency
ELV
Emission limit value
EQS
Environmental quality standard
EU
European Union
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
GAP
Good agricultural practice
GEF
Global Environment Facility
GHS
Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
GMO
Genetically modified organism
ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
ICCM International Conference on Chemicals Management (Dubai, 2006)
ICM
Integrated crop management
IFCS
Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety
IHPA
International HCH and Pesticides Association
ILO
International Labour Organization
IMDG
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code

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IMO
International Maritime Organization
INFOCAP Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound Management of Chemicals
IOMC
International Organisation for the Management of Chemicals
IPCS
International Programme on Chemical Safety
IPEN
International POPs Elimination Network
IPM
Integrated pest management
IPPC
International Plant Protection Convention
ISPM
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures
JMPR
Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues
KEMI
Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate
MRL
Maximum residue level
NGO
Non-governmental organisation
ODS
Ozone depleting substances
OECD
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OP
Obsolete pesticide
OSPAR Oslo-Paris Commission for Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
OTIF
Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail
PAN
Pesticides Action Network
PCBs/PCTs Polychlorinated biphenyls/polychlorinated terphenyls
PIC
Prior Informed Consent (focus of the Rotterdam Convention)
POPs
Persistent Organic Pollutants (focus of the Stockholm Convention)
PRTR
Pollutant release and transfer register
REACH
Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals (EU)
RID
Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail
SAICM
Strategic Approach to Integrated Chemicals Management
SDS
Safety data sheet
SME
Small or medium sized enterprise
SPS Agreement Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
UN
United Nations
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
UNECE
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme
UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNSCETDG UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
WCO
World Customs Organization
WHO
World Health Organization
WHOPES WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (for public health use)
WTO
World Trade Organization

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This guide has been written as part of the project entitled “Pesticides and Poverty: Implementing the Chemical
Conventions for safe and just development”, financed by the European Union and carried out by the Pesticide Action
Network (PAN) UK, PAN-Africa and PAN Asia-Pacific. The purpose of the project is to assist developing countries
to use the opportunity of new international initiatives on chemicals to integrate an environmental dimension into their
development priorities, promote sustainable livelihoods, and tackle extensive and increasing problems caused by
pesticides.
Many individuals and organisations contributed to the development and polishing of this guide, and we are grateful
to each and every one of them. At the top of the list is PAN-UK and its former Executive Director, Barbara Dinham,
for asking us to take on the task of drafting this guide. We are also grateful to Eloise Touni and Sheila Willis, our
desk officers at PAN UK, for their astounding patience with us during the long process of bringing the guide to
completion.
A very special thank you goes to Abou Thiam and Henry René Diouf, Regional Coordinator and Program Officer
of PAN Africa, respectively, for many inputs into the guide. We are very grateful to the Tanzanian NGO, AGENDA
and offer thanks to Prof. Jamidu Katima (Executive Chairman AGENDA) for his comments and to Bashiru Abdul
Hassani for organising two workshops where the draft guide was reviewed and discussed. The first workshop in
August 2005 provided direction for the outline of the guide, while the second in August 2007 provided comments
on the draft itself. PAN Africa’s office in Dakar, Senegal organised a third workshop in October 2007 which also
provided extensive and important input. We greatly appreciated the thoroughness and depth of the comments by
all workshop participants, and we have done our best to integrate all of their contributions into the text of the guide.
We also note the very useful comments from participants in the FAO workshop on the pesticide lifecycle which took
place in Durban, South Africa in June 2007.
We wish to extend our sincere appreciation also to our two excellent peer reviewers, Catherine Ganzleben and
Monica Moore. Their comments were both generous and tough, and the guide has profited enormously from their
insights and suggestions.
The team at Milieu Ltd’s Brussels office – our professional base – has also been amazingly supportive. We could not
have finished the guide without the research and other contributions of Madalina Caprusu, Charlotte Necking, Sophie
Vancauwenbergh, Nathy Rass-Masson, Valerie Votrin, Tony Zamparutti, Maria Domenica Cugnidoro, and Allison Herr.
Finally, our thanks go to our fellow members of ECOSPHERE (European Centre on Sustainable Policies on Human
and Environmental Rights) in Brussels for backing us up during this process. In particular, we would like to
acknowledge the steady support of Catherine Wattiez, whose own work to strengthen policies on pesticides
management has been a constant inspiration to us, as well as the intellectual contributions to pesticide regulation of
Marc Pallemaerts over the years.
Throughout our work on this guide, we have continuously marvelled at the dynamic and rapidly evolving field of
international pesticides management, and the impossibility of covering all of the issues that deserve attention.
Nonetheless, we hope that readers of the guide will find it a resource of value in their own efforts to improve pesticides
management, and we welcome any feedback and suggestions for improving subsequent editions of the guide.
Gretta Goldenman and Esther Pozo Vera
Brussels, February 2008

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INTRODUCTION
01
This guide aims to be a concise overview of the landscape of international chemicals legislation. It is intended to
serve as a practical guide for governments that are still building capacity to manage pesticides and other chemicals
safely, and for concerned citizens who wish to support these efforts out of concern for the impacts of various chemicals
on human health and the environment.
The guide aims to provide the average official and/or layperson with an operational idea of what needs to be in
place on national, regional and local level in order to implement the international obligations in the chemicals
conventions. It focuses on those codes and conventions set in place to address problems related to pesticides and
other chemicals used in daily life.
The concept of the “pesticide life-cycle” is one of the main organising principles of the guide. The “pesticide lifecycle”
begins at the point of manufacture of the active pesticidal substance and continues with its formulation into a
product and the promotion, distribution and sale of that product. The product is then stored and used, and at the
end of the life cycle any emptied containers and unwanted products must be disposed. The guide shows how the
international obligations are linked to key points in the “pesticide life-cycle” and describes what needs to be in place
in terms of legislation, technical infrastructure and human capacity in order to implement the obligations in practice.
1.1. WHY A CONSOLIDATED GUIDE?
The last two decades have witnessed a proliferation of international agreements related to the management of
chemicals. Some are aimed at addressing specific problems arising from the international trade of pesticides and
hazardous wastes, such as differences in levels of protection among countries or obstacles to trade for chemicalrelated
products. Other international agreements deal with worker safety issues or with dangerous goods being
transported by road, rail, air or ship. And then there are the agreements aimed at dealing with transboundary
impacts from chemicals released into the environment.
Some of these international agreements are binding on the countries that have agreed to be Parties to them. Others
are voluntary in nature, intended as guidance for governments, industry, civil society and other key stakeholders.
Some are global in scope while others were developed for specific regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa or Europe.
Chemical pesticides occupy a particularly important place in the international chemicals management regime
because they are toxic to living organisms, but intentionally dispersed in the environment in large amounts. Designed
specifically to kill life forms considered to be “pests”, they can have unintended negative impacts on benign and even
useful organisms, and can be extremely harmful to human health. Approximately 1000 active pesticidal ingredients
are marketed in tens of thousands of combinations (formulations). Measures to prevent unwanted impacts from these
chemicals are therefore essential.
In developing countries, where resources for enforcement are limited or non-existent and the conditions of use are
inappropriate or contraindicated, adverse effects on the environment and health from chemical pesticides are
magnified. Although almost all governments have adopted policies to control pesticide problems, implementation
is limited. Among the 1.2 billion of the world’s poorest people, 75% live and work in rural areas, and an increasing
proportion use pesticides without safeguards against their effects on the environment, biodiversity or their own health.

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Most of these pesticide users lack information and training, and are ill-equipped to avoid hazards. They often use
older products because they are cheaper, but these are also frequently more hazardous and more likely to be the
subject of international concern. Empty containers or residual liquids from spraying are frequently thrown into
watercourses or buried. Monitoring of soil, water or food residues is absent or limited. For all these reasons, those
living near and working with pesticides in poor rural areas of the world are at greatest risk from the health effects of
these chemicals.
The international chemicals conventions establish a number of obligations that are binding on those countries that
are Parties. In addition, there are the voluntary agreements, such as SAICM (Strategic Approach to International
Chemicals Management), currently being developed under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). 1 Among these,
the Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides 2 (“Code of Conduct”), remains the most comprehensive
international voluntary instrument aimed at curbing risks to human health and the environment from pesticides.
Because the various international agreements are focused on different aspects of chemicals management,
responsibility for implementation at national level is usually divided among a range of authorities. This has led to a
fragmentation of chemicals management in many countries. Agricultural ministries looking for measures to protect
crops from pests may not be aware of the health problems linked to certain chemicals that have been reported to
national health authorities. Environmental officials concerned about threats to biodiversity from pollution may have
little information about the chemicals in use by local industry and agriculture. Moreover, global efforts to prevent
unwanted impacts from chemicals must continually take on additional challenges in response to new scientific
information and changing socio-economic conditions.
The patchwork of international agreements may create particular problems for developing countries. Whereas most
countries have some form of pesticide registration system in place, many developing countries lack effective regulatory
and administrative systems for basic chemicals management. Many countries do not have the national coordinating
mechanisms or safety standards to adequately protect health and the environment, let alone sufficient resources to
address such problems as stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.
Where resources for governance are scarce, governments must prioritise which international obligations to implement
and where to allocate scarce resources. This makes it especially important to have an overview of the different
international agreements and how they link together to support the safe management of pesticides and other
chemicals.
Governments can achieve efficiencies if they take account of the significant synergies that exist across the various
international agreements. Governments that integrate the obligations of the chemicals codes and conventions into
an overall chemicals regulatory framework can achieve gains in the effectiveness of their national chemicals
management system, with concurrent benefits for national public health and environmental quality. For example, it
can be efficient to set in place administrative structures that serve more than one purpose – basic systems such as
databases of chemicals produced/used/imported/exported in the country can help meet requirements under several
international agreements at the same time.
This guide reviews the various codes and conventions set in place to address problems related to pesticides and other
chemicals. It is not intended to replace the detailed guides developed at international level which focus on specific
chemicals conventions, and it recognises the current efforts underway through the secretariats of the chemicals
conventions to identify synergies, 3 particularly with respect to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants, 4 the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC) for Certain Hazardous Chemicals
and Pesticides in International Trade 5 and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. 6 However, many of the resulting guidance documents still lack an overall view
of integrated chemicals management 7 and the role of the international instruments in an effective pesticides control
system.
This guide is intended as a contribution toward such an overview. Though it focuses on pesticides management, it
can also be used to gain understanding of the key elements for a general regulatory framework for chemicals
management (see Section 4.2), an important element of adequate pesticides management.
1
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/.
2
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4544E/Y4544E00.HTM.

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1.2. WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?
This guide is for anyone with an interest in more effective management of chemicals, including pesticides. This would
include government decision makers involved in making policy choices related to chemicals, with a specific
focus on pesticides. The guide provides an overview of the international obligations and the measures needed to
implement them at national level, so that decision makers will have a better understanding of the need for certain
legislative frameworks and administrative structures. By enabling decision makers to identify those structures that
represent the building blocks of chemicals management at the national level, it can support the implementation of
more than one agreement. It is hoped that this improved understanding will allow for more coherent and effective
implementation and more targeted use of limited resources.
01
The guide is also aimed at the line officials in the competent authorities (including designated national
authorities and focal points) who are assigned responsibility for carrying out the various international
obligations related to pesticides. It is important for these people to have a broad view of how their responsibilities
and functions fit into an overall system of chemical management, so that they can coordinate with their counterparts
in other ministries to identify and address any gaps in legislation and implementation.
At the regional and local levels, this guide is also addressed to the government officials responsible for dayto-day
implementation of the pesticides management regulations. These include the labour and phytosanitary
inspectors, as well as the customs officials responsible for controlling cross-border traffic. Often these officials are
also users of chemicals, such as public health workers involved in vector control and public works staff who use
pesticides in their maintenance work. Researchers involved in increasing human knowledge concerning ways to
increase agricultural productivity and at identifying unwanted impacts from chemicals can also benefit from having
an overview of the international framework.
Other potential audiences for this guide include those who work in the pesticide industry. Industry is a key
stakeholder in achieving sustainable chemicals management and many of the international obligations are addressed
directly to this broad sector. Manufacturers, importers, and formulators of pesticides need to be particularly familiar
with the provisions of the chemicals codes and conventions and how to implement these international commitments
in practice. Distributors and retailers also have very important responsibilities during the life cycle of pesticides and
other chemicals. Ideally, this will lead to more responsible commercial practices, e.g., compliance with the standards
set forth in the Code of Conduct, particularly by those involved in the promotion and sale of pesticides. Indeed, there
is a need for solid public private partnerships at local, national, regional and international level, in order to reduce
risks from the manufacture and use of chemicals.
Especially important are the persons who train people working with and applying pesticides – whether
pesticide industry workers, farmers, or other pesticide applicators. Many of the international obligations and
standards are aimed at protecting the health of those who may come into contact with pesticides and other chemicals
through their work. The international conventions ensure access to information, e.g., on the risks associated with
specific chemicals and necessary precautions to take (including protective equipment) to ensure workers health and
safety. But in many cases, this access is not implemented. Trade union representatives can inform workers of their
right of access to information on how to protect themselves and pass this demand up the value chain to pesticide
producers.
3
The Ad Hoc Working Group http://ahjwg.chem.unep.ch/ website provides information on enhanced cooperation and coordination between the Basel,
Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions.
4
www.pops.int/.
5
www.pic.int/.
6
http://www.basel.int/.
7
The first international initiative that considers chemicals from an overarching perspective is the Strategic Approach to Integrated Chemicals Management
(SAICM). However, as previously mentioned the SAICM is still under development.

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Similarly, workers representatives and trainers (e.g., NGOs, chemical industry trainers, agricultural extension services
working with communities and small farmers, veterinary workers) may use this guide to help farmers and others
affected by pesticides to understand why certain pesticides have become a global concern because of their
persistence and ability to bio-accumulate in the environment, or because of the severe risks they may pose to human
health. This in turn will allow farmers to make more informed choices to protect themselves and others, including
measures to reduce their dependency on chemical means of pest control.
Finally, the guide is aimed at civic society – especially at the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in
protection of human health and the environment and at the public at large. NGOs often have access to communities
at the grass roots level and as such may have knowledge of practical problems before such problems come to
national or international attention. They can undertake initiatives with local communities independently from
government, as well as in partnership with the private sector and local governments. Awareness of the obligations
in the international chemicals conventions will enable NGOs and other concerned citizens to work more effectively
with their governments to set in place the regulatory systems and other measures needed to prevent unintended
negative impacts from pesticides and other chemicals.
1.3. WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT IN THIS GUIDE
This guide starts with a few suggestions concerning how various stakeholders may find this guide useful (Section 2).
It then provides an overview of the key international chemicals agreements (Section 3), including web links to more
detailed information.
The heart of the guide is Section 4 on implementation of the conventions and codes. It uses the concept of the pesticide
‘life cycle’ to show how the various international obligations fit together into an overall governance scheme for
chemicals management, including management of pesticides. It provides tips for government in how to achieve
chemicals management goals through legislative and practical actions. It also identifies opportunities for NGOs to
be active in pushing for more effective pesticides management.
Section 5 discusses how to plan and carry out a comprehensive programme to implement the international obligations
at national, regional and local levels and emphasises the importance of stakeholder consultation and participation.
This is followed in Section 6 by a review of some of the financial and other resources available to support governments
and other stakeholders in developing countries in their efforts to make their chemical governance systems more
effective.
Annex I provides a series of checklists that are intended to be used to assess the status of a country’s regulatory
systems, administrative structures and technical capacity for effective management of pesticides and other chemicals.
These can be useful in the process of assessing the national situation or during follow-up monitoring and evaluation.
Finally, Annex II is a guide to the many other resources on implementing the chemicals conventions and codes. It
provides internet links where those are available. Although the guide forms a unity, sections can be read separately
if there is a need for particular information.

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It is also important to note what is not in this guide. In order to keep the focus of the guide on the international
chemicals codes and conventions, a number of very important pesticides-related topics of international interest were
not able to be addressed. For example, the guide does not consider the Chemical Weapons Convention. 8 Other
significant issues not covered in this guide but which form important context for the international chemicals agreements
include:
01
• The links between poverty and pesticides, e.g., since the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs typically go to the
poor, who cannot afford safety equipment or to complain about working conditions, it is the poor who suffer
the most serious negative health impacts from direct or indirect exposure to dangerous chemicals.
• The link between the pesticides industry and the global promotion of certain genetically modified (but
pesticide-dependent) organisms, which is contributing to an increase in the use of pesticides around the
world;
• The many alternatives to chemical pest control methods and the growing evidence that small organic farms
are at least as productive as conventional farms;
• The issue of food security versus food sovereignty; 9
Though it has not been possible to give these issues the attention each of them deserves, the guide does provide
internet links to some of the more important sources of information about these issues in the Annex II Source Guide.
8
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.
Text at:http://www.opcw.org/html/db/cwc/eng/cwc_frameset.html.
9
The concept of food security is seen as focusing on the technical aspects of how to provide adequate nutrition to hungry people; it has been criticized
for emphasising production of food and distribution of surplus, thereby undermining local food production. The term food sovereignty puts those who
produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies. It holds that, in order to protect livelihoods, jobs, people's health and the
environment, food has to remain in the hands of small scale sustainable farmers and cannot be left under the control of large agribusiness companies or
supermarket chains. See the 2007 Declaration of Nyéléni on food sovereignty, available at http://www.nyeleni2007.org/spip.php?article290).

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HOW TO USE THE GUIDE
02
This section looks more closely at the different types of audiences identified in the previous section and how they might
use this guide. For example, the needs of a government official with policy responsibilities are likely to differ from
those of a lay person who is looking for a reference guide, in order to assess the actual situation in his or her
community against those standards.
The subsections below give some suggestions for how different types of audiences might find the guide useful. They
identify which sections might be most relevant and where a particular reader might find targeted suggestions as to
how they might profit from this guide.
2.1. SUGGESTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Government officials at national level can use this guide in a number of ways:
• To get an overview of the international chemicals conventions and codes and their roles in an overall
regulatory scheme for management of pesticides and other chemicals;
• To identify synergies in the different ways that pesticides affect society and to better inform the development
of national or local chemical management strategies and coordination structures;
• To gain a deeper understanding of the other government authorities and bodies involved in chemicals and
pesticides management who may have relevant responsibilities and hold important information. This can
be particularly useful when it comes time to assemble information for reporting to a Convention secretariat.
• To identify other stakeholders in chemicals management at the national level such as NGOs and industry that
may work in partnership with government to management chemicals more effectively;
• To carry out assessments of the status of the national regulatory scheme for integrated chemicals
management;
• To carry out assessments of the status of the administrative structures in place for implementing the
international obligations;
• To consider whether additional measures for pesticides management are needed, e.g., tracking and
recording of pesticide-related complaints received from stakeholders to determine whether there is a problem
requiring a regulatory intervention;
• As a basis for developing national policies and guidance related to the management of pesticides and other
chemicals.
Government officials at local and regional level have critical roles to play in pesticides management. This guide may
encourage them to look for synergies with other local authorities and agencies (e.g., agricultural extension offices,
poison control centres, environmental regional offices carrying out soil and water monitoring) and to ensure
communication and information sharing. Since local and regional officials have direct responsibility for implementing,
monitoring and enforcing regulatory requirements, they might find the checklists on technical capacity particularly
useful.

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2.2. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PESTICIDE INDUSTRY, INCLUDING
COMMERCIAL USERS
Since first adopted in 1985, the Code of Conduct has been an important yardstick for the policies and practices
followed by members of the pesticide industry. But many industry representatives limit their focus to their specific areas
of business, whether manufacturing and formulation, distribution or sales, or commercial application, thus overlooking
potential synergies and opportunities beyond these particular aspects.
This guide aims to give members of the pesticide industry an overview of the issues related to health and environment
during the various phases of the pesticide life cycle, and the international agreements that have been developed to
address those problems. It places the Code of Conduct in the context of the other chemicals conventions, as well as
the basic elements of a sound regulatory scheme for management of pesticides and other chemicals. Industry
representatives may find the guide useful in the following ways:
• To gain insight into how the obligations set forth in the Code of Conduct interrelate with those in the various
international conventions dealing with chemicals management;
• As a point of reference for internationally accepted best practices at the various stages in the pesticide life cycle;
• To sensitise actors at all levels in the pesticide industry concerning their responsibilities to ensure safe chemicals
management practices, particularly in developing countries;
• To highlight the importance of and responsibility for transferring information on the safe transport, use and
disposal of chemical substances right down the value chain to end users, including provision of adequate
training tailored to specific use conditions;
• To support more responsible product development, marketing policies and distribution systems that take account
of the particular needs and vulnerabilities of grassroots users in the developing world;
• To help identify areas where the expertise of the pesticide industry may be needed to support national and local
stakeholders to tackle identified problems;
• To identify areas where industry can undertake projects to improve chemicals management at the international,
national and local level, either in isolation or in partnership with governments and NGOs.
It is important to keep in mind that the pesticide industry comprises many actors, from the large multinational corporations
who manufacture and market active ingredients and formulations, to the local distributors and dealers that supply
agricultural chemicals to the end users, the pesticide application companies, and so on.
2.3. SUGGESTIONS FOR FARMERS & AGRICULTURAL WORKERS
Farmers have to make decisions about how to control pests that may be threatening their crops. Knowledge about the
international chemicals conventions will help them to have a better understanding of their responsibility to make careful
pest control choices for long-term health protection and agricultural sustainability. The guide provides links to sources
of information related to implementation of the codes and conventions, many of which offer insights into alternative
sustainable and organic pest control methods.
Agricultural extension officers and pest control advisors have a special responsibility to be aware of and integrate the
international guidance that has evolved to protect people and the environment from adverse impacts from chemicals.
It is critical that they pass this information on to the farmers who rely on their guidance.
Agricultural workers can use the guide to get an overview of the role of basic health and safety at work requirements
in a chemicals management scheme. The guide will also help them to gain a deeper understanding of their right to
know about the risks associated with the use of pesticides and other chemicals, and to control those risks when handling
chemicals in the course of their work. The guide can also be used by trade unions to identify possible partners amongst
NGOs and government to improve health and safety in agricultural production.

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2.4. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY
The public health community is on the front line of those involved in protecting human health from adverse impacts
from chemical exposure. Pesticide-related poisonings and illnesses are a major, if still under recognised public health
crisis in many poor countries and these international agreements may provide much needed information tools and
resources on addressing this crisis.
Doctors and other health workers may find this guide useful in providing an overview of the pesticides life cycle and
the various points during that cycle where human exposure may occur – e.g., the risks to workers during
manufacturing, processing, transport or application, and the risks to consumers from residues on food or in water.
This may be helpful in identifying instances where adverse impacts on health are a result of chemical exposure, and
where interventions may be needed to prevent further problems.
02
Health workers at poison centres can use the guide to identify where information in their possession should be shared
with decision makers. For example, sharing information on poison incidences with other government actors involved
in chemicals management can be invaluable for signalling when regulatory or other action may be needed, including
at international levels. The Rotterdam Convention’s procedure for listing a severely hazardous pesticide formulation
under certain conditions of use may be noted here. 10
The guide can also be used as a resource in efforts to educate the public about risks related to chemicals and the
importance of safety measures, such as those aimed at protection of children (child-resistant caps, locked storage)
and workers (personal protection equipment requirements). The Code of Conduct and the related guidance documents
available from the FAO and the WHO provide more detailed information, for the interested health worker.
For public health workers involved in control of vector-borne diseases, it is hoped that this guide will raise awareness
concerning the reasons behind the international effort to eliminate DDT and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
and to replace other categories of highly toxic pesticides used in vector control (e.g., organophosphates) with effective
alternative disease prevention and control strategies.
2.5. SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING
ENVIRONMENTAL NGOS
This guide can be used by local communities and individual citizens to gain an overview of the many international
efforts to address unwanted impacts from chemicals, including pesticides. It may be empowering for citizens to
learn that they are not alone in their efforts to reduce unwanted impacts from hazardous chemicals, and to gain
strength and support from connecting with those who share their goals.
Moreover, a better understanding of international standards related to chemicals management and pesticides control
can help local citizens understand where accountability should lie for the problems they have identified. In particular,
the checklists set forth in Annex I may be used to assess if the national regulatory system and its implementation at
regional and local levels is adequate and, if not, how it might be improved.
In addition, community groups may use the guide as a resource for developing information sheets and other guidance
documents for their members and the general public, in order to promote awareness and to inform them of their rights
as citizens to have access to information and to be involved in decisions that affect their health and their environment.
Finally, NGOs may find the guide useful for identifying possibilities for community level projects and for identifying
strategic partners in government and industry.
10
Art. 6 of the Rotterdam Convention.

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2.6. SUGGESTIONS FOR JOURNALISTS
Journalists can use this overview of the international chemicals agreements in their investigative reporting. The
descriptions of the international obligations can serve as a type of measuring stick for comparing the actual situation
in the field.
For example, the guide may help journalists to identify practices that are illegal according to the international
conventions and the national implementing legislation. In particular, an understanding of the provisions of the Code
of Conduct is essential in identifying violations in the marketing and use of pesticides– violations which unfortunately
remain common in many developing countries today. The impacts on human health and the environment that may
result from such violations can form the basis for important stories, increase pressure for proper implementation and
build public awareness and greater accountability of officials.
Importantly, the guide can also suggest areas where positive stories of success and transformation have occurred,
which can inspire and motivate those struggling to make improvements in other areas.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CODES & CONVENTIONS
COVERED IN THIS GUIDE
03
This section provides a brief history of the major international agreements and mechanisms on chemicals
management, including pesticides, and then gives brief descriptions of each. 11 In addition to the agreements
concluded within the framework of the UN, it also describes key regional agreements, such as the Bamako
Convention covering shipments of hazardous waste as well as recent developments in chemicals legislation within
the European Union. The descriptions provide links to each agreement’s website, where more information can be
found.
Some of these international agreements and mechanisms are voluntary in nature, addressed to the various
stakeholders such as governments or industry that should take the measures recommended therein. This is the case
with the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, the main international instrument
covering all aspects of pesticide management during the pesticides life-cycle.
Other international agreements are considered binding on those countries that are Parties, i.e., which have ratified
or acceded to the agreements. The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is an example of an agreement that is binding. Each
agreement’s website lists the countries that are Parties and have therefore made formal commitments to implement
the obligations set forth in that agreement.
3.1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS AGREEMENTS
The development of international instruments to control impacts from man-made chemicals has a long history that
precedes the emergence of the global environmental movement in the early 1970s. Pesticides occupied a central
role within these early initiatives, in large part because of their nature (they are intended to cause harm to living
organisms and are produced to be deliberately released into the environment). Furthermore, in the past 100 years,
pesticides have come to be used widely in agriculture and many other economic and military activities around the
world.
The first international conventions dealing with chemicals were adopted within the framework of international
humanitarian law, such as the 1868 Saint Petersburg Declaration to prevent the use of incendiary substances in
warfare. Another milestone was the creation of the International Labour Organisation in 1929 (ILO), 12 which led
to a number of instruments aimed at protecting workers exposed to chemicals during specific occupational activities,
e.g., white lead used in paints.
Efforts to control problems with pesticides and other chemicals were initially adopted at national level based on
consumer and health-related concerns. 13 However, as the groundbreaking 1962 book Silent Spring 14 made clear,
pesticides also have enormous environmental impacts, including transboundary impacts requiring international
action. Worth noting here is the effort of the UN Economic Commission for Europe 15 to develop the UN
Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, 16 first published in 1956.
In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 17 held in Stockholm called for
international cooperation in the regulation of discharges of toxic chemicals and the identification of “pollutants of
11
Note that the guide does not cover the 1992 Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of ChemicalWeapons
and on their Destruction.
12
http://www.ilo.org/.
13
For example, US pesticide-related regulations adopted in the early 1900s set certain product standards in order to ensure product efficacy and prevent
consumer fraud.
14
Carson, Rachel, Silent Spring, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962), Mariner Books, 2002.
15
http://www.unece.org/.
16
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/12_e.html.

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An overview of the codes & conventions covered in this guide
international significance.” 18 The Stockholm Conference inaugurated a period of concerted international
environmental action. The 1970s and 1980s saw the adoption of a number of conventions and initiatives regarding
chemicals in general and pesticides in particular, both at international and regional levels.
Among these was the effort of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 19 to develop a voluntary code of
conduct as guidance for the global pesticide industry and the national governments charged with controlling pesticiderelated
risks. The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides 20 was approved in 1985
and, after revision to take account of new developments, remains the most important agreement with respect to
pesticides management.
The growth in world trade in chemicals during the 1960s and 1970s led to the adoption of the London Guidelines
for the Exchange of Information on Chemicals in International Trade 21 by the UNEP Governing Council in 1987. The
London Guidelines include provisions aimed at making existing information about hazardous chemicals more freely
available, thus permitting competent authorities in countries to assess the environmental and health hazards associated
with use of chemicals in their own country. In 1989, both the London Guidelines and the Code of Conduct were
amended to include the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure to help countries make informed decisions on the
import of chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted.
In 1985 the Vienna Convention regarding Ozone Depleting Substances 22 was adopted, followed in 1987 by the
Montreal Protocol. 23 In 1989 the Basel Convention regarding shipments of hazardous waste was adopted and in
1990 the ILO adopted its C170 Convention concerning safety in the use of chemicals at work. 24 These instruments,
each of which is discussed later in this chapter, tended to focus on specific substances (e.g., ozone-depleting
substances) or to be media-oriented, regulating discharges into water, air or soil (e.g., the International Maritime
Organisation conventions).
The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 25 in Rio de Janeiro, twenty
years after Stockholm, was the occasion for adopting a more general approach to chemicals management. The Rio
Summit led to the adoption of a range of principles aiming at ensuring a sustainable development. Among these and
particularly relevant to the pesticides debate is the precautionary principle: “Where there are threats of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures
to prevent environmental degradation.” 26 Governments agreed at Rio to widely apply the precautionary approach,
according to their capabilities, in order to protect the environment. The Rio Summit also adopted a programme for
implementation known as Agenda 21. 27 Chapter 14 of Agenda 21 is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and rural
development and Chapter 19 to chemicals.
The Rio Summit was followed by a revamp of international action regarding chemicals and the creation of
international fora and bodies focusing on chemicals management. The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety
(IFCS) 28 and the International Organisation for the Management of Chemicals (IOMC) 29 were established to
coordinate and advance efforts towards the sound management of chemicals. The IFCS is a multi-stakeholder structure
bringing together national governments, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs, including from the private
sector, while the IOMC coordinates the work of seven participating UN organisations. Regarding pesticides in
particular, the long-awaited Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) 30 was negotiated and adopted
in 1998 and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 31 was agreed in 2001. Both entered
into force in 2004.
The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development 32 held in Johannesburg ten years after Rio, reviewed
the progress made in implementing Agenda 21. It identified new concerns in the area of chemicals, in particular
17
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=97.
18
Recommendations for Action, 48(8) & 85(a) of the Stockholm Conference, available at: http://www.unlibrarynairobi.org/PDFs/Recommendation.pdf.
19
http://www.fao.org/.
20
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/code.pdf.
21
http://www.chem.unep.ch/ethics/english/longuien.htm.
22
http://www.unep.ch/ozone/vc-text.shtml.
23
http://ozone.unep.org/pdfs/Montreal-Protocol2000.pdf.
24
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C170.
25
http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/enviro.html.

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endocrine disruptors and effects on specific groups. More generally, it acknowledged the need for a more
comprehensive approach to chemicals management and gave rise to the UNEP initiative for a Strategic Approach
to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), adopted in 2006 in Dubai. 33 SAICM is a voluntary, overarching
mechanism that is still very much a work in progress. More recently, the international effort to reduce anthropogenic
releases of mercury into the environment has been gaining traction.
The figure below provides a visual picture of the relationships between the international agreements reached to date.
SAICM is the overarching mechanism. Together with the Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling
(GHS), 34 it covers all chemicals. The pillars are the voluntary and binding agreements that focus on specific
chemicals. Underpinning the structure are the international instruments for protection of workers, protection during
transport, protection at end-of-life (waste management/shipment), and protection of the environment and biodiversity.
Figure 3.1: International Framework for chemicals management
03
SAICM (Voluntary)
Global Harmonised System for Classification & Labelling of Chemicals (Voluntary)
Code of
conduct
(pesticides)
Voluntary
PIC
Convention
Binding
POPs
Convention
(persistent
organic
pollutants)
Binding
Montreal
Protocol
(Ozone
depleting
substances)
Binding
WHOPES
Voluntary
Mercury
Partnership
Voluntary
Protection of workers: ILO Conventions (C-170 and C-184)
Protection during transport:
UN Recommendations for the transport of dangerous goods (Voluntary)
Protection at end of life (waste management/shipment): Basel Convention (Binding)
Protection of biodiversity (CBD & Ramsar – binding)
3.2. THE VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS
The following table summarises the main non-binding agreements. It provides the purpose and status of each, and
which aspect of the pesticide “life cycle” each instrument covers (see section 4 for a description of the pesticide ‘life
cycle’). Brief descriptions of each instrument then follow. With respect to management of pesticides, the key instrument
is the non-binding International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (the ‘Code of Conduct’).
But several other international obligations related to safe management of chemicals in general are also important.
26
Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, available at:
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=78&ArticleID=1163.
27
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm.
28
http://www.who.int/ifcs/en/.
29
http://www.who.int/iomc/en/.
30
http://www.pic.int/.
31
http://www.pops.int/.
32
http://www.un.org/events/wssd/.
33
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/iccm_sec.htm.
34
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html.

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An overview of the codes & conventions covered in this guide
Table 3.1: The Voluntary Agreements
Name Date agreed Scope Objectives Pesticide
life-cycle
Codes and guidance (non binding instruments)
International Code of
Conduct on the
Distribution and Use of
Pesticides (Code of
Conduct)
1985,
amended 1989,
revised 2002
All pesticides
Establishes voluntary standards
for all public & private entities
associated with pesticide trade
& use, especially where
regulation is lacking
Covers the whole
pesticide life-cycle
WHO Pesticides
Evaluation Scheme
1960 Pesticides used
for public health
purposes
Facilitate search for safe & costeffective
alternative pesticides
& application methods for PH
use; along with policies &
guidelines for their selective &
judicious application
Classification and
labelling (registration
and distribution)
Globally Harmonised
System for
Classification &
Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS)
Approved in
2003, revised ed.
2005, 2nd
revision 2007
All chemicals
Ensure information available on
physical hazards & toxicity of
chemicals to enhance
protection of health & env’t
during handling, transport &
use
Classification and
labelling (registration
and distribution)
UN Recommendations
on Transport of
Dangerous Goods
1956,
reviewed in 1996
All chemicals
Ensure the safety of people,
property and the environment
during transport
Transport (between
production &
formulation; during
distribution)
Codex Alimentarius;
Sanitary and
Phytosanitary
Standards
CA Commission
established in
1963
Chemical residues
on food products
Protect consumers’ health,
ensure fair trade practices, &
coordinate food standards work
by int’l gov’l orgs & NGOs
Use (pesticide
application)
Chapter 19 to Agenda
21 & Int’l Forum on
Chemicals Safety
1992 Rio
Convention
All chemicals Achieving chemical safety Entire life-cycle
Strategic Approach to
International
Chemicals
Management (SAICM)
UNEP Global Mercury
Partnership
Agreed in 2006 All chemicals Ensure that, by 2020,
chemicals produced & used in
ways that minimise significant
adverse impacts on env’t &
human health
Initiated in 2002 Mercury Protect human health &
environment by reducing
releases
Entire life-cycle
Production & use

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3.2.1. International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides
The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (Code of Conduct) is the key international
instrument setting forth the roles and responsibilities of the major stakeholders with respect to pesticides safety. 35 It is
a voluntary instrument designed as an international standard and point of reference in relation to sound pesticide
management practices, in particular for government authorities and the pesticide industry, but also for civil society.
The Code of Conduct focuses on risk reduction, protection of human health and the environment, and support for
sustainable agricultural development by using pesticides in an effective manner and applying IPM strategies. A
particular concern is the impact of pesticide use in countries where regulatory capacity is limited and where living
and working conditions make pesticide use more risky.
The Code of Conduct was first adopted in 1985 at the 25th Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO). 36 The objective was “to increase international confidence in the availability, regulation,
marketing and use of pesticides for the improvements of agriculture, public health and personal comfort”. The first
Code of Conduct did not include the then-controversial concept of prior informed consent (PIC), but coordinated civil
society action through PAN succeeded in getting the 1987 FAO Conference to agree to the principle of PIC. In 1989,
after two years of working out voluntary mechanisms for implementation, the Code of Conduct was amended to
include PIC and the PIC provisions began to be implemented.
03
In view of the changing international policy framework, including the adoption of the Rotterdam Convention in 1998,
and the persistence of certain pesticide management problems, particularly in developing countries, the FAO initiated
the update and revision process of the Code. A revised Code of Conduct was adopted in 2002 by the 187 member
nations of the FAO as the globally accepted minimum standard for pesticide management. The World Health
Organisation (WHO) 37 has joined forces with the FAO in promoting the Code of Conduct and its implementation.
The Code of Conduct, as revised in 2002, uses a life cycle approach, and addresses the development, production,
management, packaging, labelling, distribution, handling, application, use, control and disposal of pesticides. Its
articles set detailed standards for pesticide management, testing, reduction of risks to human health and the
environment, regulatory requirements, the availability and use of pesticides, their distribution and trade, and the
labelling, packaging, storage and disposal and advertising of pesticide products.
The Code of Conduct is complemented by a number of more detailed technical and legal guidelines on various
aspects of pesticide management published by the FAO, 38 including guidelines on pest and pesticide management
policy, guidelines on pesticide advertising, and guidelines for governments and industry for the implementation of
the Code.
The FAO through its Plant Protection Service carries out a number of other activities related to pesticide management.
These include a number of concrete programmes on pesticide management aimed at reducing the environmental and
health impact of pesticides, including:
• residue analysis
• product standards setting and methods to analyse them
• prevention of accumulation of obsolete stocks of pesticides and means to dispose them
• exchange of information on national actions taken to control pesticides
35
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpp/Pesticid/Default.HTM.
36
http://www.fao.org.
37
http://www.who.int/en/.
38
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An overview of the codes & conventions covered in this guide
The Code of Conduct recognises the role of public interest groups in pesticide management. In support of the Code’s
implementation, the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) International and its regional offices help to promote its standards
and to monitor how pesticides are advertised, distributed, sold and used. 39 The industry trade group, CropLife
International, has made adherence to the Code a condition for membership.
3.2.2. WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme
The WHO established its Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) 40 in 1960. WHOPES promotes and coordinates
the testing and evaluation of pesticides for public health purposes, i.e., to fight vector-borne diseases and those with
intermediate hosts, such as malaria, dengue and Chagas disease. These diseases are among the major causes of
illness and death in many tropical and subtropical countries, and they significantly impede economic and social
development.
WHOPES functions through the participation of representatives of governments, manufacturers of pesticides and
pesticide application equipment, WHO Collaborating Centres and research institutions, as well as other WHO
programmes, notably the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). In its present form, WHOPES
comprises a four-phase evaluation and testing programme, studying the safety, efficacy and operational acceptability
of public health pesticides and developing specifications for quality and international trade.
The WHO has worked closely with the FAO on pesticide issues for a number of decades. In 2001, the Food and
Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation agreed to develop specifications
for pesticides jointly, with the goal of providing unique, robust and universally applicable standards for pesticide
quality.
This joint programme is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Organizations. The Manual
on development and use of FAO and WHO specifications for pesticides 41 is the first publication of this joint
programme and supersedes all previous manuals and guidance documents published by either FAO or WHO on this
subject. It provides the standard process, unified requirements and procedures, harmonised definitions and
nomenclature, technical guidelines and standards applicable to pesticides for use in agriculture and public health.
3.2.3. The Globally Harmonised System for Classification & Labelling (GHS)
Agenda 21’s Chapter 19 proposed that a globally harmonised hazard classification and compatible labelling system,
including material safety data sheets and easily understandable symbols, be available by the year 2000. The work
to develop a Globally Harmonised System (GHS) has been coordinated through the Inter-organisational
Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) and its Coordinating Group for the Harmonization of
Chemical Classification Systems (CG/HCCS). It has involved the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the
hazard communication; the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the classification
of health and environmental hazards; and the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of
Dangerous Goods (UNSCETDG) and the ILO for the physical hazards.
The 2002 Johannesburg, Plan of Implementation encouraged countries to implement the new GHS as soon as possible
with a view to having the system fully operational at a global level by 2008. In 2004 the GHS was published as
ready for worldwide implementation. It has since been revised twice. 42 Pilot countries in different regions of the world
have started to introduce the GHS in their national practices.
39
See PAN Germany’s excellent guide to the Code of Conduct, available at http://www.fao-code-action.info.
40
http://www.who.int/whopes/en/.
41
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2006/9251048576_eng_update2.pdf.
42
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html.

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The GHS harmonises two key areas of chemicals management: the criteria for classifying substances and mixtures
according to their health, environmental and physical hazards; and hazard communication, including requirements
for labelling and safety data sheets. The GHS covers all hazardous chemicals and the mode of application of the
system’s hazard communication elements may vary by product category or stage in the life cycle. The GHS is based
on currently available data, with human experience, epidemiological data and clinical testing providing the
information needed for its application. Some areas of the GHS are still under development.
The GHS applies to pure chemical substances, their dilute solutions and to mixtures of chemical substances; only
intrinsic hazardous properties of substances or mixtures are considered. The harmonised system for hazard
communication includes labelling tools to convey information about each of the hazard classes and categories in the
GHS. The aim of the harmonised system is to present the information in a manner that the intended audience can
easily understand. One of the main tools is the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) which provides detailed information about
a chemical substance or mixture, including advice on safety precautions. The information acts as a reference source
for both employers and workers to use in the management of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
03
The classification and labelling based on acute toxicity developed under the GHS has some differences with the
WHO traditional classification of pesticides by hazard. 43 WHO is in the process of adjusting the Pesticide
Classification to conform to the GHS; the results of this process are expected to be available in the next edition of
the Classification Guide to be published by 2008.
3.2.4. UN Recommendations on Transport of Dangerous Goods
The UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, 44 also known as the “Orange
Book”, have been developed by the UN Economic and Social Council's Committee of Experts on the Transport of
Dangerous Goods, with the aim of bringing about worldwide harmonisation in rules covering the international
transport of dangerous goods. The voluntary measures set forth in the Orange Book are intended to ensure the
safety of people, property and the environment during the transport of dangerous substances and materials. They
are aimed particularly at minimising the risk of damage during transport and handling due to physical hazards (e.g.,
explosiveness or corrosiveness) as well as acute health effects from the types of short-term exposures that might occur
during transit. Amongst other aspects, the Model Regulations cover principles of classification and definition of
classes, listing of the principal dangerous goods, general packing requirements, testing procedures, marking,
labelling or placarding, and transport documents.
The first version of the Recommendations was published in 1956, and they have been regularly amended and
updated over the years in response to developments in technology and the changing needs of users. In 1996, the
Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods 45 were adopted, with a view to facilitating the
adoption of the Recommendations into all modal, national and international regulations related to the transport of
dangerous goods.
In 1999, the Committee’s mandate was extended to the effort to bring about a global harmonisation of the various
systems of classification and labelling of chemicals applicable under various regulations regimes, e.g., transport,
workplace safety, consumer protection, environmental protection and so on. The Committee was thus renamed
“Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals”. The effort to develop GHS is described above. (para 3.2.3)
The UN Recommendations and Model Regulations are addressed not only to all Governments for the development
of their national requirements for the domestic transport of dangerous goods, but also to international organisations
such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 46 and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) 47
for regulations governing the international transport of dangerous goods by sea, air, road, rail and inland waterways.
43
http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/pesticides_hazard/en/.
44
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/12_e.html.
45
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev13/13nature_e.html.
46
http://imo.org.
47
http://icao.int.

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They are therefore linked to a number of other international agreements covering particular transport modalities,
including:
• The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by
Road (ADR), developed under the auspices of the UN ECE, agreed in 1957 and amended frequently
since then. The ADR basically provides that dangerous goods may be carried internationally in road vehicles
only if they comply with certain conditions for the goods in question (Annex A on the packaging and labelling
of dangerous goods) and for the vehicle carrying the dangerous goods (Annex B on construction, equipment
and operation of the vehicle). A consolidated "restructured" version of the ADR was published at the
beginning of 2005. 48
• The International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG), 49 maintained and updated by the
IMO, governs the vast majority of shipments of hazardous materials by water. It is intended to provide for
the safe transportation of dangerous goods by vessel, protect crew members and to prevent marine pollution.
Based on the UN Model Regulations, it includes additional requirements applicable to the transport of
dangerous substances and materials by sea, e.g., requirements for marine pollutants, freight containers
loading procedures, stowage and segregation and other requirements applicable to shipboard safety and
preservation of the marine environment.
• The Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air administered by
the ICAO also provide for the classification of dangerous goods. 50 They identify those goods which are: a)
forbidden under any circumstances; b) forbidden on both passenger and cargo aircraft in normal
circumstances but could be carried in exceptional circumstances subject to exemption by the States
concerned; c) forbidden on passenger aircraft but permitted on cargo aircraft in normal circumstances; and
d) permitted on both passenger and cargo aircraft in normal circumstances. The Technical Instructions are
international standards which ICAO Member States must introduce into national law, in order to ensure
government control over the carriage of dangerous goods by air.
• The Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID), 51
maintained and updated by the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF). 52
• The European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by
Inland Waterways (ADN), 53 adopted in 2000 under the aegis of the UN ECE.
3.2.5. Codex Alimentarius & the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues
The Codex Alimentarius Commission 54 was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards,
guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The
main objectives of the Joint Food Standards Programme are to protect consumers’ health and ensure fair trade
practices in the food trade, and to promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international
governmental and non-governmental organisations.
One of the key areas of the Commission’s work is to adopt standards for maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides
in food and animal feed and other groups of commodities, with the assistance of the Codex Committee on Pesticide
Residues (CCPR), a subsidiary body of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
This task starts with the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), which carries out residue analysis.
The JMPR meets annually to conduct scientific evaluations of pesticide residues in food and provide advice on the
acceptable levels of pesticide residues in food moving in international trade. The JMPR consists of specialists who
consider data on recognised / registered use patterns, fate of residues, animal and plant metabolism data, analytical
48
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/adr/adr2005/05ContentsE.html.
49
http://www.imo.org/Safety/mainframe.asp?topic_id=158.
50
http://www.icao.int/anb/FLS/DangerousGoods/TechnicalInstructions.cfm.
51
http://www.otif.org/pdf_external/e/RID-1999-e.PDF.
52
http://www.otif.org.
53
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/adn-agree.html.

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methodology and residue data developed through supervised trials. On the basis of this information, the JMPR
proposes MRLs for individual pesticides in individual food and feed items or well-defined groups of commodities to
the CCPR. The CCPR considers the proposals and makes recommendations for MRLs to the biennial meeting of the
Codex Alimantarius Commission, for adoption as Codex maximum residue limits (CXLs). 55
3.2.6. Agenda 21, Chapter 19
At the 1992 Rio Conference, more than 178 governments adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive non-legally binding
instrument setting forth actions to be taken globally, nationally and locally by UN organisations, national governments,
and other groups, including non-governmental organisations and industry. Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 is entitled
"Environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals including prevention of illegal international traffic in toxic
and dangerous products." 56
Chapter 19 recognises that “a great deal remains to be done to ensure the environmentally sound management of
toxic chemicals, within the principles of sustainable development and improved quality of life for humankind”. It
notes the collaboration on chemical safety between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 57 the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) 58 and the World Health Organisation (WHO) 59 in the International
Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) 60 as the nucleus for international cooperation on environmentally
sound management of toxic chemicals.
03
Chapter 19 sets forth an ambitious global plan for building the broadest possible awareness of chemical risks as a
prerequisite for achieving chemical safety. It recognises the right of the community and of workers to know the
identity of hazardous ingredients, but this is to be balanced with industry's right to protect confidential business
information.
Best practices for safe management of chemicals are viewed as involving hazard assessment (based on the intrinsic
properties of chemicals), risk assessment (including assessment of exposure), risk acceptability and risk management.
Hazard assessment and hazard communication are in particular viewed as among the fundamental building blocks
for safe management of chemicals. Other important recommendations made in Chapter 19 include that governments
and relevant international organisations, with the cooperation of industry, should:
• improve databases and information systems on toxic chemicals, such as emission inventory programmes,
through provision of training as well as software, hardware and other facilities (19.40(b));
• cooperate in establishing, strengthening and expanding, as appropriate, the network of designated national
authorities for exchange of information on chemicals and establish a technical exchange programme to
produce a core of trained personnel within each participating country (19.42);
• undertake concerted activities to reduce risks for toxic chemicals, taking into account the entire life cycle of
the chemicals, including both regulatory and non-regulatory measures, such as the promotion of the use of
cleaner products and technologies; emissions inventories; product labelling; use limitations; economic
incentives; and the phasing out or banning of toxic chemicals that pose an unreasonable and otherwise
unmanageable risk to the environment or human health and those that are toxic, persistent and
bioaccumulative and whose use cannot be adequately controlled (19.49);
• where appropriate, cooperate in the development of communication guidelines on chemical risks at the
national level to promote information exchange with the public and the understanding of risks (19.51).
54
For more information, see: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp, or Understanding the Codex Alimentarius, FAO/WHO, Rome, 2005, at:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y7867e/y7867e00.htm.
55
Codex Alimentarius Database on Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residue in Foods, available at:
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/mrls/pestdes/jsp/pest_q-e.jsp.
56
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21chapter19.htm.
57
http://www.unep.org/.
58
http://www.ilo.org/.
59
http://www.who.int/en/.
60
http://www.who.int/ipcs/en/.

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Chapter 19 also encourages the adoption of community right-to-know programmes based on international guidelines
– both voluntarily by industry, in the absence of host country requirements, and by governments. These are to include
sharing of information on causes of accidental and potential releases and means of preventing them, and reporting
on annual routine emissions of toxic chemicals to the environment. It also recommends that governments carry out
information dissemination campaigns, such as programmes providing information about chemical stockpiles and
environmentally safer alternatives, as tools for risk reduction and to increase the awareness of the general public with
respect to problems of chemical safety.
The Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) 61 was created in 1994 in response to
recommendation 3.2 of Chapter 19. Its members are representatives of countries, international organisations, industry
and NGOs. Its mission is to coordinate international efforts for the sound management of chemicals and to address
the priority programme areas identified in 1992 at Rio.
The IFCS was instrumental in the development of the Stockholm Convention on POPs (see below) by establishing an
ad hoc Working Group in 1996 to assess POPs and develop recommendations for international action. In
cooperation with UNEP, it then organised regional and subregional workshops to prepare governments and other
stakeholders for participation in negotiation of the convention.
In 2000 at a meeting in Bahia, Brazil, the IFCS adopted the Bahia Declaration on Chemical Safety and the Priorities
for Action Beyond 2000. 62 These documents considered the progress that had been achieved since 1992 and
identified a number of priorities for ensuring chemical safety, including
• increasing the flow of information about reducing hazards associated with the use of chemicals, the risks
involved in their manufacture, release into the environment, and the means to avoid or reduce risks;
• ensuring that all countries have the capacity for sound management of chemicals;
• addressing illegal trafficking in toxic and dangerous products; and
• increasing access to information and skills development in chemical safety, and recognising communities’
right to know about chemicals in the environment and to participate meaningfully in decisions about
chemical safety that affect them. 63
At its fourth session in 2003, the IFCS adopted an important resolution on acutely toxic pesticides recommending
inter alia the prohibition or restriction of availability of such pesticides and to substitute them with reduced risk
pesticides and non-chemical control measures. 64 The resolution also recommended that national governments fully
implement the International Code of Conduct as the basis for a comprehensive life cycle approach to pesticide
management at national level.
3.2.7. Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
The global leaders who gathered at the 2002 Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development made a commitment
to minimise significant adverse effects from the production and use of chemicals on human health and the environment
by 2020. To implement this commitment, a multi-stakeholder Preparatory Committee, co-convened by UNEP, the IFCS
and the IOMC, brought together government officials, industry representatives, NGOs and other stakeholders to
develop the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). 65 SAICM is aimed
at stimulating the development of more effective national and international systems for management and control of
chemicals, given the continuing gaps in systems and capacities for chemicals management to be found in most
countries – even so-called developed nations.
61
http://www.who.int/ifcs.
62
http://www.who.int/ifcs/documents/forums/forum3/en/Bahia.pdf.
63
http://www.who.int/ifcs/documents/forums/forum3/en/annex6.pdf.
64
http://www.who.int/ifcs/documents/forums/forum4/en/f4_exs_en.pdf, pp. 10-12.
65
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/.

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A key feature of the SAICM process has been its engagement of all sectors of society with an interest in chemical
safety, including environment, health, agriculture, labour, industry and development. It has recognised the importance
of policy coordination across sectors at both national and international levels, in order to ensure effective management
of risks throughout chemicals’ life cycleof production, use and disposal.
SAICM was adopted at the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in 2006 in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. It comprises a policy framework for international action on chemical hazards. SAICM has three
components: the high-level Dubai Declaration; an overarching policy strategy; and a global plan of action. The
Overarching Policy Strategy sets a number of specific objectives under five interrelated categories: risk reduction;
knowledge and information; governance; capacity-building and technical cooperation; and illegal international
traffic, in addition to financial and institutional arrangements.
The proposed “work areas and activities” for implementation of SAICM are set out in the Global Plan of Action. This
lists almost 300 different activities aimed at reducing risks from chemicals. These are to involve a range of actors –
not only national governments but also industry, NGOs, and international organisations. The concrete measures in
the Global Plan of Action are listed in tabular form, grouped according to the five categories and providing
designated actors, targets and time frames, and indicators of progress. Many of the listed activities are pesticidespecific
(cf., activities 25-33, 108, 124-127 under Objective 1) or related to the reduction of risks from pesticides
(c.f., activities 43-61, 168-170 and 263 on good agricultural practices).
03
UNEP and the World Health Organisation (WHO) take lead roles in the SAICM secretariat, according to their
respective areas of expertise, with UNEP holding administrative responsibility. The SAICM secretariat is located in
Geneva with the other chemicals and waste secretariats managed by UNEP, in order to take full advantage of existing
synergies with other chemical conventions secretariats.
SAICM is still a work in progress. One of its organising concepts is the idea of partnerships among stakeholders,
with corresponding roles and responsibilities for each as needed to achieve the specific objectives for SAICM. Many
NGOs and civil society organisations are actively participating in the SAICM process, often collaborating through
the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). 66
3.2.8. Global Mercury Partnership
The Global Mercury Partnership grew out of a global mercury assessment report 67 initiated by the UNEP Governing
Council and published by UNEP in December 2002. The assessment report flagged the need for further international,
regional and national actions to reduce risks to human health and the environment from exposure to mercury. Through
the UNEP Mercury Programme, countries are urged to adopt goals and take national actions, as appropriate, with
the objective of identifying exposed populations and ecosystems and reducing anthropogenic mercury releases. In
support of this, an open-ended Working Group with members nominated by governments, inter-governmental and
non-governmental organisations and the private sector has been established.
The focus at this point is on raising awareness of the nature of mercury pollution problems through regional workshops
and on assisting countries to identify and implement actions to mitigate any mercury problems in their territories. A
clearinghouse has been set up to facilitate the exchange of and access to relevant information on mercury and
mercury compounds. 68
In February 2007, the UNEP Governing Council called for a review and assessment of the options of enhanced
voluntary measures and new or existing international legal instruments in order to make progress in addressing this
issue. The possibility of an international convention on mercury is now under discussion. International exchanges
have also been launched to raise awareness concerning impacts on human health and the environment from lead
and cadmium. 69
66
http://www.ipen.org/.
67
http://www.chem.unep.ch/MERCURY/Report/GMA-report-TOC.htm.
68
http://www.chem.unep.ch/MERCURY/Information-clearinghouse.htm.
69
http://www.chem.unep.ch/Pb_and_Cd/Default.htm.

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Table 3.2: The Binding Agreements
Name
Entry
into
force
Scope Objectives Pesticide
life-cycle
Conventions and Protocols (binding on Parties)
Rotterdam Convention on
Prior Informed Consent
(PIC)
2004 Banned or restricted
chemicals & severely
restricted pesticide
formulations
Controls over import & export:
only allowed when prior informed
consent
Transboundary
movement (exports)
Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs)
2004 12 POPs including 9
pesticides (aldrin,
chlordane, DDT,
dieldrin, endrin,
heptachlor,
hexachlorobenzene,
mirex and toxaphene)
Ban & phase-out of production
& use of POPs, including
unintentional releases (e.g.,
dioxins, furans)
Waste management of stockpiles
(obsolete pesticides), incl.
clean-up of contaminated soil
Production
Registration
Use (application)
Waste management
(synergies with Basel
Convention)
Montreal Protocol to the
Vienna Convention on
Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer
1987 Ozone depleting
substances, including
methyl bromide
Phase out of production & use of
ODS to protect the ozone layer &
allow for its recuperation
Production
Registration
Use (application)
Waste management
(synergies with Basel
Convention)
Basel Convention on the
Control of Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous
Waste (and Regional
Conventions, including
Bamako)
ILO Convention on Safety
in the Use of Chemicals at
Work (C170)
1992 All types of wastes Ensure environmentally sound
management & disposal of wastes
& control of their boundary
movement by establishing PIC
mechanisms
1990 All chemicals Protecting workers by establishing
controls over all aspects of the use
of chemicals at work
Waste management
Manufacture &
application (use
ILO Convention on Safety
and Health in Agriculture
(C184)
2001 Pesticides & other
agricultural chemicals
Protecting agricultural farmers
Use (application)
International Plant
Protection Convention
October
2005
(revised
text)
All chemical & nonchemical
initiatives to
deal with pests
Prevent the spread & introduction
of pests of plants & plant products,
& promote appropriate measures
for their control.
Trade on agricultural
products
Convention on Biological
Diversity & the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety
1992;
Protocol
in 2000
All aspects of
biodiversity
Reverse the trend on biodiversity
loss by promoting sustainable
development; protect from
potential risks posed by GMOs
Use (application)
Ramsar Convention
(Recommendation 6.14)
1971 Chemicals & wetlands Protection of migratory birds Use (application)

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3.3. THE BINDING AGREEMENTS
The table to the left presents the so-called binding international agreements – the conventions and protocols that have
been ratified by sufficient countries to come into force. The countries that have become Parties to these agreements
have agreed to assume the obligations set down in their provisions.
3.3.1. The Rotterdam (PIC) Convention
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, 70 also known as the Rotterdam Convention, came into
force on 24 February 2004. Prior informed consent (PIC) is a type of export control which has also been put into
place internationally with respect to the trade in hazardous waste, through the Basel Convention. PIC with respect
to chemicals (and in particular certain pesticides) has come to mean that a chemical that has been banned, withdrawn
or severely restricted in one country should not be exported to another country unless the importing country’s
government has been fully informed of the reasons for the regulatory action and has positively consented to the
importation of the controlled chemical. 71
03
The need for PIC came to be recognised only after intense international debate in the 1980s and 1990s, after the
international trade in chemicals, including pesticides, had grown enormously. When certain chemicals came to be
linked to environmental and human health problems, a number of exporting countries introduced controls over their
use domestically, but still permitted such chemicals to be exported. These exports often went to developing countries
without the infrastructure or resources to adequately regulate the import and use of hazardous chemicals. Moreover,
the use of pesticides in developing countries gave rise to a disproportionate number of problems, because of
widespread illiteracy, lack of access to adequate medical care, lack of safety training, lack of protective equipment,
and restrictions on the right to organise for safe working conditions
In 1989, both UNEP and FAO introduced PIC in their respective instruments covering international trade in hazardous
chemicals (the UNEP London Guidelines and the Code of Conduct) and initiated a voluntary PIC procedure. In
1995, the two organisations convened an intergovernmental negotiating committee which developed the text that
was adopted in 1998 at a diplomatic conference hosted by the Netherlands in Rotterdam.
The Rotterdam Convention builds on the existing voluntary PIC procedure, operated by UNEP and FAO since 1989.
The Convention does not ban chemicals. Rather, it gives importing countries the information they need to take
autonomous and informed decisions about chemicals imported. It has three critical components: (1) it requires Parties
to notify the Secretariat whenever a chemical or pesticide is banned or severely restricted for health or environmental
reasons; (2) it establishes the right of importing countries to refuse unwanted imports; and (3) it obliges exporting
countries to know and respect such refusals.
The Convention establishes procedures for formally obtaining decisions (prior informed consent) of importing countries
on future shipments of chemicals specified in the Convention and for ensuring compliance with these decisions by
exporting countries. Annex III of the Convention lists 39 chemicals subject to the PIC procedure, including 24
pesticides, 4 severely hazardous pesticide formulations and 11 industrial chemicals.
Any national decisions to ban or severely restrict a particular chemical or pesticide formulation are to be notified to
the Convention Secretariat. The final decision to be notified to the Secretariat has to be accompanied by a description
of any legislative or administrative measures upon which it is based. The trigger for initiating the process of
considering additional substances or severely hazardous pesticide formulations for Annex III inclusion is when
notifications of final regulatory action for a particular chemical have been received from Parties in at least two
different geographical regions.
70
http://www.pic.int/.
71
The website of PAN UK provides a handy briefing on the Rotterdam Convention aimed particularly at non-governmental organisations.
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A special Chemicals Review Committee then evaluates the chemical for possible addition to the Rotterdam Convention
and decides whether or not to recommend the chemical or severely hazardous pesticide formulation for listing in
Annex III. If it is recommended to include the chemical in Annex III, a decision guidance document is prepared to
provide information on why the recommendation for inclusion has been made. This is forwarded to all of the Parties
for decision at the next Conference of the Parties. Several chemicals are currently being evaluated for possible
inclusion in Annex III.
As with the Stockholm Convention, Article 17 of the Rotterdam Convention requires the Conference of the Parties to
develop and approve as soon as practicable procedures and institutional mechanisms for determining non-compliance
with the provisions of this Convention and for the treatment of Parties found to be in non-compliance. An open-ended
working group on compliance has developed a working draft 72 of procedures and institutional mechanisms for
handling cases of non-compliance that will be discussed by the Parties in 2008. The penalties foreseen include the
re-export of chemicals shipped to a country without its consent, in violation of the Convention.
3.3.2. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), 73 which entered into force on 17
May 2004, is a global commitment to protect human health and the environment from certain chemicals known as
POPs. Though the risks posed can vary greatly from POP to POP, by definition these chemicals share four properties:
1) they are highly toxic;
2) they are persistent, lasting for decades in some instances before degrading into less dangerous forms;
3) they evaporate and travel long distances through the air and through water; and
4) they are absorbed in fatty animal tissue and bioaccumulate in the food chain.
The chemicals known as POPs were for the most part introduced and initially used by industrialised countries, but
then widely used in developing countries, particularly tropical areas. Yet because they are persistent, bioaccumulative
and subject to long-distance transport, they are found everywhere – even in parts of the world such as the Arctic where
they were never widely used. They can be especially damaging to poorer communities and to northern indigenous
communities that rely on foods with heavy POPs accumulations. While wealthier countries were among the first to
detect the dangers, to reduce use, and to start cleaning up the mess, poorer nations often lack the money and
expertise to move on to alternatives and to clean up existing stockpiles and waste sites.
The Stockholm Convention initially targets 12 particularly toxic POPs for reduction and eventual elimination, while
setting up a system for tackling other chemicals identified as unacceptably hazardous. Nine of these POPs are
pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene), two
are industrial chemicals (hexachlorobenzene and PCBs/PCTs) and two are unintentional byproducts of various
industrial activities (dioxins and furans).
In order to phase out these chemicals (and others that may be listed in future), the Convention sets in place bans
and/or limits on their production and use. Member States (Parties) that wish to use remaining supplies are required
to register publicly for exemptions and to restrict their use of these chemicals to narrowly allowed purposes for limited
time periods. For example, it limits the production and use of DDT to controlling disease vectors such as malarial
mosquitoes, or as use as an intermediate in the production of the pesticide dicofol in those countries that have
registered for this exemption.
72
Report of the open-ended ad hoc working group on non-compliance on the work of its first session, Rome, September, 2005 available at:
http://www.pic.int/oewg/c3)/English/K0582993%20OEWG%20final%20report%20-%20reissued.pdf ; and Report of the Conference of the Parties to
the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade on the
work of its third meeting, Geneva, October 2006, available at: http://www.pic.int/cops/reports/z35)/English/K0653538%20COP-3-
26%20Final%20PIC%20Report.pdf.
73
http://www.pops.int.

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The Convention bans the production of PCBs. However, countries have until 2025 for phasing out the use of
equipment containing PCBs, and until 2028 for treating and eliminating the recovered PCBs. Countries are also
required to take steps to reduce the unintentional release of dioxins and furans as byproducts of combustion or
industrial production, with the goal of continuing to minimise their release and, where feasible, eliminate them entirely.
To achieve these goals, the Convention restricts imports and exports of the 10 intentionally produced POPs, permitting
them to be transported only for environmentally sound disposal or for a permitted use for which the importing country
has obtained an exemption. Parties are required to develop, within two years, national plans for implementing the
Convention and to designate national focal points for exchanging information on POPs and their alternatives.
The Convention also channels resources into cleaning up existing stockpiles and dumps of POPs, including obsolete
pesticides. Governments are to develop and implement strategies for identifying stockpiles. Once identified, these
stockpiles are to be managed in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner. Wastes containing POPs are
to be handled, collected, transported and stored in an environmentally sound manner, and their toxic content
destroyed. The Convention does not allow recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct reuse or alternative uses of POPs,
and it prohibits their improper transport across international boundaries.
03
The Convention includes mechanisms to provide financial aid to help developing countries in carrying out
implementing measures, including the development of national plans, identification of stockpiles and disposal sites,
and safe disposal of POPs. It also includes mechanisms for the identification and addition of more chemicals to the
Convention; several additional chemicals are currently under evaluation for possible listing as POPs and eventual
phase-out.
Article 17 of the Stockholm Convention requires the Conference of the Parties to develop and approve as soon as
practicable procedures and institutional mechanisms for determining non-compliance with the provisions of this
Convention and for the treatment of Parties found to be in non-compliance. At its first meeting in May 2005, the Parties
decided to convene an open-ended ad hoc working group to consider procedures and institutional mechanisms on
non-compliance. The final procedure and structure has not yet been agreed, although an April 2007 draft 74 proposes
the establishment of a “Compliance Committee”. The major penalty that could be imposed by the Conference of the
Parties is the suspension of rights and privileges under the Convention.
In addition to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat, the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) and the
International HCH and Pesticides Association (IHPA) 75 are good sources of information on POPs issues, including
alternative disposal methods.
3.3.3. The Montreal Protocol on Ozone-Depleting Substances
The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer 76 was adopted in 1985 without agreement
on specific control measures. It provided for the exchange of data related to the ozone layer and for scientific
cooperation on research concerning the chemicals and processes affecting the ozone layer and the development and
transfer of relevant technology and knowledge. It also provided for international cooperation on measures to control
human activities adversely affecting the ozone layer and for the development of protocols to the convention.
Accordingly, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer 77 was adopted in 1987
and has been amended several times since to adapt to new scientific evidence and technological developments. The
goal of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by reducing and eliminating global emissions of ozonedepleting
substances (ODS) due to human activities.
74
http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/oewng_nc2/meetingdocs/report/K0761528%20OEWG2-2%20Report%20Final.pdf.
75
http://www.ipen.org/ and http://www.ihpa.info/.
76
http://www.unep.ch/ozone/vc-text.shtml.
77
http://ozone.unep.org/pdfs/Montreal-Protocol2000.pdf.

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The Montreal Protocol is acknowledged as one of the most successful examples of international cooperation to tackle
a major global environmental threat. The production and consumption of entire groups of harmful ozone-depleting
chemicals has been successfully phased out in developed countries, and the same process is now well under way in
developing countries. Overall, almost ninety five per cent of all ozone-depleting substances have been phased out.
One of the current targets is methyl bromide, an ODS used as a fumigant pesticide.
The Montreal Protocol obliges Parties to control their annual rates of production and consumption of specified
chemicals in accordance with agreed target amounts, with the objective of reducing and eventually eliminating
production and consumption by specified dates. The dates are specific for each chemical and different for developing
and developed country Parties. Parties are prohibited from trading in ODS with Non-Parties and a licensing system
implemented in 2000 is used to track each shipment of controlled ODS in an effort to eliminate illegal trade.
The Protocol set up three expert panels to advise the Parties. The Scientific Assessment Panel carries out a review of
scientific knowledge every four years. The Technology and Economics Assessment Panel advices on technical options
for limiting the use of ODS, the cost implications of proposed technical solutions, the needs and likely availability of
controlled ODS in developing countries, and technology transfer. The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel advises
on changes in ozone levels and the consequent impacts on health and environment due to the changes in ultraviolet
radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.
The Montreal Protocol also creates a Multilateral Fund which is used to provide developing country Parties with
financial and technical assistance to meet the incremental costs of implementing its requirements. Further funds for
ODSs phase-out programmes have been provided through the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 78
The Montreal Protocol adopted a non-compliance procedure in 1992 and an Implementation Committee which
proposes recommendations on non-compliance that will be adopted by the Meeting of the Parties. The MoP can
issue cautions and suspend rights and privileges under the Protocol, including those concerned with industrial
rationalisation, production, consumption, trade, transfer of technology, the financial mechanism and institutional
arrangements. 79
3.3.4. The Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes
The 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and Their Disposal 80 is aimed at ensuring the environmentally sound management and disposal of the several
hundred million tonnes of waste materials that are hazardous to humans or the environment produced annually, and
to control their transboundary movement.
The Basel Convention, which came into force in 1992, is intended to support developing countries and countries with
economies in transition which have suffered from being destinations or transit zones for environmentally damaging
and often illegal shipments of hazardous wastes from developed countries. 81 Categories of hazardous waste covered
by the Convention include toxic, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, flammable, ecotoxic and infectious materials.
Because hazardous wastes pose potentially significant threats to human health and the environment, one of the
guiding principles of the Basel Convention is that, in order to minimise the threat, hazardous wastes should be dealt
with as close to where they are produced as possible. Therefore, under the Convention, transboundary movements
of hazardous wastes or other wastes can take place only upon prior written notification by the State of export to the
competent authorities of the States of import and transit (if appropriate). 82
78
http://www.gefweb.org.
79
http://ozone.unep.org/Meeting_Documents/impcom/MOP_decisions_on_NCP.pdf.
80
http://www.basel.int/.
81
The importance of implementing the Basel Convention was dramatically illustrated in September 2006, when up to 25,000 people in Abidjan, Ivory
Coast, were affected by fumes from toxic waste shipped from Europe by a Dutch company and dumped illegally throughout the city by a local waste
handler. At least six people died.
82
This corresponds to the principle of prior informed consent (PIC) also agreed in the Rotterdam Convention.

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Each shipment of hazardous waste or other waste must be accompanied by a movement document from the point
at which the transboundary movement begins to the point of disposal. Hazardous waste shipments made without such
documents are illegal. In addition, there are outright bans on the export of these wastes to certain countries.
Transboundary movements can take place, however, if the state of export does not have the capability of managing
or disposing of the hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner.
Countries that are Parties to the Convention are required to report information on the generation and movement of
hazardous wastes. Parties are also obliged to inform any neighbouring Party of a risk to health or the environment
as a result of any accident during the disposal or transboundary movement of hazardous or other wastes.
In 1995, Parties adopted an amendment to the Convention that would prohibit all transboundary movements of
hazardous wastes destined for final disposal from OECD (i.e., developed) to non-OECD states as well as phase out
all transboundary movements of hazardous wastes destined for recycling or recovery operations from OECD to non-
OECD states. However, the so-called Ban Amendment has not yet been ratified by enough Parties to bring it into
force.
03
In December 1999, the Basel Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage Resulting from Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted to address damage that may result during
transboundary movement of hazardous and other wastes, including illegal traffic, and their disposal. The Protocol
would force parties to accept financial liability for breaches of the Convention. However, it lacks sufficient ratifications
to bring it into force.
In 2002 the Conference of the Parties adopted a compliance mechanism and established a Compliance Committee
as a subsidiary body of the CoP. The Committee may recommend to the Conference of the Parties that further
measures be taken, including issuance of a cautionary statement. 83
Further information about the Basel Convention regime can be obtained from the Basel Action Network (BAN). 84
3.3.5. The ILO conventions on protection of workers using chemicals
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), 85 founded in 1919, is the UN specialised agency which formulates
international labour standards. Under its tripartite structure, workers and employers participate as equal partners
with governments in the setting of standards across the spectrum of work-related issues, from freedom of association
and the right to organise to abolition of forced labour and equality of opportunity and treatment.
The ILO issues its standards in the form of Conventions and Recommendations, several of which are important for
protecting workers from the harmful effects of chemicals in the workplace. For example, the 1990 Convention on
Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work (C170) 86 and its accompanying Recommendation 87 emphasise the
need to establish a coherent national policy of chemical safety ranging from the classification and labelling of
chemicals to controls over all aspects of the use of chemicals, including the right of workers for access to information
on all workplace chemicals. The 1990 Convention is binding on the 16 countries that have ratified it to date and
for the rest of the world it provides important guidance for national policies and legislation in this area.
Specific measures include requirements to assess risks to workers from hazardous chemicals and to inform and protect
workers from such risks. Workers have the right to remove themselves from dangers posed by workplace chemicals
if they believe there is an imminent and serious risk to their health or safety. The Convention also requires Parties that
export a chemical that is prohibited for reasons of workplace safety or health to communicate this fact to importing
countries – a provision that is similar to the information exchange provisions in the Rotterdam Convention.
83
http://www.basel.int/legalmatters/compcommitee/brochure-xx0706.pdf.
84
http://www.ban.org.
85
http://www.ilo.org.
86
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C170.
87
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?R177.

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The 2001 Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture (C184) 88 is binding on the eight countries that
have ratified it to date. Along with its accompanying Recommendation, 89 it establishes international standards on
safety and health in the agricultural sector. Parties are to formulate and carry out coherent national policies on safety
and health in agriculture, including national laws and adequate and appropriate systems of inspection. Again there
is a requirement that employers should carry out assessments of risks to the safety and health of workers and ensure
that “under all conditions of their intended use, all agricultural activities, workplaces machinery, equipment, chemicals,
tools and processes … are safe and comply with prescribed safety and health standards”.
The Convention requires an appropriate national system establishing specific criteria for the importation, classification,
packaging and labelling of chemicals used in agriculture and for their banning or restriction. It requires those who
produce, import, provide, sell, transfer, store or dispose of chemicals used in agriculture to comply with national or
other recognised safety and health standards, and to provide adequate information to users in the appropriate official
language. Moreover it specifies that there are to be suitable systems for the safe collection, recycling and disposal
of chemical waste, obsolete chemicals and empty chemical containers in agriculture so as to avoid their use for other
purposes and to minimise risks to safety and health and to the environment.
The ILO standards are backed by a supervisory system that helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions
they ratify. The ILO regularly examines the application of standards in member states and points out areas where they
could be better applied. There are different mechanisms to monitor implementation and respond to non-compliance. 90
A Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations appointed by the ILO’s Governing
Body submits an annual report to the International Labour Conference where it is examined by the Conference
Committee on the Application of Standards, a standing committee of the Conference. The Conference Committee
examines the report and selects observations for discussion. It may then draw up conclusions recommending that
governments take specific steps to remedy a problem or to invite ILO missions or technical assistance. Situations of
special concern are highlighted in special paragraphs of its General Report.
The Representations Procedure and the Complaints Procedure are other mechanisms. The first procedure grants an
industrial association of employers or of workers the right to present to the ILO Governing Body a representation
against any member state which, in its view, “has failed to secure in any respect the effective observance within its
jurisdiction of any Convention to which it is a party”. A committee of the Governing Body may be set up to examine
the representation and the government's response. Where the government's response is not considered satisfactory,
the Governing Body is entitled to publish the representation and the response.
Under the Complaints Procedure, a Member State, a delegate to the International Labour Conference or the
Governing Body in its own capacity may file a complaint against another Member State for not complying with a
ratified convention. When a member state is accused of committing persistent and serious violations and has
repeatedly refused to address them, the Governing Body may form a Commission of Inquiry, ILO's highest-level
investigative procedure. To date, 11 Commissions of Inquiry have been established. When a country refuses to fulfil
the recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry, the Governing Body “may recommend to the Conference such
action as it may deem wise and expedient to secure compliance therewith”.
3.3.6. The International Plant Protection Convention
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an international treaty for cooperation in plant
protection. Its purpose is to secure common and effective action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of
plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control.
The IPPC was adopted by the Conference of FAO in 1951 and has been amended several times. Within the context
of the trade negotiations known as the Uruguay Round, it was clear that the IPPC would have a prominent position
in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement). Within the context
of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the role envisioned for the IPPC was to encourage international
harmonisation and elaborate international standards to help ensure that phytosanitary measures were not used as
unjustified barriers to trade.
88
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc89/pdf/c184.pdf.
89
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc89/pdf/r192.pdf.
90
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/norm/applying/index.htm.

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As a consequence, in 1997 the FAO Conference approved a new revised text of the IPPC which entered into force
on 2 October 2005. The new text emphasises cooperation and the exchange of information toward the objective of
global harmonisation. In addition to describing national plant protection responsibilities, it also addresses important
elements of international cooperation for the protection of plant health and the establishment and use of International
Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM).
The Convention recognises the rights of Parties to use phytosanitary measures to regulate the entry of plants and plant
products and other objects or material capable of harbouring plant pests. Countries can refuse entry, require treatment
or specify other requirements for regulated material. Countries also have the right to take emergency action on the
detection of pest posing a potential threat to their territories. The IPPC is developing an increasingly important role
as a framework that can be applied to matters of environmental protection. It includes both direct and indirect damage
by pests (including weeds), conveyances, containers, storage places, soil and other objects or material capable of
harbouring plant pests.
03
When applying phytosanitary measures, Parties have to comply with five main principles: (1) application of
restrictions on entry only when made necessary by phytosanitary considerations; (2) phytosanitary measures must
be technically justified; (3) Parties must publish any phytosanitary requirements promptly and make the rationale for
such measures available if requested; (4) proportionality of phytosanitary measures and minimal impediment to
international trade; and (5) non discrimination between countries of the same phytosanitary status.
The standards developed and adopted under the IPPC are not legally binding. However, WTO members are required
to base their phytosanitary measures on international standards developed within the framework of the IPPC, and
phytosanitary measures that conform to the ISPMs are presumed to be consistent with the SPS Agreements under the
WTO. The IPPC includes a dispute settlement mechanism for instances where phytosanitary measures may be
challenged as unjustified barriers to trade.
3.3.7. The conventions on protection of biodiversity
The link between the proliferation of chemicals in the environment and the resulting impact on the environment is
addressed indirectly in several international instruments aimed at conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in general.
The 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 91 the first intergovernmental treaty between nations for the
conservation of natural resources, aims broadly to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve those that
remain through wise use and management. There are currently 152 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with
1611 wetland sites, totalling 145.2 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of
International Importance. In its efforts to conserve wetlands and to use them wisely, the Ramsar Convention also
addresses activities which might have an indirect effect on wetlands, thereby leading to the loss of biodiversity or
diminishment of the many ecological, hydrological, cultural or social values of wetlands.
For example, in 1996, the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention adopted Recommendation 6.14
on toxic chemicals, 92 which notes that the adverse impact of toxic substances compromises the ecological character
of wetlands and that these threats to ecological character are incompatible with the wise use concept, and which
urges Parties to provide information on their efforts to remedy and to prevent pollution impacts affecting Ramsar sites
and other wetlands.
The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity 93 is the first global treaty to provide a comprehensive framework
that addresses all aspects of biodiversity – ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity. It aims to reverse the current
trend of destroying natural habitats and ecosystems at the rate of over 100 million hectares every year, by reconciling
the need for environmental conservation with concern for economic development and by promoting “sustainable
development”, i.e., ensuring that the earth’s renewable resources are not consumed so intensively that they cannot
replenish themselves.
91
http://www.ramsar.org/rec/key_rec_6.14.htm.
92
http://www.ramsar.org/rec/key_rec_6.14.htm.
93
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/legal/cbd-un-en.pdf.

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In addition to the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity, the
Convention also provides for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
In recognition of the potential of modern biotechnology to contribute to these three goals, as long as it is developed
and used with adequate safety measures for the environment and human health, the Parties to the Convention have
also adopted the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. 94
The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms
resulting from modern biotechnology. It establishes an advance informed agreement (AIA) procedure for ensuring that
countries are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of
such organisms into their territory. The Protocol also establishes a Biosafety Clearing-House to facilitate the exchange
of information on genetically modified organisms and to assist countries in the implementation of the Protocol.
3.4. THE REGIONAL AGREEMENTS
3.4.1. Comité Sahélien des Pesticides (CSP)
The Comité Sahélien des Pesticides 95 is an important regional initiative to manage pesticides, including the illegal
transport of banned pesticides. In 1992, under the umbrella of the Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel
(known by its French acronym CILSS), nine countries 96 agreed a Common Regulation for Pesticide Registration. This
regional system provides for the registration of pesticide formulations. It replaced the previous national registration
systems.
The Common Regulation covers the conditions and procedures for registering a formulation, labelling and packaging
requirements, protection of confidential information, and control measures. The system is operational through the
Comité Sahélien des Pesticides (CSP), which takes joint decisions for the CILSS member states concerning
implementation of the Common Regulation. The CSP examines requests for registration, maintains a register of all
authorisations granted, establishes lists of banned and severely restricted pesticides, inventories the pesticides
marketed and used in the CILSS countries, defines the methods for evaluating the composition and the quality of the
formulations with respect to health and the environment and coordinates with the national committees for pesticides
management in the CILSS countries.
3.4.2. The regional agreements on movements of hazardous waste
Complementing the Basel Convention are several regional and subregional agreements also aimed at addressing
the movement and management of hazardous wastes. These include:
- the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary
Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes 97 (adopted by the Organisation of African Unity in
1991 and entered into force in 1999);
- the Regional Agreement on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes 98 (adopted by Central
American countries in Panama in 1992 and not yet in force); and
- the Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and
Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes
within the South Pacific Region 99 (adopted in 1995 and entered into force in 2001).
94
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/legal/cartagena-protocol-en.pdf.
95
http://www.insah.org/agrosoc/Protectiondesvegetaux/csp/presentation.html.
96
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea Bissau,The Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.
97
http://www.ban.org/Library/bamako_treaty.html.
98
http://www.ban.org/Library/centroamerica.html.
99
http://www.ban.org/Library/waigani_treaty.html.

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3.4.3. The REACH Regulation & the EU regulatory framework for pesticides
At the end of 2006, the European Union adopted a major revision of its chemicals regulatory framework known as
REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) Regulation. 100 The new REACH Regulation is
aimed at filling the gaps in existing information on the hazardous properties of some 30,000 chemicals, and at
ensuring that the necessary information on the safe use of substances is transmitted along the industrial supply chain,
leading to reduced risks for workers, consumers and the environment.
REACH gives greater responsibility to industry by reversing the burden of proof concerning the risks associated with
chemicals. Manufacturers and importers of substances will be required to gather information on the properties of those
substances as well as how to manage them safely, and to register the information in a central database. The act of
registration requires submission of a technical dossier or chemical safety report (for substances in quantities of 10
tonnes or more) presenting information on the properties, uses and classification of a substance, in order to
demonstrate whether the risks arising from the foreseeable uses will be adequately controlled. The REACH Regulation
will utilise the GHS system of hazard classification.
03
REACH requires manufacturers or importers to pass the information on a chemical’s health, safety and environmental
properties as well as risks and risk management measures to downstream distributors and users via safety data
sheets. Similarly, any new information gathered by a downstream user must be passed back up the chain so that
everyone can take appropriate action. Substances considered of very high concern 101 will require an authorisation
in order to be placed on the market or used, and further restrictions may be imposed if the suggested risk management
measures cannot be demonstrated to be sufficient.
REACH also calls for the progressive substitution of the most dangerous chemicals when suitable alternatives have
been identified. REACH also recognises that application of the “precautionary principle” may be in order when
making decisions concerning what measures are needed to control adverse effects from chemicals. 102
A newly established European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) based in Helsinki, Finland, will support the REACH system.
It will manage the registration of substances and run the databases necessary to operate the system, including a public
database in which consumers and professionals will be able to find hazard information. The Agency will also play
an important role in the in-depth evaluation of suspicious chemicals and in authorisation of substances. 103
The EU is also in the process of a major reform of its legislative framework for pesticides. The current legislation
focuses on the start and end-of-life stages of pesticides, but fails to adequately control the use-phase. It divides
pesticides into two major groups, plant protection products and biocidal products. Directive 91/414/EEC 104 sets
strict rules for the authorisation of plant protection products (PPPs). Before a PPP can be authorised, placed on the
market and used, extensive risk assessment must be carried out to determine the product’s effects on health and
environment. Directive 98/8/EC sets similar rules for biocidal products. Other EU legislation defines maximum
residue limits (MRLs) on food and feed-stuffs.
The EU is currently considering a strategy to address the threats to human health and the environment posed by the
use of pesticides. A proposal for a Framework Directive sets out common objectives and requirements in order to
ensure coherence throughout the EU between the Member States which have more advanced measures addressing
these threats and those who have not. It addresses the actual use phase of the pesticides life-cycle, e.g. the temporary
storage of pesticides at farm level, the protection of operators, the preparation of the spraying solution and the
application itself.
100
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm.
101
Substances of very high concern are those classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMRs) category 1 or 2; persistent
bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT); very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); or that have been identified on a case-by-case basis as causing
serious equivalent effects to human beings or the environment, such as endocrine disrupters. See REACH,Annex VI, available at: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_396/l_39620061230en00010849.pdf.
102
Art. 1(3) of REACH:“This Regulation is based on the principle that it is for manufacturers, importers and downstream users to ensure that they
manufacture, place on the market or use such substances that do not adversely affect human health or the environment. Its provisions are
underpinned by the precautionary principle.” See also the 2001 EU Communication on the precautionary principle, available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/docum/20001_en.htm.
103
For further information, visit: http://echa.europa.eu/reach_en.html.
104
http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/protection/evaluation/legal_en.htm.

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The Framework Directive would make it mandatory for all Member States to establish national action plans, involving
all the relevant stakeholders in the process. They would also have to create a system of awareness-raising and training
of all professional users. Compulsory inspection of existing application equipment would be introduced and aerial
spraying would be prohibited (derogations would be granted in situations where there are no viable alternatives or
where it has clear advantages in terms of reduced impacts on health and the environment in comparison to land-based
application).
Protection of the aquatic environment would be enhanced, e.g. by the creation of buffer strips along water courses
and the use of low spray drift equipment. Member States would designate areas of significantly reduced or zero
pesticide use. Safe conditions would be established for storage and handling of pesticides and their packaging and
remnants.
Member States would also have to create the necessary conditions for implementing Integrated Pest Management
(IPM), which would become mandatory as of 2014. In the context of IPM, the EU would draw up crop-specific
standards, the implementation of which would be voluntary. Finally, a set of harmonised indicators would be
developed to measure progress in implementing the Strategy.
The strategy features two additional law proposals: one on the requirements to be met by new pesticide application
equipment and the other one on the collection of statistics on plant protection products. In addition, the Commission
has put forward a proposal for a Regulation 105 revising the 1991 directive on the placing of plant protection products
on the market. The proposed Regulation would promote substitution of the more hazardous pesticides by less harmful
means of pest control.
105
http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/protection/evaluation/com2006_0388en01.pdf.

IMPLEMENTING THE CODES & CONVENTIONS
TO PREVENT PESTICIDE PROBLEMS
04
The previous section provides an overview of the different international instruments that have been agreed among
various countries with the aim of addressing chemicals-related problems, with a focus on those relevant to pesticides.
But do all of these conventions and codes fit together and, if so, how? And how can a government and its citizens
make sure that the national regulatory scheme is adequate for safe management of chemicals (including pesticides),
and for implementing the international obligations it has assumed?
This section examines the various international obligations related to safe management of pesticides in the context
of an operational scheme organised around the concept of the “pesticide life cycle.” 106 The aim is to provide officials
and/or laypersons with a practical approach to what needs to be in place on national, regional and local level in
order to implement the international obligations in these agreements and to effectively manage pesticide-related
risks at each stage of the chemical life cycle.
The pesticide life cycle begins at the point of manufacture of the active pesticidal substance and continues with its
formulation into a product and the subsequent promotion, distribution and sale of that product. The product is then
used and/or stored, after which any unwanted products and emptied containers must then be disposed. Figure 4.1
presents the pesticide life cycle concept in schematic form.
Figure 4.1: The pesticide life cycle
Raw materials and energy
Development & manufacture of the active substance
Formulation of the pesticide product
Transport
Packaging & labelling
Trade and distribution
Transport
Cross-border trade
In country marketing and distribution
Retail sales & handling
Storage
Use (application)
Disposal (including containers and OPs
106
Art.14 of the Rotterdam Convention.

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Implementing the codes & conventions to prevent pesticide problems
The first subsection considers the term ‘implementation’ in the context of the international chemicals agreements. It
explains how the term is used in this guide to cover the basic governance structures that governments need to set in
place to ensure compliance with international obligations. These include national legislation, institutional structures
at national and local levels, administrative systems, monitoring and enforcement.
The next subsection considers cross-cutting elements that should be in an overall national regulatory framework for
basic chemicals management that also apply to pesticides. These include assessment and classification of chemicals
by hazard, systems for hazard communication, systems for authorisation and de-authorisation, data collection and
information sharing, environmental protection, and protection of human health. The final part reviews the legal and
practical elements that need to be in place during the pesticide life cycle – from the time of manufacture and/or
formulation until its sale and use, through the final stage of waste management and disposal.
The trend in chemicals regulation is that the obligation to control unacceptable risks is a responsibility shared among
multiple stakeholders, and not only a task carved out only for governments. For example, the Code of Conduct’s
Article 6 on regulatory and technical requirements sets forth a long list of what governments should do, but in the
same Article obliges the pesticide industry, if it has knowledge of problems, to take voluntary corrective actions and
collaborate with governments to find solutions to difficulties. This industry obligation even extends to voluntary recalls
of a pesticide when its use as recommended represents an unacceptable risk to human and animal health or the
environment. 107 This section therefore also provides summaries of the responsibilities of the various stakeholders at
different stages in the pesticide life cycle.
4.1. WHAT IS IMPLEMENTATION?
The term ‘implementation’ does not have an equivalent term in many languages and is therefore subject to a variety
of interpretations. In this section we use the term ‘implementation’ to refer to the range of measures and actions that
a government and other stakeholders need to take in order to ensure that their international obligations are respected
within the national territory. These include:
National legislation: The international obligations need to become national law in order to be implemented in
practice. In some countries, a convention may become part of national law as soon as it is ratified. In other countries,
the obligations in an international convention do not take effect until they have been transposed either directly or by
reference into national laws. In any case, it is important for the national laws and regulations to state who will be
expected to do what, and the sanctions to be applied if those obligations are not carried out. These laws also need
to include basic chemicals risk management measures, such as classification and labelling, and regulatory systems
specifically tailored to control risks related to the use of pesticides, such as registration systems and training
requirements. The FAO guide on Designing national pesticide legislation published in 2007 is particularly useful for
advice on how to set in place an overall regulatory framework for pesticides management. 108
Institutional structures & resources: National laws remain documents on paper in the absence of implementation.
Implementation of the international chemicals agreements within the national territory requires institutional structures,
administrative systems and adequate resources for implementing the various obligations and for ensuring effective
management of chemicals, including pesticides.
For example, most conventions require governments to designate competent authorities, i.e., the agencies that will
be responsible for implementing the various obligations. These agencies then need to be provided with the resources
(trained staff, equipment, etc.) required to carry out specific duties related to the international agreement and to
monitor and report on compliance with the obligations.
107
Art. 8.2.5 of the Code of Conduct.
108
J.Vapnek, I. Pagotto & M. Kwoka. Designing national pesticide legislation, FAO Legislative Study 97) (Rome, 2007). Order online at:
http://www.fao.org/icatalog/search/dett.asp?aries_id=109041&ch_lang=en. See also the UNEP/FAO Guide on the Development of National Laws to
Implement the Rotterdam Convention, available at:http://www.pic.int/Guidance/Guide-National%20Laws.pdf.

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In some countries responsibilities for the specific tasks stemming from the international chemicals agreements are
grouped under one agency, which can lead to better coordination and efficiencies. In other countries, responsibilities
may be assigned to different authorities, in which case coordinating mechanisms will be needed. The types of
functions or tasks that will need to be carried out by the governments of Parties include:
• International communications & coordination. There generally needs to be a designated national authority
(DNA) responsible for all communications between the national government and the convention (or code)
secretariat. Often known as the “national focal point” for the convention in question, this authority serves
as the interface between the convention secretariat and any implementing committees, working groups or
civil society participation working at international level to implement various elements of the convention.
• National communications & coordination. An authority responsible for coordinating among the various
national bodies is also needed – one with competence for different aspects of implementing the obligations
in an international agreement. This coordinating role is very important to ensure systematic information
exchange and sharing of databases, and to avoid duplicative or contradictory activities. The need for
coordination is clear when one considers that most countries’ systems of pesticide management involve, at
a minimum, the ministries and/or agencies with these national level functions:
• Promotion of agriculture, e.g., extension services
04
• Registration (licensing) of pesticide products
• Standard setting and licensing, e.g., laboratory facilities for chemicals analysis
• Protection of the environment, e.g., monitoring of any impacts on the environment, such as on
biodiversity or water quality, and taking special measures if needed
• Protection of human health (treatment of poisonings, registry of poisoning incidents)
• Protection of consumers (standards for residues on foods, monitoring & testing of foods)
• Protection of workers (inspections of conditions for agricultural labourers or workers in formulation
facilities)
• Border control, e.g., customs
• Export and import requirements, e.g., licensing authorities for import or export
• Monitoring & enforcement of marketplace controls, including labelling
• Standard setting and licensing, e.g., laboratory facilities for chemicals analysis
A successful example of a national chemicals coordinating body can be found in Thailand. In 1996 the National
Coordinating Committee on Chemical Safety was formed to coordinate the efforts of the 11 ministries and government
agencies concerned, along with various NGOs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) served as the secretariat.
The national coordinating committee’s first major responsibility was to develop the National Master Plan on Chemical
Safety for the Period 1997-2001, which was then incorporated into the 8th National Socio-economic Development
Plan. 109
In addition to concerned NGOs (including farmers associations and trade unions), coordinating bodies should also
include representatives of regional and local bodies since they may also have important roles to play. For instance,
local governments may be in the best situation to handle collection of pesticide-related waste (e.g., used containers),
with regional governments assuming responsibility for the safe disposal of such waste in regional hazardous waste
facilities.
109
See http://www.fda.moph.go.th/fda-net/html/product/other/tcmp.htm for Thailand’s National Chemicals Management Profile.

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• Specific administrative functions. Some of the chemicals conventions have obligations that require the
carrying out of specific administrative tasks. For example, the Rotterdam Convention’s system of prior
informed consent (PIC) requires governments to exchange information via post or the internet, as well as to
keep records. Governments of both exporting and importing countries are also obliged to actively inform the
pesticide industry of its obligations. 110 The Basel Convention’s obligations with respect to shipments of
hazardous waste require similar systems for information exchange and recordkeeping.
• Monitoring & enforcement systems: Finally, national measures need to be in place to ensure that the
international obligations are in fact respected within the national territory. This requires systems for
monitoring what is happening in the marketplaces where pesticides are sold and in the fields where they are
applied, along with reporting mechanisms and trained specialists and equipment for carrying out analysis
and inspections. There will also need to be consequences, e.g., fines or other sanctions, for any violations
found.
The next sections go into these and other elements of implementation in more detail.
4.2. CROSS-CUTTING ELEMENTS FOR BASIC CHEMICALS
& PESTICIDES REGULATION
While most countries have some form of pesticide regulatory system in place, more general chemicals management
rules may be missing. A comprehensive regulatory framework for general chemicals management is important to
provide basic foundational capacity for pesticides management throughout the pesticide life cycle and to raise the
level of overall protection for human health and the environment.
The term “regulatory framework” includes the national legislation and regulations that establish the basic rules, as
well as the institutional structures, including competent authorities, and administrative systems needed for implementing
the legal requirements. A number of common features viewed today as “best practices” can be found in many
regulatory frameworks for chemicals management. These best practices include:
• Assessment of chemicals to identify and classify by hazard;
• Assessment of any risks of exposure to the hazard and identification of any protective measures needed;
• Communication of hazards and protective measures required, e.g., through labelling and safety data sheets,
training requirements;
• Ongoing collection and analysis of data on chemicals, such as products and their uses, as well as impacts
on health and environment;
• Restrictions, including authorisation requirements or bans, where chemical-specific controls are needed.
This section reviews the basic cross-cutting elements found in a general chemicals management regulatory scheme
as well as in a well-functioning pesticides regulatory scheme. The international instrument that provides the most
comprehensive guidance on regulatory systems for the safe management of pesticides is the Code of Conduct. This
section therefore draws heavily on the Code, while also referring to other international instruments, such as the
Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, where relevant.
The FAO has also developed a number of guidelines on how to implement various provisions of the Code, and these
may be found on the FAO website. 111 These guidance documents offer information on regulatory requirements but
also on implementation and enforcement. The website about the Code of Conduct developed by PAN Germany is
another useful source of information, 112 especially for civil society.
110
Art.14 of the Rotterdam Convention.
111
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/r.htm.
112
http://www.fao-code-action.info/.

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4.2.1. Assessment & classification of chemicals, including pesticides
4.2.1(a) Assessment & classification of chemicals in general
Accurate and reliable information about chemicals is at the core of effective chemicals management systems.
Scientific testing and empirical evidence are used to identify intrinsic hazards posted by a particular substance or
preparation. Substances can then be grouped together with other substances having similar hazards – a process
known as classification.
Hazard classification provides the foundation for measures to assess and manage the risks associated with chemical
substances. Classification by hazard is an efficient way to communicate important information to producers, workers,
users and even policy makers.
Information about a chemical’s intrinsic hazards, combined with information about possible types of exposures (both
human and environmental), can help to assess the risks likely to occur with respect to that chemical. Risk assessment
refers to the analytical methods used to determine the significance of a particular threat, both its nature and extent,
while risk management refers to a process of evaluating alternative actions and selecting the most appropriate
response to the potential hazard.
It should be noted that the use of risk assessment and risk management tools with respect to chemicals is a problematic
and contested process. One debate concerns the degree to which the precautionary principle should be applied;
another area of contention revolves around assessment of alternatives and, particularly with respect to pesticides
management, the lack of attention to non-chemical alternatives.
04
The testing of a chemical to determine its intrinsic properties is usually the responsibility of the company that wishes
to place the chemical on the market. While the company may suggest which classification would be appropriate
for the chemical, the final decision on classification is a regulatory decision taken by the government authority
responsible for chemicals management.
In the past, systems for classifying chemicals according to intrinsic hazard have varied from country to country,
sometimes creating difficulties for cross-border trades of chemicals. International efforts to classify chemicals have
included the UN system covering transport of dangerous goods described in section 2 as well as the WHO
Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard. 113
As described in Section 3, the 1992 Rio Conference initiated the international effort which has led to the development
of the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). 114 Both the UN system for
transport of dangerous goods and the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard are undergoing
the changes needed to bring them into accordance with the GHS. The second revision published in 2007 is the
basic reference. 115
The GHS provides common definitions and criteria for identifying whether chemicals and chemical products have one
or more intrinsic hazards requiring risk management measures. Assessment is to be on the basis of internationally
recognised testing methodologies carried out in accredited testing facilities. Chemicals that are assessed according
to internationally recognised standards and that are found to have an intrinsic hazard meeting the internationally
agreed criteria are then classified into one of the GHS hazard categories. The box below provides a list of the GHS
Hazard Classifications agreed to date.
113
http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/pesticides_hazard/en/.
114
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_welcome_e.html.
115
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html.

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Box 4.1: GHS Hazard Classifications
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Explosives
Flammable gases
Flammable aerosols
Oxidising gases
Gases under pressure
Flammable liquids
Flammable solids
Self-reactive substances and mixtures
Pyrophoric liquids
Pyrophoric solids
Self-heating substances and mixtures
Substances and mixtures which, in contact with
water, emit flammable gases
Oxidising liquids
Oxidising solids
Organic peroxides
Corrosive to metals
HEALTH HAZARDS
Acute toxicity
Skin corrosion/irritation
Serious eye damage/eye irritation
Respiratory or skin sensitisation
Germ cell mutagenicity
Carcinogenicity
Reproductive toxicity
Specific target organ systemic toxicity – Single
exposure
Specific target organ systemic toxicity – Repeated
exposure
Aspiration hazard
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
Hazardous to the aquatic environment
There are many gaps in the information available on the intrinsic hazards of the chemicals in use today. Of the over
100,000 chemicals on the global market, only a very limited number have been adequately tested for hazardous
properties, and therefore many chemicals remain unclassified.
In an effort to address this problem, several countries have started programmes to test those chemicals already on
the market for which there is already concern. The most ambitious effort to date is the REACH (Registration, Evaluation
and Authorisation of Chemicals) framework adopted by the EU and which came into force in 2007. 116 A Regulation
to introduce the GHS system of hazard classification as part of the REACH framework is expected to be adopted by
the EU in 2008.
4.2.1(b) Assessment & classification of pesticides
Most national regulatory frameworks for pesticides establish a registration scheme that requires prior assessment of
pesticide active ingredients and formulations to identify risks and to determine whether their marketing, sale and use
should be permitted in the territory. Most registration schemes (see below) typically require the company – as part
of its registration application – to provide scientific information and data on the efficacy of the pesticide or pesticide
product for a particular use, along with information on intrinsic hazards and related health or environmental risks.
The chemicals in a pesticide product include the “active ingredients” as well as other substances that make up a
particular formulation. These other substances – often called “inert ingredients” – are included in order to make these
products more potent or easier to use, 117 and may also be hazardous. The GHS system of classification applies to
these inert ingredients as well.
Responsibility for gathering the data needed for the assessment of pesticides usually rests with the company that
wishes to register the active ingredient or formulation for sale on the market. These data are usually obtained via
tests carried out by the applicant on the pesticide or pesticide product. The Code of Conduct requires that the active
ingredients and formulation should be tested according to internationally recognised methods, 118 in accordance with
sound scientific procedures and the principles of good laboratory practice. 119
116
Details on REACH are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm. See also the website of the European Chemicals
Agency website at: http://echa.europa.eu.
117
See http://www.pesticide.org/ActiveInertsRel.html for more information on hazards posed by so-called inerts.
118
Art. 4.1.1 of the Code of Conduct.

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The types of data that are required include:
• Intrinsic properties (hazards): sufficient information on the properties (e.g., physiochemical or toxic to human
health or the environment) of the pesticide active ingredient or other pesticide product ingredients to enable
it to be classified by hazard according to internationally accepted systems. 120
• Efficacy: data concerning the effectiveness of the active ingredient and pesticide product for the intended
pest control use, gained from tests carried out according to internationally recognised methods and under
conditions relevant to those in the regions or countries of use. 121
• Behaviour & fate: information on behaviour & fate of the pesticide and other product ingredients in the
environment (e.g., solubility, persistence, products of decomposition), as well as results of residue trials (to
provide the basis for establishing appropriate maximum and minimum residue limits). These trials are to be
carried out in accordance with Codex Alimentarius and FAO guidelines on good analytical practice. 122
The Code of Conduct requires the registration applicant to provide “an objective pesticides data assessment” 123 as
well as sufficient data to support an evaluation of associated risks and to allow a risk management decision to be
made. 124 In addition, the applicant is generally required to provide regulatory authorities with any new or updated
information as soon as it becomes available. 125
04
This information is assessed by the regulatory authorities who then decide whether or not to permit the product to go
on the market. If the authorities consider that the information is not sufficient to fully assess the effectiveness and
adequacy of the pesticide, the company applying for registration must then provide more information. The applicant
seeing the registration of a pesticide product or formulation may request that some of the information be kept
confidential on the grounds of commercial secrecy. National legislation normally includes provisions indicating what
information may not be kept confidential, e.g., health and environmental hazards. The conditions for the application
of confidentiality are discussed below in section 4.2.7(b).
Box 4.2: Assessment & classification of chemicals, including pesticides
Industry:
• Test chemicals for intrinsic hazards and classify accordingly
• Provide additional data when needed
Governments:
• Establish foundational legislation on classification and labelling, with clear allocation
of responsibilities
• Review industry-proposed classification and take final decision
119
Cf., OECD principles on good laboratory practice (as revised in 1997). OECD, Paris. 1998, available at: http://www.oecd.org/ehs/glp.htm, also Art. 4.1.2
of the Code of Conduct.
120
E.g., classification according to the criteria of Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), UNECE, first revised
edition 2004.The second revised edition will be published in 2007. Text available at: http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev01/01files_e.html;
Code of Conduct,Art 7.2.
121
Cf., Guidelines on efficacy data for the registration of pesticides for plant protection, FAO, 1985, Rome, available at:
http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/;Art. 4.1.1 of the Code of Conduct.
122
Art. 4.1.7 of the Code of Conduct.The Code cites several FAO guidelines on crop residue data and the establishment of maximum residue limits which
are available at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
123
Art. 6.2.1 of the Code of Conduct.The Code does not define the term “objective pesticides data assessment”.
124
Art. 6.2.1 of the Code of Conduct.The Code does not define the term “objective pesticides data assessment”.
125
Art. 6.1.3 of the Code of Conduct.

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Implementing the codes & conventions to prevent pesticide problems
4.2.2. Hazard communication (symbols, labelling, safety data sheets)
4.2.2(a) Hazard communication for chemicals in general
Hazards posed by chemicals that could lead to risks to humans or to the environment should be communicated
effectively to those who use or otherwise come into contact with those chemicals during their life-cycle, e.g., during
manufacturing, handling and storage, transport, marketing and use. Systems for classifying chemicals by hazard
are therefore often linked to parallel systems of hazard communication. These systems typically feature hazard
symbols and codified phrases designed to provide essential information in easily understood formats. Key elements
of the GHS hazard communication system include:
• Symbols
• Precautionary statements
• Protective measures
Symbols are aimed at communicating the essential information about a substance at a glance, and are intended to
be understood whether or not the viewer is able to read. The figure below provides the key hazard symbols agreed
to date under GHS.
Figure 4.2: GHS Hazard Symbols
Flame Flame over circle Exploding bomb
Corrosion Gas Cylinder Skull & crossbones
Exclamation mark Environment Health hazard

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Four of the symbols are used to indicate physico-chemical hazards. The flame symbol indicates that a liquid or solid
is flammable or pyrophoric (catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air), while the flame-over-circle symbol is used
to show that a liquid or solid is oxidising. The exploding bomb symbol indicates explosivity or self-reactivity, while
the gas cylinder indicates gas under pressure.
Three of the symbols are used to indicate hazards to human health. The skull & crossbones indicates acute toxicity
– oral, dermal, and inhalation (classes 1, 2 & 3). The exclamation point indicates acute toxicity – oral, dermal, and
inhalation (class 4, a lower degree of toxicity). The health hazard symbol (a human head and upper torso with
damage inside the chest) is used to indicate a number of hazards, including respiratory sensitisation (class 1), germ
cell mutagenicity (classes 1 & 2), carcinogenicity (classes 1 & 2), toxic to reproduction (classes 1 & 2), specific target
organ toxicity (classes 1 & 2), and aspiration hazard.
One symbol – the liquid splashing on an object or a hand – can be used to indicate a physico-chemical hazard
(corrosive to metal) as well as a human health hazard (skin corrosion/irritation). The ninth symbol – a dead fish
beside a dead tree – indicates a hazard to the environment.
Though these symbols have been designed to communicate specific hazard information at a glance, they may be
difficult to understand without prior training to explain the meaning of the pictograms. Moreover, these symbols are
different from the pictograms previously recommended under the WHO Recommended Classification for Pesticides.
However, as noted earlier, the WHO system is in the process of revision to bring it into conformity with the GHS.
04
The second element of hazard communication under GHS is the precautionary statement. These are used
together with hazard symbols in order to provide the additional details necessary to communicate full information to
the user. For example, the label for a substance classified as being acutely toxic to humans (class 1, 2 or 3) should
have the skull & crossbones symbol and the appropriate precautionary statement, e.g., “fatal if swallowed”, “fatal
in contact with skin”, “toxic if swallowed”, etc., depending on the degree of acute toxicity. If classified as acutely
toxic (class 4), the appropriate precautionary statement might be “harmful if swallowed” and the exclamation point
symbol should appear.
Labels and safety data sheets are used to communicate the hazardous nature of the substance as well as safety
measures to be taken during handling and use. The information needs to be simple enough to be easily
understandable by the handler (for instance, during transport) and the user. At a minimum, labels on containers for
hazardous substances and products must provide the chemical name and the symbol showing the hazard
classification.
The size of the label often limits the amount of information that the label can provide. Too much information on the
label can be confusing to the user, especially if the language is technical or the typeface too small for easy reading.
Language can also be a barrier, if the label is not in the language of the user or the user is not literate.
The format of the safety data sheet has been developed in order to provide more extensive information to those
who deal with chemicals in the workplace, e.g., during production or their commercial application. Making safety
data sheets readily available is intended to enable both employers and workers to understand the hazards of the
chemicals they are using, so as to manage those chemicals more safely. While safety data sheets are aimed primarily
for use in the workplace, they are also important references for others, including those involved in the transport of
dangerous goods, emergency responders (including poison centres), and those involved in the professional use of
pesticides.

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The GHS format for safety data sheets requires the following 16 elements. 126
Box 4.3: Elements for Safety Data Sheets
1. Substance & supplier identification 9. Physical/chemical properties
2. Hazard identification 10. Stability/reactivity
3. Composition/ingredients 11. Toxicological information
4. First aid 12. Ecological information
5. Fire-fighting measures 13. Disposal
6. Accidental release measures 14. Transport information
7. Handling and storage 15. Regulatory information
8. Exposure controls/personal
protection
16. Other
Under the GHS system, a safety data sheet (SDS) should be produced for all substances and mixtures meeting the
harmonised criteria for physical, health or environmental hazards and for all mixtures that contain substances meeting
the criteria for carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity or specific target organ toxicity in concentrations exceeding
certain cut-off limits. This SDS should accompany the chemical throughout the production and distribution process
so that workers and other persons who may come into contact with the chemical are informed of its properties and
provided with important safety information.
As already noted, it is generally the responsibility of the chemical industry to carry out the testing needed for
classification, registration and preliminary labelling. However, classification is ultimately a regulatory decision, since
it determines how the chemical must be labelled and whether any additional controls or restrictions are necessary.
National legislation should therefore designate the parties responsible for carrying out classification and labelling,
as well as what system of classification and labelling will apply.
While many countries lack the technical capacity for the testing and classification of chemicals, much of this
information is readily available from international registries or other sources. such as the future REACH registry. For
example, the ILO has developed over 1500 International Chemical Safety Cards, 127 which provide essential health
and safety information on chemicals to promote their safe use. ICSCs provide information on the intrinsic hazards of
specific chemicals together with first aid and fire-fighting measures, and information about precautions for spillage,
disposal, storage, packaging, labelling and transport. While ICSCs have no legal status and may not reflect in all
cases the detailed requirements included in national legislation, they are used at the “shop floor” level by workers
in employers in factories, agriculture, construction and other workplaces and often form part of education and training
activities.
The PAN Pesticides Database 128 is another important source of current toxicity and regulatory information for
pesticides, including links to information on least-toxic and non-toxic methods of pest control. The Source Guide in
Annex II provides links for other chemicals databases.
126
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev01/English/08e_annex4.pdf.
127
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/.
128
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/.

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Box 4.4: Hazard communication (symbols, labelling, safety data sheets)
Pesticide industry:
• Label pesticides in the national language according to classification
• Provide safety data sheets with all shipments and to professional users
• Provide additional data when needed
Governments:
• Establish foundational legislation on classification and labelling, with clear allocation of
responsibilities
• Control labels and safety data sheets for compliance
• Carry out information campaign through agricultural services, radio or TV on how to read
labels and interpret the symbols
Others (trade unions, civil society, including NGOs):
• Help to train workers, farmers, agricultural workers, distributors about importance of
reading labels and understanding the symbols and pictograms
04
4.2.2(b) Hazard communication for pesticides
Pesticides are subject to the standard requirements on hazard communication as for other chemicals and must at the
same time conform to pesticide-specific labelling requirements, discussed at some length at section 4.3.3(a).
In addition to the mandatory hazard communication symbols described above, other visual communication devices,
such as pictograms, are important in pesticide labelling. A pictogram is a stylized drawing used to express important
information that must be processed quickly, or when users speak different or have limited linguistic ability (e.g.,
people with low levels of literacy or little education). Pictograms can be especially important when there is a legal
obligation to inform, and for the user to comply with information, mainly for safety purposes, as is often the case when
using pesticides.
Below are a series of ‘pictograms’ that have been developed specially to communicate various precautionary
measures related to pesticides use. They have been designed to capture attention, increase awareness of risk, and
communicate important safety measures to be taken during the application of chemical pesticides.

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Figure 4.3: Pictograms on precautionary measures
Handling liquid
Handling dry
concentrate
Application
Wear protection over
nose & mouth
Wear gloves Wear eye protection Wash after use Wear overall
Keep locked away and
out of reach of children
Wear face shield Wear apron Wear respirator
Wear boots
4.2.3. Authorisation & de-authorisation (bans)
4.2.3(a) For chemicals in general
The authority to establish restrictions and other regulatory measures when certain chemicals are determined to pose
unacceptable risks because of impacts on human health and the environment during their life cycle is an essential
element of an overall chemicals regulatory scheme. Under the new REACH Regulation just adopted by the European
Union, substances considered of very high concern 129 will require an authorisation in order to be placed on the
market or used, and further restrictions may be imposed if the suggested risk management measures are not
demonstrated to be sufficient.
129
Substances of very high concern are those classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMRs) category 1 or 2; persistent
bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT); very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); or that have been identified on a case-by-case basis as causing
serious equivalent effects to human beings or the environment, such as endocrine disrupters. See REACH,Annex VI, available at: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_396/l_39620061230en00010849.pdf.

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Restrictions on chemical use as a means of managing associated risks are at the core of the chemicals conventions.
The Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) 130 and the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting
substances 131 are both aimed at the phase-out and eventual elimination of certain chemicals which have been found
to pose unacceptable risks to human health and/or the environment. The Rotterdam Convention on prior informed
consent (PIC) 132 is aimed at informing Parties when a chemical in international trade has been severely restricted or
banned by other Parties to the Convention for health or environmental reasons, so that importing countries can take
informed decisions about whether additional measures are needed to manage any associated risks.
In 2006, the FAO Council at its 131 st session recommended that the FAO consider activities aimed at risk reduction,
including a progressive ban on highly hazardous pesticides. 133 The recommendation recognised the limitations of
the WHO classification system, where some pesticides with a record of causing health hazards under conditions of
use in developing countries, were listed in categories denoting a lower hazard. It noted that in view of the broad
range of activities envisaged within SAICM, there was currently the momentum to address the use of highly toxic
pesticides (HTPs), especially in developing countries.
In addition to negative bans, such as the Stockholm Convention’s list of POPs, regulatory schemes can also be based
on positive lists, e.g., chemicals which have been determined, after an assessment process, to be suitable for a
particular use. Annex I of the EU Directive on plant protection products, which lists active substances approved for
inclusion in pesticide products, is an example of the use of a positive list. 134
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4.2.3(b) For pesticides in particular
The Code of Conduct states that governments should strive to establish pesticide registration schemes to ensure that
each pesticide product is registered before it is made available for use. 135 A pesticide registration/authorisation
system requires a government to have the relevant technical capacity to handle the registration of pesticides, and to
ensure that only registered pesticides are placed on the market for sale and use within the territory. At a minimum,
this requires designation of a competent authority and ensuring sufficient trained personnel to carry out a scientific
assessment of the data put forward in any applications for registration of a pesticide active ingredient or product.
Monitoring capacity should also be in place so that any non-registered products that may enter the market can be
identified and removed.
The Code of Conduct also recommends that governments cooperate with other governments to establish harmonised
pesticide registration requirements, either regionally or by groups of countries. 136 The work of the Comité Sahélien
des Pesticides described in Section 3 is an example of best practice in this regard. The European Union through its
Directives on plant protection products and biocides is another example of a successful regional scheme for pesticide
authorisation.
The registration/authorisation system should take into account local needs, social and economic conditions, levels
of literacy, climatic conditions and availability of appropriate pesticide application and personal protective
equipment. 137 It should indicate the specific uses for which the active ingredient or product is authorised, as well as
any conditions or restrictions related to its use. For example, some pesticides may be considered to pose significant
risks that can be managed only by professional users. The regulatory decision may be to not authorise the pesticide
product for sale to the general public.
The parameters for taking pesticide registration decisions can vary widely and should be left to the discretion of
each government. However, the regulatory and other control measures in place must be sufficient to ensure that the
product can be handled with appropriate protections and acceptable levels of risk to the user and the environment.
130
http://www.pops.int/.
131
http://ozone.unep.org/pdfs/Montreal-Protocol2000.pdf.
132
http://www.pic.int/.
133
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/011/j9387e.pdf.
134
A proposal for a new regulation on authorisation of plant protection products is currently under consideration by the EU. COM(2006) 388 final,
available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ppps/strategy.htm.
135
Art. 6.1.2 of the Code of Conduct.
136
Art. 6.1.5 of the Code of Conduct.

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It is important for the registration scheme to allow for periodic reviews of the active ingredients and pesticides 138 to
enable regulatory action to be taken e.g. if new data emerges concerning risks posed by a particular pesticide or
use. This can be ensured by limiting the period of time for which an authorisation is valid. In any case, registrants
should be required to inform the authorities whenever new data about risks associated with the use of a pesticide
becomes available, so that regulatory action can be taken if necessary.
The registration scheme should also provide for de-registration (i.e. bans and phase-outs) of pesticides whenever
appropriate, as when new information indicates that a particular use or all uses within the territory poses
unacceptable risks. The international information exchanges under the Stockholm 139 and the Rotterdam 140
Conventions are important mechanisms through which information gathered in one country can be shared with
national authorities in other countries. Civil society and NGOs have played (and can play) an important role here,
e.g., by developing “black lists” of problematic pesticides that should be taken off the market, such as PAN’s Dirty
Dozen list. 141
Box 4.5: Registration & de-registration
Pesticide industry:
• Take voluntary corrective action, including recalls for pesticides
• Pass onto governments new information that may affect a pesticide’s status
Governments:
• Establish registration schemes & designate a competent authority to manage it
• Establish monitoring system to identify impacts of pesticides
• Review data on efficacy, impacts on human health & the environment and so on, & take any
regulatory actions needed, including deregistration and bans
Others (health practitioners, civil society):
• Collect information on health and other problems associated with pesticides and pass onto
the authorities
4.2.4. Data collection & management, including registries
4.2.4(a)
For chemicals in general
The systematic collection of data on chemicals, and their impacts on health and the environment throughout their lifecycles,
is an essential component of chemicals management and effective regulation. The Rotterdam Convention 142
suggests the establishment of national registers and databases including safety information for chemicals, as one of
the measures that may be important for the effective implementation of the Convention. The Code of Conduct and
the Stockholm Convention also have information management requirements that could be coordinated with the
Rotterdam Convention provisions.
Some data may be collected via national statistics offices, e.g., data on chemicals that are imported and exported.
Other data are most effectively gathered by specialist agencies, e.g., poison centres run by ministries of health should
keep records of incidents of poisonings, in order to spot whether certain chemicals may need specific controls.
Inventories of contaminated sites and of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides may also be established as part of a country’s
chemicals management scheme.
137
Art. 6.1.1 of the Code of Conduct.
138
Art. 6.1.6 of the Code of Conduct.
139
Art. 9 of the Stockholm Convention.
140
Art. 14 of the Rotterdam Convention.
141
http://www.panna.org/files/dirtyDozenChart.dv.html
142
Art. 15.1(a) of the Rotterdam Convention.

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A number of European countries maintain product registers which provide information on the composition
(formulation) of mixtures on the market that include one or more hazardous substances. For example, the Danish
Product Register Data Base maintained by the Danish National Working Environment Authority contains information
on 140,000 chemical substances (of which more than 14,000 are components in registered products) and 100,000
mixtures or preparations (of which 35,000 are dangerous end-user products). 143 Paints and cleaning products are
examples of common products that may contain chemicals classified as hazardous. Whether or not the product as
a whole is hazardous usually depends on the amount (concentration level) of the hazardous substance compared to
the other substances in the mixture. A register can also include information on the companies that are responsible
for the product’s manufacture and placing on the market.
The Stockholm Convention urges Parties to consider developing mechanisms such as pollutant release and transfer
registers (PRTRs) for the collection and dissemination of information on estimates of annual quantities of POPs released
or disposed of. 144 A PRTR is a catalogue or register of potentially harmful pollutant releases or transfers to the
environment from a variety of sources. PRTRs have been established by a range of countries in the effort to gather
more comprehensive information about a range of pollutants released to air, water and soil.
A PRTR can enable a government to track the generation and release of potentially harmful emissions as well as the
fate of various pollutants over time. Some PRTRs cover transfers of pollutants/wastes to treatment and disposal sites.
Others also aim to cover pollutants released from diffuse sources, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides released
in the course of agricultural practices. PRTRs are thus inventories of pollution from industries and other sources. They
are most effective when compiled in electronic form and accessible over the internet. A Protocol on PRTRs 145 has been
developed under the aegis of the UNECE’s Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation and
Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. 146 An example of PRTR is the European Polluting Emissions Register (EPER)
maintained by the European Environment Agency which is in compliance with the PRTR Protocol requirements. 147
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Registers such as PRTRs present many advantages, although in countries where computers are scarce and access to
Internet difficult, the usefulness of an internet accessible PRTR is diminished and the expense of setting up a PRTR may
seem excessive. However, PRTRs can be useful in establishing coordinated nationwide systems for reporting and
collecting information on pollutant releases.
4.2.4(b) For pesticides in particular
The Code of Conduct charges governments with utilising multiple means for collecting reliable data, maintaining
statistics on environmental contamination and reporting specific incidents related to pesticides. These data are to
include information on the import, export, manufacture, formulation, quality, quantity, and use of pesticides, in order
to assess the extent of any possible effects on human health or the environment. 148
Gathering such data requires that governments have the institutional infrastructure for data recording and
management, as well as the regulatory powers to require data gathering and reporting in the first place. Accordingly,
the Code of Conduct notes the need for governments to improve regulations for collecting and recording data on
import, export, manufacture, formulation quality and quantity of pesticides. 149 The data collected and recorded will
enable authorities to assess the extent of any effects on human health and/or the environment and to follow trends
in pesticides use, 150 with a view to identifying where additional controls may be needed.
For a national tracking system to be effective, it should cover the pesticides marketed in the country and include
health surveillance programmes, along with statistics on health aspects, including effects of pesticides on
occupationally exposed people, incidents related to pesticide use, such as accidental and intentional poisonings, and
so on. The monitoring system should cover the accepted uses as well as their availability to each sector of the public.
It could also provide for special reviews when indicated by scientific evidence.
143
http://www.at.dk/sw12538.asp.
144
Art. 10.5 of the Stockholm Convention.
145
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.htm.
146
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/.
147
http://eper.ec.europa.eu/eper/.
148
Arts 5.1.9 and 6.1.8 of the Code of Conduct.
149
Art. 6.1.7 of the Code of Conduct.
150
Art. 6.1.8 of the Code of Conduct.

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Pesticide industry and governments should collaborate in this post-registration surveillance, e.g., on monitoring studies
to determine the fate of pesticides and their health and environmental effects under field conditions. Academic
expertise may also be valuable. An example of best practice here would be the surveys conducted in the Central
American region during the 1990s that revealed extensive impacts to human health and the environment from pesticide
use. 151
One effective approach is for national legislation to require the manufacturer, importer or distributor to provide national
regulatory authorities with any new information that could change the regulatory status of the pesticide, as soon as it
is available. Requiring exporters/importer to keep registers or records of quantities of pesticides imported/exported
is another potentially valuable mechanism. Many countries now rely on this approach and find it valuable, particularly
when producers are based outside of the country. NGOs can also play an important watchdog role in this area.
Establishing and/or maintaining national or regional poisoning information and control centres at strategic locations
will provide immediate guidance and first aid. 152 These centres collect immediate information on poisoning events that
would help to identify problem pesticides and health impacts. The information collected will need to be communicated
to the decision-making body for pesticides to enable informed decisions.
Box 4.6: Data collection & management
Pesticide industry & distributors:
• Keep registers of pesticides produced and imported (in the case of distributors,
pesticides sold)
Governments:
• Establish a register or data based with information about authorised pesticides, including
pesticides not authorised (e.g., banned)
• Establish systems for regularly collecting data on pesticides: import, export, residues on food,
use, health impacts, environmental impacts, incidents
• Compile inventories of contaminated sites and stockpiles of obsolete pesticides
• Establish systems for health workers to record pesticide poisoning incidents
Health practitioners
• Collect information on health problems associated with pesticide exposure and pass
to authorities
4.2.5. Regulatory structures for protection of human health from
chemical impacts
The exposure of humans to toxic chemicals including pesticides can lead to acute (immediate) or long-term effects, or
both. Some chemicals affect humans and other organisms directly, while other chemicals may have an indirect effect
on human health, e.g., ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the pesticide methyl
bromide that degrade the stratospheric ozone layer, thereby allowing ultraviolet radiation from space to penetrate to
the earth’s surface. This in turn leads to increased incidences of skin cancer, cataracts and other health effects.
Given the incomplete state of scientific knowledge about the impacts of chemicals on human health, many advocate
application of the precautionary principle in taking decisions about what measures are needed for protection of human
health from negative impacts from chemicals, particularly with respect to vulnerable groups, such as fetuses and young
children.
151
E.g., C.Wesseling; C. Hogstedt, P. Fernandez,A.Ahlbom.“Time trends of occupational pesticide related injuries in Costa Rica, 1982-1992”. International
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (2001);7:1-6.
152
Art. 5.1.5 of the Code of Conduct.

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The Code of Conduct urges governments to carry out health surveillance programmes of those who are occupationally
exposed to pesticides and to investigate poisoning cases. 153 Governments are also to provide guidance and
instructions to health workers on exposure avoidance and identification/treatment of suspected pesticide poisoning,
and to establish poisoning information and control centres at strategic locations to give immediate guidance in
emergencies. The Code of Conduct also charges industry to provide poison-control centres with information about
pesticide hazards and on suitable treatment of pesticide poisoning. 154
Systematic evidence of health impacts should trigger consideration of withdrawal of authorisation and international
communication of the regulatory action, e.g., to the Rotterdam Convention secretariat.
4.2.6. Regulatory structures for protection of the environment from
chemical impacts
In contrast to pesticides, which are intentionally released into the environment during the use phase of their life-cycle,
many other chemicals are unintentional by-products from manufacturing, industrial and combustion processes. Once
released into the environment, these chemicals and pesticides may cause local, regional and/or global contamination
and lead to exposure of people and wildlife. Chemicals that degrade very slowly in the environment and that may
accumulate in humans and animals, i.e., persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a particular concern.
04
However, many adverse environmental effects now linked to chemicals were not recognised until many years after
the chemicals started to be used, or before methods to identify such effects were developed. There may be other
adverse effects that are not yet known to scientists. The current debate over endrocrine-disrupting chemicals is an
example of the gaps in scientific knowledge of the impacts of chemicals on flora and fauna, including on human
health.
A chemicals management system therefore needs to be complemented by structures that carry out ongoing monitoring
of the environment in order to identify adverse effects due to exposure to chemicals and to determine whether
preventive measures (including regulatory action) are needed. Application of the precautionary principle may also
be in order when making decisions concerning what measures are needed to control adverse effects to the
environment from chemicals.
The chemicals conventions recognise the importance of monitoring the environment for adverse impacts from
chemicals and of collecting reliable data on those impacts, so that protective measures can be taken. 155 The Stockholm
Convention 156 (Article 11) obliges Parties to encourage and/or undertake research, development, monitoring and
cooperation on POPs, including their sources and releases into the environment; their presence, levels and trends in
humans and the environment; environmental transport, fate and transformation; and effects on human health and the
environment.
More specific obligations to monitor chemicals in the environment in order to observe their impacts on biodiversity
can be found in the Rio Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). 157 The CBD (Article 7) requires parties to monitor through
sampling and other techniques, the components of biological diversity paying special attention to those requiring
urgent conservation measures and those which offer the greatest potential for sustainable use. Decision VI/5 158
under the CBD sets forth the basis for the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators
in agriculture, which includes the monitoring of pollinators such as bees, the decline of which is attributed inter alia
to use of chemicals in agriculture. 159
153
Arts. 5.1.3, 5.1.4 and 5.1.5 of the Code of Conduct.
154
Art. 5.2.2 of the Code of Conduct.
155
Art. 6.1.8 of the Code of Conduct.
156
http://www.pops.int/documents/convtext/convtext_en.pdf.
157
http://www.biodiv.org/convention/convention.shtml.
158
http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/default.asp?lg=0&dec=VI/5.
159
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The Ramsar Convention on wetlands has in recent years also noted the importance of monitoring chemicals. The
1996 Recommendation 6.14 160 notes that adverse impacts of pesticides and other toxic chemicals can threaten the
survival of populations dependent upon wetlands, including populations of many bird species, amphibians, reptiles,
fish and mammals, through a multitude of lethal and sub-lethal impacts, while Action 5.1.6 of the Strategic Plan
1997-2002 161 aims at identifying the potential impacts on the ecological character of Ramsar sites of global threats
including toxic chemicals.
The European Union is considering a revision to its regulatory framework for plant protection product authorisation
that would include a trigger for withdrawal of authorisation when certain environmental pollution is registered. The
trigger would be linked to environmental quality standards (EQS) being developed for “priority substances” under
the EU Water Framework Directive, 162 many of which are pesticides. If exceedances of these EQS occur, the
proposed revision foresees the possibility of withdrawal of the pesticide authorisation.
4.2.7. Good governance in the context of chemicals regulation
Good governance is another basic requirement for effective regulation of chemicals at all stages in their life-cycles,
as SAICM explicitly notes. 163 Good governance can be defined in various ways but it is generally characterised as
being transparent, accountable, participatory, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and following the rule of
law. It seeks to minimise corruption and to take into account the views of minorities and the most vulnerable in
society in decision-making. This section looks at several of these elements of good governance in the context of
chemicals regulation.
4.2.7(a) Regulatory transparency
Transparency in governance means that the decisions taken by governments follow the rules and regulations set in
law. It means that information about those decisions is freely available and directly accessible to those charged with
their communication, interpretation and enforcement. It also means that enough information is provided and in readily
understandable forms and media – not only to decision makers and enforcers but also to those affected by the
decisions, including in civil society.
The chemicals conventions reflect and reinforce this understanding of good governance. The Code of Conduct
encourages governments to develop administrative procedures to provide transparency in pesticide regulatory
processes. 164 It emphasises the need for information exchange between regulatory authorities in order to strengthen
cooperative efforts. 165 Information to be exchanged is to include:
(1) Regulatory actions, such as actions to ban or severely restrict a pesticide in order to protect human health
or the environment, information justifying the regulatory action, and other publicly available information
upon request. 166
(2) Scientific, technical, economic, regulatory and legal information concerning pesticides, including
toxicological, eco-toxicological, environmental and safety data as well as pesticide residues in food and
related regulatory actions. 167
(3) The availability of resources and expertise associated with pesticide regulatory activities. 168
160
http://www.ramsar.org/rec/key_rec_6.14.htm.
161
http://www.ramsar.org/key_strat_plan_e.htm.
162
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html.
163
Good governance is one of the five key objectives of the overarching policy strategy for SAICM, with specific work areas listed under the SAICM
global plan of action. See Draft overarching policy strategy document available at:
http://www.chem.unep.ch/ICCM/meeting_docs/iccm1_3/3%20OPS%20E.pdf.
164
Art. 9.2.2 of the Code of Conduct.
165
Art. 9.1.2 Code of Conduct.
166
Art. 9.1.2.1 of the Code of Conduct; see also Art. 14(1)(b)&(c) of the Rotterdam Convention.
167
Art. 9.1.2.2 and 9.4.1 of the Code of Conduct;Arts. 9(1) & 14(1) (a) of the Rotterdam Convention and Art. 9 of the Stockholm Convention.
168
Art. 9.1.2.3 of the Code of Conduct.

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The Rotterdam and the Stockholm Conventions continue this emphasis on transparency and on the importance of
justifying a regulatory action by including provisions to ensure international exchange of relevant information with
other Parties. See the Rotterdam Convention, Art. 5 and Annex I, on procedures for banned or severely restricted
chemicals, and the Stockholm Convention, Art. 8,on procedures for listing chemicals for elimination or restriction.
And, of course, transparency in the context of the chemicals conventions also applies to transboundary movements,
e.g., the mechanisms under the Rotterdam and Basel Conventions for exchange of information on the movement and
transit of banned or severely restricted chemicals including pesticides, and of hazardous wastes.
4.2.7(b) Access to information and limits to confidentiality
Transparency in governance includes providing the public with access to information held by the government. An
informed public is an important element of democracy in general and, in the case of chemicals, essential for
managing risks to health and the environment.
Access to information is a principle that is widely recognised in other international environmental instruments – most
notably, the UNECE Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation and access to justice in
environmental matters. 169 The Aarhus Convention is considered the most ambitious effort to date to establish
transparency in environmental governance. For example, it obliges Parties to make the environmental information
they hold publicly available upon request without an interest to be stated, unless the information is confidential
because of commercial interests. It also notes that there are limits on what can be kept confidential, as discussed
below.
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The principle of access to publicly held information has a “push” aspect as well as a “pull” aspect. The “push”
aspect refers to a government’s duty to proactively inform its citizens of any risks that might adversely impact on their
health and well being. The “pull” aspect refers to the obligation of a government to provide information that it holds
if requested by a citizen, particularly if that information is important for health and safety.
The chemicals conventions include both concepts. The Code of Conduct contains several provisions concerning the
obligation to actively disseminate the information needed to promote practices that minimise potential health and
environmental risks. It calls for training at all appropriate levels (Art. 1.6); coordinated action to disseminate
educational materials of all types to pesticide users and other interested parties (Art. 3.6); provision of guidance and
instructions to health workers et al. (Art. 5.1.4), and for the establishment of appropriate educational, advisory,
extension and health-care services (Art. 6.1.1).
The Stockholm Convention 170 likewise recognises the importance of active dissemination of information. Its Article
10 requires each Party, within its capabilities, to facilitate provision of all available information on POPs to the public,
develop and implement educational and public awareness programmes on POPs – especially for women, children
and the least educated among the population, as well as training of workers, scientists, educators, and so on. This
more proactive policy is highlighted in Article 10(4) which encourages parties to use electronic and mass media and
other means of communication, and which suggests the establishment of information centres at national and regional
levels.
Concerning the “pull” aspect, the Stockholm Convention recognises the importance of ensuring both that the public
has access to information on request and that this information is as up to date as possible (Art. 10(1)(b)). Parties
are also obliged to make the results of their research and monitoring activities accessible to the public on a timely
and regular basis (Art. 11.2(e)).
169
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/.
170
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The Code of Conduct similarly encourages governments to develop legislation and regulations that permit the provision
of information to the public about pesticide risks, 171 as well as alternative means of pest control. The Rotterdam
Convention 172 requires Parties to ensure, to the extent practicable, that the public has appropriate access to information
on chemical handling and accident management and on alternatives that are safer for human health or the environment
than the chemicals in the PIC system (Art. 15.2).
It is of course up to each government to decide how it will implement the obligations to actively disseminate information
and to provide public access to the information it holds related to chemicals safety. But as a minimum it is important to
ensure public access to information on national regulatory processes and actions that have been taken and/or are
pending, and to scientific information, including on health and safety risks posed by chemicals and on safer alternatives
to their use.
The obligation to disseminate information is not only on governments. The Code of Conduct and the Stockholm
Convention both call for the participation and collaboration of industry to promote and facilitate the provision of
information on chemicals, risks and alternatives, especially concerning POPs, as appropriate at national, subregional,
regional and global levels (see Code of Conduct section 9.4.1 and Article 10(3) Stockholm Convention). The Code
of Conduct also cautions that “to avoid unjustified confusion and alarm among the public, concerned parties should
consider all available facts and should promote responsible information dissemination on pesticides and their uses”
(Art. 5.4).
Mechanisms for disseminating chemical-related information. Government authorities seeking a high level of transparency
on their chemical regulatory measures must consider how to manage the administrative burden of providing access to
information. This task is of course linked to the task of collecting and managing the data in the first place. Mechanisms
for management and dissemination of chemicals-related data already tried in some countries include registers,
inventories and information centres.
Registers for managing data held by public authorities, e.g., databases of registered pesticides including information
on health and safety risks and permitted uses, can be utilised to provide access to information on request. The product
register managed by the Danish authorities has already been mentioned. Such registers can also include information
on the companies authorised to place the chemical on the market as well as on the risks and any safer alternatives
available. Inventories, e.g., of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and contaminated sites, are another type of database
that can be useful for keeping track of various chemical-related problems and for planning response measures.
One very special type of register and database is the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) 173 already noted
above. In countries where computers are scarce, access to internet difficult, or people are illiterate, the cost of setting
in place an electronic-based PRTR may not be justifiable. However, the PRTR model could be used to develop a less
elaborate but nonetheless coordinated nationwide system for reporting and collection of pollution information.
The Stockholm Convention notes the possibility for information centres, which could be a valuable mechanism for
disseminating information and raising awareness in areas where agriculture is the main activity and for training farmers
and retailers. It is especially important to consider media that overcome illiteracy, such as the use of TV and radio for
disseminating information in local languages.
One cost-effective mechanism that governments can consider is a national chemical safety website that provides
electronic links to international databases accessible through the internet. 174 For example, the Secretariat of the
Stockholm Convention provides a clearing-house mechanism for information on persistent organic pollutants,
including information provided by Parties, intergovernmental organisations and nongovernmental organisations. 175
Links could also be provided to the informative databases maintained by some NGOs, e.g., www.pesticideinfo.org.
Finally, national chemicals safety websites could include links to NGOs active within the country, as a means of
networking.
171
Art. 9.2.1 of the Code of Conduct.
172
http://www.pic.int/en/ConventionText/ONU-GB.pdf.
173
http://www.chem.unep.ch/prtr/default.htm.
174
For more information on the national chemical safety websites that some countries have developed in collaboration with UNITAR, see:
http://www.unitar.org/cwm/np/index.html.
175
Art. 9.4 of the Stockholm Convention..

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Protection of confidentiality and its limits. In some cases, information submitted to governments by a manufacturer
or other commercial entity in the process of securing official authorisation to market a chemical or pesticide may be
considered commercially sensitive by the company concerned. The company may seek to have the government
keep this information confidential, including refusing requests from the public for this information, because of the risk
that a competitor could use the information to its advantage, if disclosed.
The right of companies to commercial confidentiality is recognised by the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions. 176
However, while national legislation can set some grounds for confidentiality, both Conventions are clear that
information related to the health and safety of humans and the environment should not be withheld from the public
on the basis of confidentiality. Article 14(3) of the Rotterdam Convention gives more detailed guidance as to the kind
of information that should not be regarded as confidential:
• Information on the final regulatory action and the hazards and risks presented by the chemical to human
health or the environment;
• The information contained in the safety data sheet;
• The production and expiry dates of the chemical;
04
• Information on precautionary measures, including hazard classification, the nature of the risks involved, and
relevant safety devices;
• Summary results of toxicological and eco-toxicological tests.
4.2.7(c) Public participation (stakeholder involvement)
Public participation is another characteristic of good governance recognised in international environmental
instruments. For example, SAICM highlights the need for meaningful stakeholder participation in chemicals
management. Public participation can be either direct or through intermediate institutions. But traditional
representative democracy is often not sufficient in itself to take account of the concerns of ordinary citizens, particularly
the views of the most vulnerable in society who are often those most at risk from adverse effects from chemicals.
Effective participation needs to be informed and organised. This means freedom of information, association and
expression on the one hand, and an organised civil society on the other hand.
The UNECE Aarhus Convention 177 already mentioned above in relation to access to information, confers specific
rights of participation in certain government decisions related to the environment, including during the regulatory
process itself. Other international environmental conventions have followed this example by including specific
provisions requiring Parties to grant access to information and the right to public participation.
The Stockholm Convention, for instance, requires Parties – within their capabilities – to promote and facilitate public
participation in addressing POPs and their health and environmental impacts, and in developing adequate responses.
This is to include providing opportunities for public input at national level concerning implementation of the
Convention, 178 e.g., during the elaboration of national implementation plans and the plans for cleaning up stockpiles
of pesticides and contaminated sites. Many countries have incorporated this approach into their implementation of
the Convention, for example.
176
Art. 9 of the Stockholm Convention and Art. 14 of the Rotterdam Convention.
177
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/.
178
Art. 10.1(d) of the Stockholm Convention.

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The Code of Conduct also recognises the importance of public participation and encourages governments to develop
administrative procedures that facilitate public participation in the regulatory process. 179 This could include
opportunities for the public to submit information during the pesticide registration process and other regulatory actions
on, e.g., the toxicology or eco-toxicology of a product or the possibility of safer alternatives. Indeed, the Code of
Conduct highlights the role of citizens as watchdogs and invites NGOs and other interested parties to monitor
activities related to the implementation of the Code and report these to the Director-General of FAO. 180
SAICM’s global plan of action includes work areas on stakeholder participation and on participation by civil society
and public interest NGOs. 181 Moreover, in the context of health and safety in the workplace, the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Conventions have recognised the fundamental right of workers to be consulted and to participate
in decisions related to chemicals. For example, the 2001 Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention
(C184) recognises the right of workers in agriculture to be 2001 to be informed and consulted on safety and health
matters including risks from new technologies and to participate in the application and review of safety and health
measures. 182
To provide sufficient opportunity for meaningful participation, national legislation should clearly establish the situations
and processes where the right of participation is granted as well as any parameters, e.g., whether this right is for
the public in general or only to specific stakeholders, the procedures to be followed, and so on. Time periods for
different types of inputs will need to be realistic and adapted to the specific characteristics of the country as to allow
the public to have access to the proposed regulatory measures and the justifying documentation, so that the public
can comment and provide additional information.
Box 4.7: Good governance
Pesticide industry & distributors:
• Communicate information about hazards to health and the environment associated with
pesticides, and protective measures to be taken
Governments:
• Ensure transparency and public participation during pesticide regulatory decision-making
• Ensure access to information upon request, including to all health-related information on
pesticides, as well as access to justice when rights are infringed
• Inform citizens about hazards related to pesticides and protective measures to take,
alternative pest control methods, and so on, through radio, agricultural services etc
Others (trade unions, civil society, including NGOs):
• Request information on pesticides held by public authorities, as needed
• Participate during pesticide regulatory decision-making
4.2.8. International information exchange & coordination of national reporting
International coordination and information exchange creates a framework for networking and solidarity among the
Parties to an international agreement and other stakeholders. This can be especially helpful to countries with fewer
resources for investigating the impacts of chemicals since they can benefit from the findings of other countries as well
as from new technological and scientific developments. 183
179
Art. 9.2.2 of the Code of Conduct.
180
Art. 12.9 of the Code of Conduct.
181
SAICM Draft Global Plan for Action,Activities 163-164 on Stakeholder participation and 206 on civil society and public interest NGO participation.
182
Arts. 4 & 8, ILO C184, available at: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C184.
183
For example, the Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound Management of Chemicals (INFOCAP) now operated by the
SAICM Secretariat, at: http://www.who.int/ifcs/infocap/.

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Information exchange is a way of sharing good practices and finding solutions to common problems by considering
solutions adopted by other Parties, if appropriate to a given situation. Information exchange can also be important
for enforcement of the international obligations, e.g., communication of information about shipments of an unwanted
substance or waste en route to a Party. For example, information exchange is the fundamental means to attain the
objectives of the Rotterdam Convention. 184
The Code of Conduct highlights the importance of facilitating the exchange of information by dedicating all of its
Article 9 to the topic, and by establishing recommendations for governments as well as for international organisations.
Governments are asked to promote the establishment or strengthening of networks for information exchange on
pesticides. The networks are to involve national institutions, international, regional and subregional organisations and
public sector groups. 185
Effective exchange of information needs an adequate structure. For the chemicals conventions, this structure is ensured
through their Secretariats as well as the different working groups, meetings and conferences of the Parties which meet
regularly.
International information exchange also includes reporting by Parties on how they are implementing the various
conventions at national level. This is important for determining if there are ways to improve the effectiveness of and
compliance with a convention. Reporting on national implementation is typically organised by the national focal
points and coordinated by the convention’s secretariat. There are many opportunities for countries to streamline
reporting to convention secretariats, e.g., by having one individual act as focal point for the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm Conventions or at least to have the work grouped in one central agency.
04
In practical terms, a Party might need to monitor compliance by carrying out inspections and other informationgathering
exercises, such as statistical surveys on imports, exports, sales, use of pesticides and trends. In many
cases, international reporting obligations are passed down the line to operators of facilities or farmers who must report
to the competent authority on different issues so that this information can be submitted in turn to the convention
secretariat.
The Stockholm Convention requires different types of information to be reported. Parties must submit implementation
plans which must then be reviewed and updated periodically as well as reports on progress made in the
implementation and observance of the convention (Article 7). Each Party must report to the Conference of the Parties
the measures it has taken to implement provisions of the Convention and on the effectiveness of such measures in
meeting the objectives of the Convention (Article 15). The reports should include statistical data on total quantities
of production, import and export of each of the chemicals listed, as well as a list of States from which it has imported
each substance and to which it has exported each substance.
The Code of Conduct requires governments to monitor the observance of the Code and report to the FAO Director-
General on progress made. The pesticide industry, NGOs and other interested parties are also invited to submit
information on observance of the Code. 185
184
Art. 1 of the Rotterdam Convention.
185
Art. 9.1.1 of the Code of Conduct.
186
Arts. 12.7, 12.8 & 12.9 of the Code of Conduct.

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Other obligations to report contained in the chemicals conventions are linked to specific notification mechanisms
established by the conventions themselves, i.e.:
- Notification of specific exemptions (Article 4.3 of the Stockholm Convention);
- Notification of final regulatory actions (Article 5 of the Rotterdam Convention);
- Notification of new information (Article 9 of the RotterdamConvention);
- Measures and responses concerning exports and imports (Articles 10-12 of the Rotterdam Convention).
4.3. CONTROLS DURING THE PESTICIDE LIFE CYCLE
The ‘life cycle’ concept adopted by the Code of Conduct is aimed at addressing all major aspects related to the
development, regulation, production, management, packaging, labelling, distribution, handling, application, use and
control, including disposal of all types of pesticides, including used containers. Other international chemicals-related
instruments are for the most part focused on particular problems at different points in the life cycle of a substance. In
combination with best practices used in various countries, these international requirements and recommendations can
form the framework for a comprehensive regulatory system for pesticides management.
The section below looks at the various stages in a chemical pesticide’s life cycle and reviews in turn the international
requirements and best practices that might be set in place during each stage. It is intended as an introduction to the
elements of a regulatory framework – including the national legislation, institutions, coordinating structures, and
enforcement systems – that are needed to implement the international codes and conventions.
4.3.1. Manufacturing/formulation
The life cycle of pesticides begins with the manufacture of the active ingredient that will give the pesticide its efficacy
against the target pest. The manufacturing stage also includes the production of other pesticide formulation ingredients
that are then mixed with the active substance to give the pesticide product the characteristics (e.g., solubility, emissibility,
penetrability, etc.) desired for the intended application. Since substance manufacture and pesticide formulation may
take place at different locations, transport of the chemicals may occur between these steps.
Manufacturing and formulating of pesticides can pose a number of significant risks to workers (e.g., dermal and
inhalation exposures) and to the environment (via discharges to water, air and the creation of chemical waste). The
provisions in the international codes and conventions relevant to the manufacturing/formulation stage set forth three
basic types of requirements concerning:
• The facility itself;
• The manufacturing process as such;
• Protection of the workers.
The major requirement for manufacturing facilities is that they be not be located close to communities or nature protection
areas. This requirement is aimed at protecting surrounding communities and areas of special environmental value.
Physical planning or zoning legislation can be used to ensure that new facilities are constructed in appropriate places
away from residential districts or nature protection sites. Environmental impact assessment is another important tool to
ensure that authorities, in deciding whether or not to give permission for construction of a new facility, have considered
all potential impacts on health and the environment, and that citizens potentially affected have had a chance to provide
their views. In the case of existing facilities already situated close to residential areas, the situation is more difficult to
manage, and attention shifts to controls over the manufacturing process as such, e.g., through operating permits.

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The other major requirement for manufacturing facilities, particularly if hazardous chemicals are present as would be
the case in the manufacture and/or formulation of pesticides, is that accident prevention measures be in place, as well
as plans and procedures for emergency response in case of an accident that have been coordinated with local fire and
police authorities and communicated to workers and neighbouring residents.
The standard regulatory mechanism for controlling manufacturing processes is the operating permit, which should state
in detail the various conditions such as emission limits that must be met in order for the facility to operate. The section
below on BAT provides further details on the permitting process and on requirements in the international chemicals
conventions related to the manufacturing stage.
4.3.1(a) BAT to control emissions during manufacture & formulation
Ensuring adequate controls and environmentally sound performance in manufacturing and formulation requires
compliance with accepted norms for engineering, performance and operating practices. The Code of Conduct refers to
“suitable standards”, 187 i.e., those appropriate to the nature of the manufacturing operations and the hazards involved.
There are now a number of internationally approved or recognised standards applicable to the manufacturing stage.
The International Standards Organisation 188 (ISO) has set general standards for quality management (ISO 9000) and
for environmental management (ISO 14000) that can be used by manufacturers to improve purity, performance and
safety in the pesticides manufacturing and formulation process. 189
04
In addition, the World Bank has prepared Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines for a number of industrial sectors,
including the pesticide manufacturing and formulation sector. The EHS Guidelines are technical reference documents
that provide relevant industry background and technical information aimed at avoiding, minimising, and controlling
environmental, health, and safety (EHS) impacts during the construction, operation, and decommissioning phase of a
project or facility. 190
A number of international instruments, including the Stockholm Convention, 191 refer to the standard of best available
techniques, or BAT. BAT is intended to reduce the industrial facility’s impact on the environment as a whole and includes
ensuring health and safety in the workplace.
Box 4.8: The Stockholm Convention’s Definition of BAT
“Best available techniques” means the most effective and advanced stage in the development of
activities and their methods of operation which indicate the practical suitability of particular techniques
for providing in principle the basis for release limitations designed to prevent and, where that is not
practicable, generally to reduce releases of chemicals…and their impact on the environment as a
whole. In this regard:
“Techniques” includes both the technology used and the way in which the installation is designed,
built, maintained, operated and decommissioned;
“Available” techniques means those techniques that are accessible to the operator and that are
developed on a scale that allows implementation in the relevant industrial sector, under economically
and technically viable conditions, taking into consideration the costs and advantages; and
“Best” means most effective in achieving a high general level of protection of the environment as a
whole.
187
Art. 5.5 of the Code of Conduct.
188
http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm.
189
Information on ISO 9000 and 14000 is available at: http://www.iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/index.html.
190
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines.
191
Art. 5(d) – (f) of the Stockholm Convention.

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The permitting of an industrial operation on the basis of BAT does not prescribe specific technologies or practices,
but rather sets emission limit values that are based on the standards achievable when BAT is applied to that particular
production process(es). It can include cleaner technology. The EU requires BAT for all major industrial installations
subject to its Directive on integrated pollution prevention and control 192 and has elaborated an extensive series of
BAT reference documents, including for chemicals installations such as pesticides manufacturing and formulation
plants. 193 The EU concept of BAT takes into account the technical characteristics of the installation concerned, its
geographical location and the local environmental conditions. For example, the EU legislation differentiated between
new and existing installations and granted existing installations a transitional period for carrying out the technical
alterations required to achieve BAT. However, the Stockholm Convention does not provide for this flexibility.
Under the EU regime, the operator of the industrial facility applying for an operating permit usually proposes what
BAT should be for its particular industrial process, given the particular characteristics of the facility. The environmental
authority in charge of granting such permits must review the application to see if the measures in place or proposed
by the operator are indeed BAT. The environmental authority must then prepare a detailed permit stating specific
conditions for each stage of the industrial process, such as limits for emissions of pollutants to water or air, energy
conservation measures, and requirements for waste management. This process is time-consuming and requires
environmental officials with extensive technical knowledge.
Implementation of BAT may also require significant investment in order to change to e.g. more energy efficient
production processes and more effective pollution control measures. For these reasons, the requirement of BAT is often
limited to major polluting industrial installations operating on a commercial scale where such investments are
financially viable.
In many countries, however, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are frequently involved in manufacturing or
formulation of pesticides, and substandard practices are not uncommon. The particular problem of setting and
enforcing standards for SMEs carrying out pesticides-related manufacturing is not yet addressed in an international
instrument and therefore no guidance can be provided here.
Two voluntary international initiatives are important to mention here. One is the Marrakech Process on sustainable
consumption and production. 194 The other is the “Responsible Care Initiative”, a global effort of the chemicals industry
to address public concerns about the health and environmental impacts from the manufacture, distribution and use
of chemicals. 195 Through their national associations, chemicals companies commit to work together to continuously
improve their health, safety and environmental performance, and to communicate with stakeholders about their
products and processes. The number of chemical industry associations embracing the Responsible Care ethic has
grown from 6 to 52 countries since 1992.
4.3.1(b) Controls over unintended releases (dioxins, furans)
During certain manufacturing processes, including of chemicals such as many pesticides, polluting by-products are
unintentionally produced which may be released into the environment. Two of these unintentional by-products,
polychlorinated dioxins and furans, are especially harmful to human health and the environment. They result from
combustion, e.g., the incineration of chlorine-containing wastes, and from industrial processes such as the production
of pesticides. These compounds have no commercial use and are the most potent cancer-causing chemicals known.
Together with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), they are listed in Annex C of the
Stockholm Convention and subject to the special measures set forth in Article 5 of the Convention.
192
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ippc/index.htm.
193
BAT reference documents are available for download at: http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/FActivities.htm.
194
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sdissues/consumption/Marrakech/conprod10Y.htm.
195
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Because prevention is by far the most effective solution to a pollution problem, it may be possible to promote and
where appropriate to require the use of substitute or modified materials, products and processes. Wherever
unintentional production of POPs cannot be eliminated entirely by substitution of materials, the Stockholm Convention
requires a different range of measures:
• Development of an action plan within two years from the entry into force of the Convention, i.e., 2006,
including an inventory of current and projected releases; an evaluation of efficacy of the laws in place;
strategies to meet the obligations; education and training concerning those strategies; a schedule for
implementing the action plan; and a review every 5 years of those strategies and of their success in reducing
anthropogenic releases of the unintended pollutants;
• The use of BAT in any new waste incinerators, cement kilns, pulp production plants or metallurgical plants
carrying out secondary production of copper, aluminium and zinc as well as any new sinter plants in the
iron and steel industry. Parties are obliged to require BAT for all new sources in these categories 4 years after
the Convention comes into force for that country. 196
Specific guidelines have been developed for drawing up national implementation plans for the Stockholm
Convention. 197 The general guidance provided in the Convention’s Annex C on prevention and release reduction
measures will be completed by more detailed guidance documents on BATs. 198
04
The obligation to reduce and eliminate unintentional production of POPs is also relevant to the problem of disposal
of obsolete pesticides and pesticides in general since disposal by incineration, including in cement kilns, may entail
the production of new POPs, such as dioxins and furans. The application of BAT and BEP (Best Environmental
Practices) under the Stockholm Convention combined with the provisions of the Basel Convention provides guidance
on environmentally sound disposal operations. 199 Section 4.3.6 on waste management provides more details.
4.3.1(c) Protecting workers during manufacture
In addition to measures and manufacturing/ formulation standards and practices that reduce releases of chemical
pollutants to the environment, companies also have responsibility to minimise risks to workers.
Both the Code of Conduct and the 1990 ILO Convention on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work (C170) 200
recognise the risks to workers involved during the manufacturing process. The ILO Convention on Chemicals at Work
requires employers to adopt a range of measures aimed at protecting workers from the harmful effects of chemicals.
It targets three areas of worker protection related to workplace use of chemicals: measures targeting the production
process (exposure and risks), measures aiming at protecting the physical integrity of workers and measures targeting
information and worker training.
Measures targeting the production process. Some of these measures are concrete obligations considered as a
minimum to guarantee an adequate level of protection, and therefore required to be included as such in the national
legislation. In other cases, these measures are of a programmatic nature leaving particular choices in the operator’s
hands, e.g., the technology or materials used in the production process. These choices could be elements taken into
account during the process of authorising the activity. Measures include:
196
i.e., 2008 for those Parties who ratified the Stockholm Convention to bring it into force in 2004.
197
Interim guidance for developing a national implementation plan for the Stockholm Convention (rev. 2004) available at:
http://www.pops.int/documents/implementation/nips/guidance/guidances/docdirec_en.pdf.
198
The Stockholm Convention Secretariat has developed a draft guidance document on BAT (SC BAT/BEP 2004).Available at:
http://www.pops.int/documents/guidance/batbep/batbepguide_en.pdf.
199
See also the IPEN Fact Sheet on Alternatives for POPs Disposal (2005). Available in English, French and Spanish at:
http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/library/4_2_dpcbw_doc_2.html.
200
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/safetytm/c170.htm. See Recommendation R177 (1990) at:
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1. Ensuring that workers are not exposed to chemicals in exceedance of exposure limits or other exposure
criteria;
2. Ensuring that exposure is assessed, monitored and recorded;
3. Choosing the chemical or of technology which minimises or eliminates risks;
4. Using adequate engineering control measures;
5. Adopting working systems and practices that eliminate or minimise risks.
Measure to protect the physical integrity of workers. These occupational health and safety measures are of a more
concrete nature and can be further specified in the national legislation. These minimum requirements, which are the
responsibility of the employer, include:
1. Adopting adequate occupational hygiene measures;
2. Implementing measures ensuring the proper use of personal protective equipment and clothing at no cost to
the worker;
3. Providing first aid equipment and arrangements to deal with emergencies (e.g., medical services and so on).
Measures to inform and train workers. It is a fundamental right of workers to be informed of the risks involved in
their day-to-day activities, including information on the properties and risks of the chemicals they are exposed to, and
any protective measures to avoid harm. Provision of information and training are therefore important mechanisms
for reducing risks to workers. The basic obligations identified in the international chemicals conventions include:
1. Providing information on the identity of chemicals used in the production process, which must be properly
classified and labelled and safety data sheets provided;
2. Informing workers on the hazards associated with exposure to chemicals used at workplace;
3. Instructing workers on how to obtain and use the information provided on labels and safety data sheets;
4. Training of workers on a continuing basis in the practices and procedures to be followed for safety in the
used of chemicals at work;
5. Keeping records accessible to workers of the hazardous chemicals used and of monitoring of exposure in
the working environment.
Training of workers is also required by the Stockholm Convention 201 with respect to unintentional production, and
therefore oriented towards workers in the manufacturing process.
201
Arts. 10(1)(e), (g) and 5(a)(iv) of the Stockholm Convention.

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Box 4.9: Manufacturing & formulation
Pesticide industry (manufacturers):
• Ensure that manufacturing/formulation of pesticides follow internationally recognised or
“suitable” standard (BAT, BEP)
• Locate manufacturing facilities away from residential and protected areas
• Establish accident prevention measures and emergency response procedures
• Use substitutes, technologies or modified products and process to reduce unintended releases
(dioxins and furans), and minimise/eliminate risks
• Train and inform workers about risks associated with the chemicals they handle and provide
any protective clothing & equipment advised in safety data sheet
Governments:
• Establish adequate regulatory framework for pesticides manufacturing, including operating
permits for facilities and accident prevention measures
• Establish worker protection mechanisms, including systems for responding to complaints in
case of irregular practices
• Carry out inspections of manufacturing plants, including enforcement actions and sanctions
if unsafe practices and regulatory violations are identified
04
Others (trade unions, civil society, including NGOs):
• Inform workers about right to information and to “say no” to unsafe practices
• Point out irregular practices and carry out “name and shame” campaigns
4.3.2. Crossborder trade
For those countries that do not manufacture pesticides, the pesticide life cycle will start with its import into the country.
This section therefore considers the international requirements relating to pesticides in crossborder trade as products,
i.e., the Rotterdam Convention and the International Customs Codes. There are important synergies also with the Basel
Convention as a control at the end of the pesticide’s life, i.e., pesticide-related waste.
An effective legal framework regulating the import and export of chemicals is also essential for a successful policy
to prevent accumulation of stockpiles of pesticides, since in some countries wide open policies towards import of
pesticides have led to accumulation of tonnes of obsolete pesticides posing serious threats to health and the
environment and that now have to be disposed of. 202
4.3.2(a) Preventing unwanted imports through PIC
The Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure under the Rotterdam Convention is designed to enable a country to
prevent unwanted imports of chemicals in general, and pesticides in particular. Under the procedure, prior to the
crossborder shipment of a banned or severely restricted chemical, the exporting country’s authorities must inform the
authorities of the importing country that a shipment is intended and why the chemical was banned or severely
restricted in its country of origin. The exporting country must not allow the shipment to leave its territory unless the
importing country gives positive consent to the import.
The first step in implementing PIC is for a Party to designate one or more national authorities that will perform the
administrative functions required under the Convention. 203 Parties are obliged to ensure that the designated national
authority (DNA) has sufficient resources to perform its tasks effectively, and to notify the name of the DNA to the
Secretariat.
202
More details on disposal of stockpiles of pesticide are provided at section 4.3.6.
203
The Convention Secretariat has developed a guidance document for designated national authorities describing how the PIC procedure operates.
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The Rotterdam Convention provides for two procedures. The PIC procedure is for exports of the chemicals listed in the
Convention’s Annex III (currently 39 chemicals, including 24 pesticides and 4 severely hazardous pesticide formulations).
This procedure is carried out through the Convention’s Secretariat. Every time the Conference of the Parties decides to
list another chemical in Annex III, the Secretariat sends out the related decision guidance document (DGD) to all Parties.
Parties are to send a response to the Secretariat as soon as possible and in any event no later than nine months after
dispatch of the DGD. Every six months the Secretariat informs all Parties of the responses received.
A Party’s response can be either a final decision or an interim response. A final decision can be: (i) consent to import;
(ii) consent to import but only under specified conditions; or (iii) a refusal to import. An interim response can be: (i)
consent to import with or without specified conditions, or refusal to import during the interim period; (ii) a statement that
a final decision is under active consideration; (iii) request for further information; (iv) request for assistance in evaluating
the chemical. A Party that decides not to consent to import of a chemical or to consent to its import only under specified
conditions is obliged to prohibit or make subject to the same conditions all imports of the chemical from any source and
domestic production of the chemical for domestic use.
The second procedure is export notification. It applies to chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted at
national level by the exporting country but are not (yet) listed in Annex III. As an indication of the number of chemicals
in this second category, more than 100 other pesticides and severely hazardous pesticide formulations have been
notified by various Parties as being banned or severely restricted within their jurisdictions. 204
The export notification procedure requires a Party, before exporting a chemical that it has banned or severely restricted,
to provide an export notification to the importing Party. The export notification has to provide the name and address
of the relevant DNAs of both the exporting and importing countries, the expected date of the export, the name of the
chemical and a summary concerning why it was banned or severely restricted, including hazard classification and
use(s), any precautionary measures required, the address of the importer, and any additional relevant information.
The export notification must be provided prior to the first export following the adoption of the final regulatory action,
and thereafter before the first export in a calendar year. The importing Party is required to acknowledge receipt of the
first export notification of the regulatory action. If this acknowledgement is not received by the exporting Party within
30 days of dispatch, the exporting Party must send a second notification to ensure that it is received by the importing
Party.
Under the export notification procedure, the exporting Party is not required to prevent the export from proceeding after
the time period for sending the two notifications has elapsed. The responsibility is on the importing Party – if it does
not want the chemical to be imported – to stop the shipment e.g. by also banning or severely restricting the chemical
within its territory.
As noted above, the Rotterdam Convention does not allow countries to refuse the entry of a PIC chemical if it is authorised
at national level or produced domestically for internal consumption. 205 It is therefore important for countries to review
authorisations at national level on the basis of the information obtained from other Parties through the Secretariat. The
notifications, and any other information circulated to Parties by the Convention secretariat, are useful for understanding
why other countries have banned or restricted pesticides and can support regulatory actions at national level.
In addition to the Rotterdam Convention’s procedures, countries can set in place further controls over the import of
pesticides by establishing licensing or authorisation systems, similar to those in place for implementing the Montreal
Protocol. Under this type of system, importers wanting to bring a controlled substance into a country would first need
a license or authorisation for that import.
Other controls can include monitoring of the types and quantities of pesticides imported through obligations on importers
to keep records and submit annual reports to national authorities. This information can be helpful for taking corrective
measures if accumulations of pesticides build up. In addition, customs can pass information on chemicals coming into
the country to national authorities who can then compare the data with licensing information and thereby detect potential
illegal imports.
204
See list of Final Regulatory Actions at: http://www.pic.int/Reports/06-FRA-Parties-List.asp.
205
Art. 10.9 of the Rotterdam Convention.

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4.3.2(b) International Customs Codes
International cooperation between national customs authorities is important for controlling illegal trade and to ensure
greater efficiency in the effort to control trade flows and fight against illegal crossborder activities. Many countries
have entered into customs cooperation agreements with their neighbours towards this end. At international level the
main international organisations working on customs simplification are the World Customs Organisation (WCO)
and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). One of the WCO’s major efforts is the Harmonised System of international
customs codes. 206 Documentation accompanying international shipments must indicate the international customs
code which most accurately describes the shipment’s contents.
The Rotterdam Convention recognises the importance of customs procedures in controlling the export and import of
Annex III chemicals. In order to facilitate the task of customs authorities in controlling exports and imports of chemicals
subject to PIC, its Article 13 encourages the WCO to assign specific Harmonised System customs codes to the
chemicals listed in Annex III. Special codes for the first 26 chemicals included in Annex III of the Rotterdam
Convention have now been included in the new Harmonised System of international customs codes that came into
effect at the beginning of 2007. The WCO, in cooperation with the Rotterdam Convention secretariat, intends to
assign special codes to Annex III substances not yet included in the Harmonised System in time for the next revision
of the Harmonised System, which will come into force at the beginning of 2012.
04
4.3.2(c) Green Customs
Green Customs is an initiative aimed at strengthening the enforcement of several multilateral environmental
agreements. 207 It offers information and training materials for enforcement authorities, and in particular customs
officials and environmental inspectors to combat illegal trade. Green Customs is supported inter alia by the World
Customs Organisation, Interpol, the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Basel Convention, the Convention
on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, UNEP’s OzonAction
Programme, and the Ozone Secretariat. The integrated training is aimed at raising the capacity of customs officials
to work under several multilateral environmental agreements at the same time in order to increase cost-effectiveness
and efficiency. Manuals, including a ‘Green Customs Manual’, a collaborative initiative of the Convention
Secretariats, have been issued to supplement the training received by customs officials under the programme.
Box 4.10: Cross-border trade
Pesticide industry:
• Respect international controls over cross-border trade in chemicals, including the PIC
procedure
• Refrain from marketing severely hazardous pesticides in countries where regulatory controls,
health care facilities and so on are lacking
Governments:
• Designate a national authority (DNA) to receive/review notifications of pending shipments
and respond promptly with decisions to accept or not accept imports
• Train customs officials on controls in place over crossborder trade in restricted chemicals,
including pesticides, and empower them to prevent unwanted trade
• Establish systems for licensing of imports of pesticides and for keeping records of pesticides
imported
Others (trade unions, civil society, including NGOs):
• Monitor pesticides available on the market or in use, and inform government of any evidence
of illegal trade
• Denounce illegal trade and carry out “name and shame” campaigns
206
http://www.wcoomd.org/home_wco_topics_hsoverviewboxes.htm.
207
http://www.greencustoms.org/.

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4.3.3. Distribution & marketing within the territory
After a pesticide has been manufactured or imported, it begins its commercial life. It may be marketed and distributed
to points of sale (e.g., retailers), or sold directly to farmers and/or other professional users. The Code of Conduct
is the primary international instrument covering this stage of the pesticide life cycle, which includes how the pesticide
is:
• contained and presented for sale, i.e., packaged and labelled;
• transported to and stored at the points of sale;
• advertised to attract buyers;
• merchandised at the point of sale.
This section summarises the requirements for each of these aspects.
4.3.3(a) Packaging & labelling, including in transit
The Code of Conduct as well as the other international chemicals conventions emphasise the important role that
packaging and labelling play to ensure the safe handling, use and disposal of pesticides. Correct packaging and
labelling helps minimise risks for human health and the environment by preventing unintended leakages of the
pesticide and by providing information to users so that they can make informed choices at the time of purchase,
including how to use the pesticide safely.
Labelling. The basic requirement, as set forth in Article 10 of the Code, is that all pesticide containers are to be clearly
labelled in accordance with applicable guidelines, and at least in line with the FAO Guidelines on Good Labelling
Practice for Pesticides. 208 The primary responsibility for labelling of pesticides lies with the pesticide industry.
According to the Code, labels for pesticide products should:
• Comply with registration requirements, e.g. instructions and conditions of use and safe storage and disposal
as well as application methods and equipment;
• Clearly show the WHO hazard classification of the contents;
• Include recommendations consistent with those recognised by research and advisory agencies in the country
of sale;
• Include appropriate symbols and pictograms, in addition to written instructions, warnings and precautions
in the appropriate language(s);
• Include warnings against the reuse of containers and instructions for their safe disposal and decontamination,
in the appropriate language(s);
• Identify each lot or batch of the product in numbers and letters that can be understood without additional
code of reference, and clearly show the release date (month and year) of the lot or batch and the storage
stability of the product;
• Comply with national or international labelling requirements for dangerous goods in international trade. 209
208
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/label.doc.
209
UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods,Thirteenth revised edition, New York and Geneva 2003 available at:
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev13/13files_e.html.

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National legislation is needed to make these into enforceable requirements, e.g., by clearly designating the party
responsible for the labelling and packaging of pesticides – usually the manufacturer or, in the case of imported
products, the importer. This will ensure accountability in case inadequate or incorrect labelling or packaging leads
to harm to human health or the environment. In the case of imported pesticides, one way of ensuring accountability
is to require that the entity placing the pesticide on the market must have a registered office in the country where the
pesticides are going to be distributed and used.
The legislation should also establish what information should be provided on the pesticide label. In addition to the
recommendations of the Code, the label should include the details (name and address) of the entity placing the
pesticide on the market. First aid instructions and advice to doctors in case of poisoning could also be included in
the label.
The label should also be durable and resistant to wear, e.g., printed with indelible ink on sturdy material. In addition,
the information on the label should be adapted to the national conditions. For example, pictograms are especially
important in areas with high levels of illiteracy. The FAO Guidelines on Good Labelling Practice for Pesticides provide
further details on how pesticides should be labelled and the information to be provided therein, including
recommendations regarding lay out and other elements such as size, print size, style, colours, composition and so on.
In many cases, the required information cannot be properly summarised in the label. The Code therefore recommends
that industry ensure that persons involved in the sale of pesticides have access to sufficient information, such as
material safety data sheets. Section 4.2.2 has already discussed the role of the safety data sheet in chemicals
management as a mechanism for providing more detailed information primarily to professional users. The safety data
sheet complements the label. It is important that the legislation require the content to conform to international
standards and be in the national language, as well as – if feasible – the language(s) of the users.
04
Packaging. The basic obligation for manufacturers, importers and distributors is to ensure that only appropriately
packaged pesticides are on the market. According to the Code of Conduct, the pesticide industry should introduce
products in ready-to-use packages and provide a range of pack size and types, in particular, size and types
appropriate for the needs of small-scale farmers and other local users in order to reduce risks and to discourage sellers
from repackaging products in unlabelled and inappropriate containers.
The Code charges governments to prohibit the repackaging of pesticides, unless it is by a licensed operator.
Governments are also to establish a system for licensing premises authorised to carry out packaging and repackaging
of pesticides. Industry is also to ensure that packaging and repackaging is only carried out in licensed premises
where the responsible authority is satisfied that staff are adequately protected against toxic hazards, that the resulting
product will be properly packaged and labelled, and that the content will conform to the relevant quality standards. 210
The Code provides a number of basic requirements concerning containers for pesticides, including:
• that all containers are clearly and correctly labelled including, in the appropriate language/s, a warning
against the reuse of containers and instructions for the safe disposal or decontamination of used containers;
• if effective collect systems are NOT in place, only those containers that are not attractive for subsequent
reuse should be used;
• the use of returnable and refillable containers, once effective collection systems are in place;
• the use of containers that are not attractive to or easily opened by children, particularly for domestic use
products.
210
Art. 10.3.2 of the Code of Conduct.

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If a pesticide has been authorised to be sold to the general public, special attention needs to be paid to the labelling
and packaging to take into account that the customer is not a trained user. In addition to the basic requirements on
packaging and labelling it is especially important that pesticides sold to the general public be packaged in containers
that are not attractive to or easily opened by children.
Another special case for labelling and packaging is pesticides intended for export. These requirements are intended
to facilitate international trade as well as minimise risks. The basic requirement, as set forth in the Rotterdam
Convention, is that pesticides for export are to be labelled in a way that provides adequate information with regard
to the risks and/or hazards to human health and the environment, taking into account the relevant international
standards. 211
Under the Rotterdam Convention, this labelling requirement is compulsory for exports of pesticides banned or severely
restricted in the country of export and voluntary in the case of other pesticides. If the chemical will be used by
professional users, the Rotterdam Convention requires the pesticide to be accompanied by a safety data sheet with
the most-up-to-date information available and in the internationally recognised format.
4.3.3(b) Transport & storage of pesticides
The Code requires labels for pesticides to comply with national or international labelling requirements for dangerous
goods in international trade. The international requirements are set forth in the UN Recommendations for the transport
of dangerous goods, 212 based on a system of classification and labelling that has now been aligned with the Globally
Harmonised System for classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS) discussed in section 4.2.1. 213
The UN Recommendations allocate substances to different packaging groups according to the acute (immediate)
risks they pose during transport. Pesticides are part of Class 6 – toxic and infectious substances. Each class is
comprised of several divisions, pesticides being considered as part of Division 6.1: “substances liable either to cause
death or serious injury or to harm human health if swallowed or inhaled or by skin contact”. Substances in Division
6.1, including pesticides, are allocated among three packaging groups according to the degree of toxic hazard and
the concurrent risk during transport, as follows: 214
• Packaging group I: Substances and preparations presenting a very severe toxicity risk
• Packaging group II: Substances and preparations presenting a serious toxicity risk
• Packaging group III: Substances and preparations presenting a relatively low toxicity risk.
The aim of the UN Recommendations is to ensure good quality packaging strong enough to withstand the shocks and
loadings normally encountered during transport, including transhipment between transport units and between
transport units and warehouses as well as removal from a pallet or overpack for subsequent manual or mechanical
handling.
211
Art. 13 of the Rotterdam Convention.
212
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev13/13files_e.html.
213
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html.
214
Classification of pesticides under Division 6.1 is carried out according to the criteria laid down in section 2.6.2.2 of the UN Recommendations
(assignment of packaging groups for Division 6.1 substances). http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/English/02e_part2.pdf.

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National legislation can expressly refer to these Recommendations and require that all pesticides be packaged and
labelled accordingly. In the case of Division 6.1 substances, the labelling must include the following symbol:
Figure 4.4: Symbol for Division 6.1 substances
In addition to risks during transport, there are also risks during the storage and handling of pesticides, whether in
the warehouses of importing companies, at the points of sale (shops) or in the houses and storage facilities of users.
There are few internationally agreed obligations concerning storage of pesticides, although the Code of Conduct
provides a few recommendations. For example, the Code requires governments and industry to make provisions for
safe storage practices at farm level. 215 In addition, industry, in cooperation with government, is to ensure that storage
of pesticides conforms in principle to the relevant FAO guidelines. 216 The basic reference is the FAO Pesticide storage
and stock control manual. 217
04
Another important reference is the FAO Guidelines for retail distribution of pesticides with particular reference to
storage and handling at the point of supply to users in developing countries, 218 which recommends special
precautions to avoid risks related to the storage of pesticides. Basic requirements include the obligation to store and
display pesticides physically segregated from other merchandise to prevent contamination and confusion with other
materials or products. 219 This is of course especially important in general retail shops that also sell food, drinks or
medicines.
4.3.3(c) Marketing (advertising, promotions)
The pesticide industry has an incentive to develop as big a market as possible for its products, and it uses modern
techniques of advertising and public relations to develop that market, such as mass media. One problem with
promotion of pesticide sales through advertising campaigns is that these campaigns may be inappropriately
addressed to a non-specialised public who might be easily misled. Another problem is the risk of over-accumulation,
which can lead to pesticide stockpiles.
The Code of Conduct is the only international instrument dealing with advertising and promotion of pesticides. 220 The
general requirement is that the advertisement is not in conflict with the label directions and precautions, particularly
those relating to proper maintenance and use of application equipment, appropriate personal protective equipment,
and special precautions for children and pregnant women.
215
Art. 5.3.2 of the Code of Conduct.
216
Art. 10.3.1 of the Code of Conduct.
217
FAO Pesticide Disposal Series N°3, available at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/index_en.htm.
218
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/retail.doc.
219
Art. 5.1.8 of the Code of Conduct.
220
Art 11 of the Code of Conduct.

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The main recommendations included in the Code of Conduct’s Article 11 are grouped and summarised below. These
requirements apply not only to the advertisement as such but also to any promotional material or activities that could
be carried out at the point of sale:
• Restrictions on where to advertise: in particular, pesticides which are legally restricted to use by trained or
registered operators should not be publicly advertised through journals other than those catering for such
operators, unless the restricted availability is clearly and prominently shown;
• Interdictions to avoid confusion of pesticides: no company or individual in any one country should
simultaneously market different pesticide active ingredients or combinations of ingredients under a single
brand name;
• Responsibility to have a scientific basis for all statements: all statements used in advertisements must be
technically and scientifically justified. This implies that scientific language should not be misused to make
claims which seem to have a scientific basis they do not possess; or to make guarantees or implied
guarantees, such as “more profits with” or “guarantees high yields” when there is no definite evidence to
substantiate such claims. No false or misleading comparisons with other pesticides should be made, including
no statements comparing the risk, hazard or safety of different pesticides or other substances.
• Responsibilities concerning statements & visual representations. Advertisements should not contain any
misleading information on the characteristics of the product or any statement such as “safe”, “non-poisonous”,
“harmless”, “non-toxic”, or “compatible with IPM” or visual presentation likely to mislead the buyer with
regard to the “safety” of the product, its nature, composition or suitability for use, official recognition or
approval or its effectiveness. They should also not contain any visual representation of potentially dangerous
practices, such as mixing or application without sufficient protective clothing, use near food or use by or in
the vicinity of children;
• Responsibility to comply with the conditions of the pesticide’s registration. Specific requirements include: that
advertising does not encourage uses other than those specified on the approved label; and that promotional
material does not include recommendations at variance with those of the recognised research and advisory
agencies.
• Obligation to encourage appropriate and responsible use: advertisements should encourage purchasers
and users to read the label; advertising or promotional material should draw attention to the appropriate
warning phrases and symbols laid down in the FAO labelling guidelines; and technical literature should
provide adequate information on correct practices including the observance of recommended application
rates, frequency of applications and pre-harvest intervals; and advertisements and promotional activities
should not include inappropriate incentives or gifts to encourage the purchase of pesticides.
4.3.3(d) At point of sale
The Code of Conduct has several provisions covering practices at the point where pesticides are sold to the user. It
recommends that governments develop regulations and implement licensing procedures relating to the sale of
pesticides, to ensure that those involved in sales are able to provide buyers with sound advice on risk reduction and
efficient use. 221 A complementary provision charges the pesticide industry to ensure that persons involved in the sale
of pesticides are adequately trained, hold appropriate government licenses (where such licenses exist) and have
access to sufficient information, such as material safety data sheets, so that they are capable of providing buyers with
advice on risk reduction and efficient use. 222
221
Art. 8.1.1 of the Code of Conduct.
222
Art. 8.2.7 of the Code of Conduct.

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The Code places responsibility on governments to take regulatory measures to prohibit the repackaging or decanting
of any pesticide into food or beverage containers, and to rigidly enforce punitive measures in order to deter such
practices. However, to accommodate small-scale farmers and other local users and to discourage sellers from
repackaging products in unlabelled or inappropriate containers, pesticide industry should provide a range of pack
sizes and types, consistent with national requirements. 223
Requirements for retailers to keep records of the quantities of pesticides sold, while not in one of the international
instruments, could help to provide an accurate picture of quantities of pesticides used and support monitoring of
compliance and enforcement of the legislation
Box 4.11: Distribution & sales
Pesticide industry (manufacturers/importers):
• Package and label pesticides in transport according to UN guidelines and for sale in the
language of the country of destination
• Provide safety data sheets in the language of the country of destination and/or language of
the user
• Keep records of pesticides imported and sold
04
Distributors and retailers
• Do not repackage pesticides and ensure labelling is in the national language
• Train staff to explain information on the labels to buyers and provide assistance on
application methods to avoid exposure to humans and environment
• Keep record of the pesticides sold
Governments:
• Establish adequate regulatory framework to control distribution, packaging, labelling,
storage, advertisement and sales of pesticides
• Establish a licensing system for repackaging and prohibit decanting into food or beverage
containers
• Establish policies, including fiscal policies, to promote non-chemical pest control methods and
substitution of less dangerous pesticides
Other (civil society, including NGOs)
• Inspect points of sales to identify inadequate practices
• Train farmers on pesticides and practices to be avoided, and alternative methods of
pest control
223
Arts. 8.1.2 and 8.2.8 of the Code of Conduct.

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4.3.4. Controls during use
The application of a pesticide is the point in its life cycle when it is deliberately released into the environment. If the
pesticide product is registered and the product is used according to conditions set at the time of registration (which
should appear on the label), this use is permissible. Use of an unregistered pesticide is an illegal use. Use of a
pesticide other than as instructed on the label is an improper use.
This section considers the measures in place in the international instruments to guard against improper use. It focuses
on provisions for preventing improper use by professional users. Professional users include farmers (these may range
from large agribusiness establishments to smallholders), professional applicators (aerial sprayers, fumigators, public
health vector controllers, etc.), and public authorities (uses in hospitals, transportation right-of-ways, urban parks, etc.).
It does not consider measures for controlling risks to amateur users such as household gardeners, since these are
usually managed by setting restrictions on sales to the general public at the registration stage.
4.3.4(a) General assumption: use according to label
The primary source of international guidance on pesticides management is the Code of Conduct. However, this is
primarily addressed to governments and the pesticide industry and provides little guidance for the actual user of a
pesticide product. 224
The process of registration of pesticides is supposed to include consideration of risks during use, as well as any
precautionary measures needed to keep risks to acceptable levels. Precautionary measures aimed at minimising
adverse impacts during use (e.g. protective clothing and equipment, no-spray zones) are usually established as part
of the registration process.
The label and/or safety data sheet is the key mechanism to provide users with relevant information on the conditions
set during registration for minimising risks for health and the environment when using a pesticide product. The general
presumption is that the user will read the label and/or safety data sheet and follow the instructions. However, the
reality is often different. Users frequently fail to read the safety instructions on the label or choose to ignore the label
advice. As a result, many uses of pesticides are improper, i.e., not according to label instructions. Even in countries
like Sweden, where all farmers must undergo specific training on proper use of pesticides, an estimated 30% of
farmers do not follow label instructions, including where personal protective equipment is advised. 225 In developing
countries with high rates of illiteracy, this percentage is undoubtedly higher.
Governments and the pesticide industry can take a number of measures to prevent improper use of pesticides. For
example, the Code of Conduct advises avoiding the use of pesticides whose handling and application require use
of personal protective equipment that is uncomfortable, expensive or not readily available, especially in the case of
small-scale users in tropical climates. 226 Governments can implement this advice through the registration process,
i.e., by not authorising pesticide products which require personal protective equipment during handling and
application.
The Stockholm Convention also requires parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that any use of POPs under
the exemptions or purpose allowed is carried out in a manner that prevents or minimises human exposure and release
into the environment. 227
224
Note, however, that the FAO and WHO have both published guidelines for use of pesticides in agriculture and vector control. See the Annex II:
Source Guide for website links.
225
A 1998 study for the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate (KEMI) found that improper use occurred in at least 30% of applications of pesticides by
professional users.
226
Art. 3.5 of the Code of Conduct.This article also advises that preference be given to pesticides that require inexpensive personal protective and
application equipment and to procedures appropriate to the conditions under which the pesticides are to be handled and used.
227
Art. 3(6) of the Stockholm Convention.

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4.3.4(b) Promotion of IPM & GAP
The third Conference of the Parties (COP3) of the Convention on Biodiversity adopted a decision recognising that
an excessive dependence on agrochemicals had produced substantial negative effects on the terrestrial ecosystems,
including soil, coastal and aquatic organisms, thus affecting biological diversity in different ecosystems. 228 The
decision encouraged Parties to promote research into and development and implementation of IPM, in particular
methods and practices alternative to the use of agro-chemicals, that maintain biodiversity, enhance agro-ecosystem
resilience, maintain soil and water quality and do not affect human health.
Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is internationally recognised as an important standard covering all pest control
situations, and promoted in a number of international instruments as the best option for attaining a sustainable
agriculture. However, how to define IPM and what it means in practice remains controversial.
Box 4.12: The Code of Conduct’s Definition of IPM
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) means the careful consideration of all available pest control
techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of
pest population and keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified
and reduce or minimise the risks to human health and the environment. IPM emphasises the growth of
a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agroecosystems and encourages natural pest
control mechanisms.
04
The Code of Conduct mentions keeping pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified and
reduce or minimise risks to health and the environment. The World Bank in its policy on pest management 229 defines
ecologically based IPM as a mix of practices relying first and foremost on the application of ecological principles
and processes, e.g., managing pest populations through biological control (use of natural enemies such as predators,
parasites, pathogens) and cultural techniques, with the use of synthetic chemical pesticides as a last resort and only
in the context of an IPM plan. In any case, there is emerging agreement that IPM means keeping the use of pesticides
to a minimum and to use alternative means of pest control as much as possible.
Here it is worth noting that the organic agricultural movement has demonstrated the use of chemical pesticides is far
less necessary than the pesticide industry would have farmers believe. At the 2007 International Conference on
Organic Agriculture and Food Security, the FAO released a report citing the results of recent models of a global food
supply grown organically which indicated that organic agriculture could produce enough food on a global per
capita basis for the current world population. According to the FAO report, the models suggested that “…organic
agriculture has the potential to secure a global food supply, just as conventional agriculture does today, but with
reduced environmental impact.” 230
The various pest control practices and techniques that in combination are considered IPM are still evolving in light
of new knowledge and understanding. Additional research is therefore essential and the Code of Conduct recognises
that a wide range of stakeholders should play a proactive role in the development and promotion of IPM. 231
228
Decision III/11: Conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity, adopted at COP3 of the Convention on Biodiversity. Decision
available at: http://www.cbd.int/decisions/cop-03.shtml?m=COP-03&id=7107&lg=0.
229
World Bank Operational Policy on pest management (OP 4.09), available at:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/PROJECTS/EXTPOLICIES/EXTOPMANUAL/0,,contentMDK:20064720~menuPK:64701637~pagePK:6
4709096~piPK:64709108~theSitePK:502184,00.html.
230
See http://www.fao.org/organicag/foodsecurity.jsp, and reports on organic agriculture and food security at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/paia/organicag/ofs/OFS-
2007-5.pdf and on organic agriculture and food availability, at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/012/ah952e.pdf.
231
Arts. 3.7 and 3.8 of the Code of Conduct.

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A related term is integrated crop management (ICM), defined as an approach to farming which aims to balance
production with economic and environmental considerations by means of a combination of measures including crop
rotation, cultivations, appropriate crop varieties and careful use of inputs. Another concept featured in the Code of
Conduct is that of Good Agricultural Practices, or GAP.
Box 4.13: The Code of Conduct’s Definition of GAP
Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) in the use of pesticides includes the officially recommended or
nationally authorised uses of pesticides under actual conditions necessary for effective and reliable
pest control. It encompasses a range of levels of pesticides applications up to the highest authorised
use, applied in a manner which leaves a residue which is the smallest amount practicable.
The Code of Conduct’s only other reference to GAP links the use of GAPs to the need to ensure that pesticide residues
on agricultural products are within permitted levels. 232 In theory, if the conditions of registration are followed to the
letter during application of a pesticide on an agricultural product, any residues on the product at the time it is
marketed should comply with the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set in the Codex Alimentarius. 233 If residues on food
and agricultural commodities are within the Codex Alimentarius MRLs, countries may not set up obstacles to prevent
their import whatever the mode of production has been.
The FAO has launched a Good Agricultural Practices Initiative as a mechanism to implement Agenda 21’s objective
of a sustainable agriculture. 234 As in the case of IPM, there is little common ground as to what GAP is in practice.
The concept of GAP is broader than IPM and can refer to a wide variety of elements, not only the use of pesticides
for pest control but also more general agricultural management. Crop protection within the framework of GAP requires
long-term strategies to manage risks by the use of disease- and pest-resistant crops and pasture rotations, disease
breaks for susceptible crops, and the minimal use of agrochemicals to control weeds, pests, and diseases following
the principles of IPM.
Farm-level recordkeeping is one of the specific practices highlighted in the FAO initiative on GAP. Keeping track,
e.g. of pesticide use or alternative methods of pest control, helps farmers to gain a better understanding of their
production systems which can lead to less dependency on pesticides and accompanying cost savings. Farm-level
recordkeeping can also support monitoring of pesticide use, especially important in controlling compliance with
phase-outs of internationally banned or severely restricted pesticides, such as POPs. Requirements for farmers to
report their use of pesticides can provide public authorities with important information on use trends and help them
to monitor impacts from pesticides use that may be useful for taking decisions on de-registration or re-registration.
232
Art. 6.1.11 of the Code of Conduct.
233
For more information, see: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp, or Understanding the Codex Alimentarius, FAO/WHO, Rome, 2005,
at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y7867e/y7867e00.htm.
234
FAO Committee on Agriculture, Seventeenth Session, Rome, 31 March-4 April 2003 on the Development of a Framework for Good Agricultural
Practices available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/006/y8704e.htm.

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4.3.4(c) Development & promotion of BEP, including alternatives
Another internationally used concept important for the objective of achieving a sustainable agriculture is “best
environmental practices” (BEP). This term, though not mentioned in the Code of Conduct, is used in the context of the
Oslo-Paris (OSPAR) Conventions for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic 235 and the
UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes 236 to include
reducing use of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides. According to OSPAR, best environmental practices are
changes in agricultural practice which are to “be based upon the knowledge of effective alternative actions and
their agricultural effects.” 237 The difference between BEP, on the one hand, and IPM and GAP, on the other hand, is
that BEP is explicitly focused on reducing environmental impacts.
The Stockholm Convention also recognises the concept of BEP as “the application of the most appropriate
combination of environmental control measures and strategies”. 238 “Best” means “the best option that is economically
feasible under socio-economic conditions present”. The use of BEP is to be promoted by the Parties to the Convention
in order to reduce or eliminate unintentional production of POPs, i.e., during industrial processes such as production
of chemical pesticides. The Convention Secretariat’s draft guidance document on the use of BEPs has already been
mentioned. 239
04
Box 4.13: The UNECE Convention on Transboundary Watercourses’ definition of BEP
Best environmental practices (BEP) are to be developed and implemented by Parties “…for the
reduction of inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from diffuse sources, especially where the
main sources are from agriculture” (Art. 3(1)(g)). In determining what combination of measures
constitute BEPs, particular consideration is to be given to:
• The environmental hazard of the product, the product’s production, the product’s use and the
product’s ultimate disposal;
• Substitution by less polluting processes and substances;
• Scale of use;
• Potential environmental benefit or penalty of substitute materials or activities;
• Advances and changes in scientific knowledge and understanding;
• Time limits for implementation;
• Social and economic implications.
In the case of both OSPAR and the UNECE Convention on Transboundary Watercourses, the development of Codes
of best environmental practice is recommended. OSPAR Recommendations 240 on reduction of inputs to the environment
from agricultural pesticides note that BEP includes measures before pesticides are used (e.g., assessment of the need
to use a pesticide and knowledge of alternative pest control methods), measures during the use of pesticides (e.g., filling
of equipment and application methods), and measures after pesticide use (e.g., cleaning and rinsing of equipment,
disposal of residual pesticides and waste containers). The recommended practices are linked to reduction targets and
reduction of dependence as the key strategy to achieve reduction of risks due to pesticide use.
235
For more information on OSPAR, see: http://www.ospar.org/eng/html/welcome.html.
236
http://www.unece.org/env/water/pdf/watercon.pdf. See also Guidelines for ECE Governments on the prevention and control of water pollution from
fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, 1995 (ECE/CEP/10) - not available online.
237
OSPAR Recommendation 2000/1, Best Environmental Practice (BEP) for the Reduction of Inputs of Agricultural Pesticides to the Environment
through the Use of Integrated Crop Management Techniques, available at: www.ospar.org/documents/dbase/decrecs/recommendations/or00-01e.doc.
238
Art. 5(f) of the Stockholm Convention.
239
UNEP/POPS/EGB.3/2 – Draft Guidelines on Best Available Techniques and Guidance on Best Environmental Practices, available at:
http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/bat_bep/3rd_session/Default.htm.
240
PARCOM Recommendation 94/7 on Elaboration of National Action Plans and Best Environmental Practice for the Reduction of Inputs to the
Environment of Pesticides from Agricultural Use, available at: www.ospar.org/documents/dbase/decrecs/recommendations/pr94-07e.doc, which
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Two provisions in the Code of Conduct are similar to the concept of BEP in their focus on measures to limit impacts
on the environment. Article 3.9 requires governments to encourage and promote research on and the development
of alternatives posing fewer risks such as biological control agents and techniques, non-chemical pesticides and
pesticides that are as far as possible or desirable, target-specific, that degrade into innocuous constituent parts or
metabolites after use and are of low risk to human health and the environment, while Article 3.10 requires
governments and the application equipment industry to develop and promote the use of pesticides application
methods that pose low risks to human health and the environment and that are more efficient and cost effective, and
should conduct ongoing practical training in such activities.
4.3.5. Protecting farmers and agricultural workers
The major international instruments covering protection of farmers and agricultural workers are the ILO Convention
184 on Safety and Health in Agriculture, 241 complemented by ILO Recommendation 192. 242 These two documents
provide a list of obligations and recommendations aimed at protecting agricultural workers. The protection afforded
by the Convention and the recommendations are equally relevant for self-employed farmers. 243
The ILO instruments recommend formulation of a coherent national policy on safety and health in agriculture with the
aim of preventing accidents and injury to health while carrying out agricultural activities. The national policy’s
objective is therefore to eliminate, minimise or control hazards in the agricultural working environment. As in the case
of any other policy, the legislative framework should designate the competent authorities in charge of implementing
this national policy and establish co-ordination mechanisms. It also needs to clearly specify the rights and duties of
employers and employees, as well the duties of inspectors and the sanctions in case of breach of the regulations. 244
The international texts specify four basic rights for agricultural workers:
• the right to information,
• the right to have training,
• the right to protective clothing and equipment, and
• the right to say no to unsafe practices.
Note that for each right, employers have a reciprocal duty.
The right to information. The protection of workers starts by informing them about the risks of the substances used.
This is a basic right that needs to be recognised and guaranteed in the national legislation. This basic right can be
further elaborated by indicating the minimum information to be transmitted, such as all aspects related to health and
safety, the identity of chemicals used and their hazardous properties as well as the protective measures to be taken
to ensure safe handling – pre-use, use and post-use.
The container label and safety data sheets are the main sources of information for workers. A minimum requirement
should be that these provide the essential information about risks and about safety precautions in the official
language/s of the country of use. However, agricultural workers often receive the pesticides to be applied without
labelling, e.g., if the original product has been mixed and put into another container. And even if the container is
labelled appropriately, the agricultural worker or farmer may have no access to its information because of illiteracy.
241
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C184.
242
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?R192.
243
Arts. 12 and 13 of the ILO R192.
244
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention (C129) and Recommendation (R133), ILO, Geneva 1969, available at:
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/subjlst.htm.

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To address such problems, the national legislation can require the employer to ensure that workers receive
comprehensive instruction on safety and health issues and any necessary guidance or supervision, taking into account
their level of education and differences in language. This would of course include informing agricultural workers of
the hazards and risks associated with their work and of the action to be taken for their protection. A similar obligation
to provide information on risks could be placed on the retailer who sells pesticides to farmers.
The Stockholm Convention includes a broad obligation to inform decision makers and the public at large about
POPs, particularly information related to health and safety of humans and the environment. 245 Information on
alternatives is also to be provided. This could be distributed through safety data sheets but also within a more
general strategy or information campaigns on POPs, particularly in agricultural areas if there is concern that POPs
are being sold and used illegally.
The right to have training. The ILO Conventions highlight the importance of training as a preventive and protective
measure. The national legislation should require the employer of agricultural workers to provide adequate and
appropriate training as well as any guidance or supervision necessary to ensure correct handling of pesticides. To
ensure proper training, including of farmers, government authorities may need to be involved, e.g., by developing
training materials and educational programmes and by providing appropriate trainings to meet the needs of
agricultural employers and workers as well as self-employed farmers. Government could create partnerships with
employers, pesticide and protective equipment industries as well as universities to carry out training courses. Civil
society organisations, and in particular trade unions also have an important role to play in delivering training to
farmers at local level.
04
The Code of Conduct notes that governments need to give special attention to drafting rules and regulations on the
availability of pesticides that are compatible with existing levels of users training and parameters. 246
The right to protective clothing and equipment. The label or safety data sheet of a pesticide may specify that certain
protective clothing and safety equipment should be used during handling and use. Such instructions are not to be
taken lightly. They are conditions set by public authorities at the time of registration in order to reduce the risk to the
user handling or applying the pesticide.
The Code of Conduct notes that preference should be given to pesticides that require inexpensive personal protective
and application equipment procedures appropriate to the conditions of handling and use, including climatic
conditions. 247 However, it is not uncommon for pesticides to be applied without appropriate protective clothing and
safety equipment – whether due to lack of awareness, lack of resources for purchasing the necessary equipment, or
because the protective clothing and equipment is too uncomfortable under the conditions of handling and use.
The international instruments specify that protective clothing and equipment should be:
• Manufactured according to recognised national or international standards;
• Affordable;
• Adapted to the local conditions of use, including climatic conditions and pose low risks;
• Maintained, repaired and cleaned after use;
• Provided to workers at no cost.
Compliance with these requirements implies different duties for public authorities, the pesticide industry, employers
and employees. Public authorities could, for example, establish national standards for protective clothing and
equipment, application equipment, and so on, and then ensure compliance by only permitting the marketing of
clothing and equipment meeting those standards.
245
Art. 10.1(a) & (b) and Art. 9.5 of the Stockholm Convention.
246
Art. 7.1 of the Code of Conduct.
247
Art. 3.5 of the Code of Conduct.

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The pesticide industry could be required, as a condition of placing a pesticide requiring special risk management
measures, to ensure that appropriate and inexpensive protective clothing and safety equipment adapted to the
conditions of the pesticide is available at all points of sale and that the pesticide is not sold to the user except together
with the appropriate clothing and personal equipment, unless the retailer has determined that the user already is in
possession of the appropriate clothing and personal equipment and understands the importance of its used.
Employers have the duty to ensure that proper protective clothing and safety equipment is provided at no cost to their
workers, and that the protective clothing and safety equipment is in fact used. This duty includes ensuring that the
clothing and safety equipment is maintained, repaired and cleaned. The counterpart duty on workers is to cooperate
with employers by complying with the prescribed safety and health measures.
The right to say no to unsafe practices. It is not uncommon that workers may be asked to carry out a task in an unsafe
manner, e.g., without appropriate protective clothing and/or equipment. Workers may fear reprisal from the
employer if they object to proceeding in an unsafe way. It is therefore essential that the national legislation protect
workers by recognising their right to say no to unsafe practices and to remove themselves from danger during their
work activity when they have reasonable justification to believe there is an imminent and serious risk to their safety
and health. For this right to be effective, the national legislation needs to ensure that the workers will not be placed
at any disadvantage as a result of these actions, e.g., that they cannot lose their job if they exercise this right.
Box 4.14: Controls during use
Governments:
• Develop and promote alternatives to chemicals for pest control, including IPM
• Establish agricultural extensive services and training schemes for farmers and other
professional users
• Train farmers on risks related to handling and application, correct application methods to
minimise human and environmental exposure, alternative pest control methods, and so on
• Establish adequate regulatory framework to protect agricultural workers
Employers in agriculture
• Train agricultural workers on the handling and use of pesticides (pre-use, use and post-use)
• Provide adequate protective clothing/equipment and require its use
Trade unions and NGOs
• Inform workers of their rights to be informed, to say no to unsafe practices, to have protective
equipment, and to be trained
Pesticide industry:
• Develop less hazardous pesticide formulations and more comfortable/affordable protective
clothing and equipment

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4.3.6. Disposal of waste
An essential element of proper handling of pesticides is to safely manage and dispose of any resulting waste. The
“polluter pays principle” is relevant here, i.e., the principle of international environmental law that holds that the costs
of environmental damage should be borne by the party that caused the damage.
Pesticides-related waste can occur at several points: the left-over quantities after application, rinsate from washing
out tanks and applicators, and the empty containers themselves. Waste also occurs when large quantities of
pesticides have been marketed and distributed but never used, or when a pesticide is banned or severely restricted.
A specific problem is the accumulation of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides. The FAO defines obsolete pesticides as
pesticides that can no longer be used for their intended purpose or any other purpose and therefore require disposal.
A pesticide may be obsolete because it has been banned or severely restricted, e.g., the bans and phase-outs of
certain POPs under the Stockholm Convention. 248 A pesticide may also be obsolete because the product has
deteriorated as a result of improper or prolonged storage, so that it can no longer be used according to its label
specifications nor reformulated to become usable again. Stockpiles of pesticides pose serious threats to human
health and the environment, because these chemicals and their containers are often in poor condition and leakages
threaten to contaminate surrounding soil, water, food and air.
04
4.3.6(a) Preventing stockpiles of pesticides and used containers
The best solution is always to prevent the problem in the first place. A good prevention policy may simplify and ease
the problems of disposal of containers and unused/unwanted pesticides. Prevention policies are therefore essential
to ensure the effectiveness of any programme dealing with clean-up and disposal of OPs.
One of the most important causes of accumulation in the past was international donations of chemicals for use in
agriculture or vector control. Another causal factor was the centralised purchase and import of subsidised pesticides
by governments, for possible distribution to farmers. The Code of Conduct calls on governments, pesticide industry,
international organisations and the agricultural community to implement policies and practices to prevent the
accumulation of OPs and used containers. 249
To avoid future problems in this regard, governments can avoid giving subsidies or accepting donations, and instead
adopt a market-driven supply approach. Emergency procedures, including centralised purchase, can be developed
for specific situations when other options are not sufficient. The adoption of a preventive policy would imply that
subsidies and acceptance of donations would henceforth be very restricted.
If tenders are put out for pesticides purchases, the FAO purchasing procedures for pesticides provide important
guidance on how to require extended storage, distribution and disposal services to be included in the contract. These
contractual arrangements are important for dealing with any future risk of costs of collection and disposal of stockpiles
remaining after use. To avoid corruption, it is of course important that any public procurement process be fully
transparent.
248
Art. 6 of the Stockholm Convention addresses the problem of chemicals stockpiles and wastes.
249
Art. 10.7 of the Code of Conduct.

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4.3.6(b) Management of empty containers & other pesticide-related waste
Some pesticide-related waste production cannot be prevented, e.g., empty containers as well as small quantities of
left-over pesticides. The general principle is that disposal of pesticides wastes and empty containers needs to be done
in an environmentally sound manner that eliminates and/or minimises the risks to human health and the environment.
The FAO, UNEP and WHO have developed guidelines on how to establish policies and regulatory instruments for
waste management related to pesticides. 250
A widespread problem in many low income countries is the reuse of empty pesticides containers for purposes such
as containers for carrying drinking water or food. This practice is extremely dangerous since toxic residues may
remain in the container. To avoid empty containers being used for purposes other than those for which they were
conceived, it is important to put in place a suitable system for the collection and disposal of used containers and other
pesticides wastes. Until such a system is in place and even thereafter, there might be a requirement to punch holes
in all empty pesticide containers, so that they can no longer function as containers for liquids. In any case, there is
a need to educate the public about the risks of such practices and an important role here for local NGOs.
A collection scheme for used pesticide containers and left-over pesticides could be a responsibility shared between
the government, including local authorities, and pesticide distributors. For instance, farmers could be required to
return left-over pesticides and empty containers to the distributor for storage until subsequent collection and disposal
either by the government or a private waste management operator specially licensed to carry out such operations.
A fiscal incentive such as a deposit-refund scheme could be used to increase collection rates.
Farm-level collection schemes might also be established featuring regular collection of left-over pesticides and empty
containers directly from individual farmers and from retailers, or by setting up local collection points and interim
storage facilities where containers and left-overs could be deposited. To make the system more effective and complete,
the legal framework would need to include prohibitions against the unauthorised dumping, burning, reselling and
re-buying of containers and pesticide left-overs, with sanctions for violations to support the enforcement of these
prohibitions.
4.3.6(c) Management & disposal of stockpiles of OPs
A problem specific to pesticides is the management and disposal of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides. Significant
stockpiles of OPs have accumulated in many developing countries and countries in economic transition, and several
programmes and initiatives have been put in place in order to find a suitable solution to this problem. One of the
most important programmes in this field is the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP). 251 Virtually every African country
has stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and associated wastes that have accumulated over the past several decades.
The total accumulation on the continent is estimated at some 50,000 tonnes of OPs, as well as tens of thousands of
tonnes of contaminated soil. The ASP's objective is to clean up stockpiled OPs and pesticide-contaminated waste in
an environmentally sound manner; put in place measures to prevent new accumulations; and build institutional
capacity on important chemicals-related issues.
The International HCH and Pesticides Association are similarly working to bring international attention to the problems
of OPs in Eastern Europe, Caucaus and Central Asia. In Ukraine alone, 4500 separate stores of OPs have been
identified, holding an accumulation of 31,700 tonnes of OPs. 252
250
Provisional Guidelines for Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides, available at:
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/guides_en.htm.
251
For more information on the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP) visit: http://www.africastockpiles.org/.
252
See http://www.ihpa.info/index.php for more information on the activities of the International HCH and Pesticides Association in the countries in
economic transition.

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An important first step in managing stockpiles of OPs is to carry out an inventory of existing stockpiles, including
wastes containing or contaminated with pesticides and any OP-containing products/articles still in use. The next step
is to develop an appropriate management plan setting forth the way these stockpiles are going to be handled,
collected, transported, stored and disposed of in a environmentally sound manner. The action plan needs to be
realistic and therefore must be based on the capacity and potential of the country for management and disposal of
stockpiles.
Disposal operations should be aimed at destroying or irreversibly transforming the hazardous content. 253 If this is not
possible, other possibilities for disposal may be foreseen. However, notice that disposal operations that may lead to
recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct use or alternative use of POPs are not permitted by the Stockholm Convention
and therefore need to be banned by the legislation. 254
Ideally, the disposal operations should take place in the country where the stockpiles are. However, many developing
countries and countries in economic transition do not have the infrastructure to carry out safe disposal of this type of
hazardous waste. The Stockholm Convention acknowledges this situation and provides for certain stockpiles of POPs
to be exported for the purpose of environmentally sound disposal. 255
The export of OPs for disposal must be in compliance with the provisions of the Basel Convention, which sets forth
a number of notification and other administrative requirements that may increase the costs of managing and disposing
of OP stockpiles. The Basel Convention’s Article 9(a) allows the transboundary movement of wastes if, inter alia, the
State of export does not have the technical capacity and the necessary facilities, capacity or suitable disposal sites
in order to dispose of wastes in an environmentally sound and efficient manner. The Stockholm Convention further
links to the Basel Convention by requiring collaboration for establishing standards for destruction and irreversible
transformation as well as for determining what methods constitute environmentally sound disposal.
04
4.3.6(d) Contaminated sites
One of the inevitable consequences of unsafe storage and/or disposal of hazardous pesticides is contamination of
the surrounding environment, including soil and water resources. As with OP stockpiles, the first step in managing
the problem of contaminated sites is to determine the extent of the problem by compiling an inventory of the
contaminated sites in the country. 256 A logical place to start is to consider the sites where OP stockpiles have been
found or where pesticide manufacture or formulation has taken place.
Determining the extent of site contamination as well as the probable cost of clean-up can be difficult and expensive,
and may require gathering of soil and water samples. At a minimum, there should be efforts to “characterise” the
contamination at the site to determine if there is any significant risk to human health, e.g., risk of contamination of
drinking water supplies. Methods of remediation can range from isolation and control of the contamination in situ,
digging up the contamination and carting it away for disposal as hazardous waste, or diminishing the contamination
itself via soil washing, microorganisms or other special treatment. Because of the high costs associated with site cleanup,
priorities will need to be set. In some cases, fencing off the site to prevent entry by curious children or grazing
animals may be a sufficient short-term solution until remediation can be carried out in an environmentally sound
manner.
253
Art. 6 of the Stockholm Convention sets forth a number of requirements concerning the measures that should be taken to destroy or irreversibly
transform any persistent organic pollutant content, taking into account relevant global and regional regimes governing the management of hazardous
wastes.
254
See the IPEN Fact Sheet on Alternatives for POPs Disposal (2005). Available in English, French and Spanish at:
http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/library/4_2_dpcbw_doc_2.html.
255
See Art. 3(2)(b) of the Stockholm Convention.
256
Art.10.5 of the Code of Conduct and Art. 6(1) (e) of the Stockholm Convention.

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Box 4.15: Management of pesticide-related waste
Pesticide industry, including distributors and retailers:
• Cooperate in the establishment of collection systems for empty containers and left-over
pesticides
Governments:
• Adopt adequate regulatory framework including liability provisions for management of
waste, including pesticide-related waste
• Establish a system for collection of empty containers and left-over pesticides
• Develop plans for management of obsolete pesticides and contaminated sites
Extension services and NGOs
• Train farmers on how to dispose of empty containers and raise awareness about the dangers
of reusing empty containers or obsolete pesticides
4.3.7. Inspection and enforcement
Enforcement of laws generally rests on three pillars: (1) prevention, (2) detection and (3) suppression. The second
pillar – detection of breaches of the law – is mainly implemented through systems of monitoring and inspection,
while the third pillar – repression of non-compliance – is usually carried out via prosecution and sanctions.
Laws covering the different stages in the life cycle of the pesticide (manufacture, marketing, sale, use and disposal)
will require different types of enforcement measures. Enforcement may involve agricultural extension agents (to
educate pesticide users about the rules and prevention measures); and customs officials, environmental protection and
labour inspectors (to detect breaches of the law). Prosecutors and judges are also part of a country’s enforcement
mechanism, since they will in the end decide whether to initiate criminal procedures and apply sanctions, including
criminal sanctions.
Since the authorities with responsibility for managing risks at the various stages of the pesticide life cycle are also
likely to be different, it can be useful for a country to have an integrated monitoring and enforcement structure or
strategy in place which clearly distributes competences among the various authorities, agencies and services at
national, regional or local level. This strategy should set forth the basis for inter-services collaboration and
communication channels for exchange of information among the different authorities, services and corps involved.
This integrated monitoring and enforcement management structure could take the form of a sub-committee within the
pesticides management committee.
Possible points for inspections and controls include at the manufacturing facility, at a country’s borders and during
transport, in the marketplace (point of sale), at the place of release (e.g., farms), and at places of storage including
waste management and disposal sites. For developing countries where awareness may be lacking and resources
for enforcement are scarce, citizens and NGOs may be able to contribute by calling the attention of authorities to
any infractions they may have observed.
At the point of manufacture or formulation. Controls at the facility where manufacturing or formulation takes place
(and including storage facilities) are important to ensure both that banned substances are not being produced and
that manufacturing operations are in accordance with applicable standards, including requirements regarding health
and safety at work. Inspectors should carry out both planned and surprise inspections and be empowered to adopt
preventive and corrective measures, if irregularities are detected.

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At the borders. Controls over unwanted imports need to take place at the borders. Custom officials and border police
should be familiarised with the requirements of the Rotterdam and Basel Conventions and the Montreal Protocol
concerning transboundary movements of the substances they cover and of waste in general, so that they can detect
illegal traffic. Authorities should be able to confiscate any pesticides or wastes being shipped illegally, e.g. without
proper labelling or documentation, or to refuse entry into the country. Under the Basel Convention, the country of origin
for an illegal shipment of waste is obliged to take it back. 257 The Basel Convention Secretariat has developed detailed
guidelines concerning detection of illegal traffic and other crimes involving transboundary shipment of waste, and the
take-back obligation of the Convention.
During transport and storage. The transport of pesticides from the place of manufacturing or point of entry to the point
of sale also presents risks that should be controlled. The UN guidelines on transport of dangerous goods, which set
requirements for packaging and labelling aimed at prevention of problems such as leakages or fires, are applicable
here. Since the police and fire brigades are the first responders in situations of emergency, they should be familiarised
with the risks associated with transport of chemicals including pesticides. This may help to engage them in carrying
out checks and controls of transporters of dangerous substances, to ensure compliance with shipping documentation,
packaging and labelling requirements, and to take enforcement action if serious violations are found.
At the point of sale. As already described above, the Code of Conduct sets a number of requirements for the marketing
of pesticides, including storage conditions, separation from food (if a general store), and obligations not to repackage
or mix pesticides. Therefore, inspections at the point of sale are important. This requires the inspector to have a good
knowledge of the national requirements concerning marketing of chemicals and pesticides. Citizens and NGOs can
help by calling attention to violations witnessed in the marketplace, e.g., improper labelling or repackaging of pesticides.
In order to be credible, it is important to document the infraction carefully, noting the time and date the infraction was
observed, and describing the offence that was witnessed. Inspectors should have the power to adopt precautionary,
corrective and emergency measures, e.g., confiscation of illegal or irregular stocks or closure of establishments which
are selling illegal pesticides and so on.
04
At farms and plantations. Farm-level inspections are important to ensure that employers comply with the measures
regarding health and safety in the agricultural work place, such as providing workers with information and the necessary
protective equipment and clothing, and other requirements of the safe management of pesticides (storage facilities and
so on). The existence of an adequate and appropriate system of inspection for agricultural workplaces is specifically
required by Article 5 ILO C184 according to the principles embodied in the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention
and Recommendation, 1969. 258 Inspectors should be able to adopt corrective measures, including where appropriate
the suspension or restriction of those agricultural activities which pose an imminent risk to the safety and health of
workers, until the conditions giving rise to the suspension or restriction have been corrected. 259
Inspections is the first step for detecting cases of non-compliance with the legislation but in order to ensure the
enforcement of the legislation, sanctions have to be put in place. Sanctions play a very important role as a deterrent
for breaches and create confidence in citizens in the applicability of the legislation. However, the existence of sanctions
is not enough; they have to be proportionate and dissuasive and they have to be applied, otherwise the deterrent effect
disappears.
Sanctions. In general, sanctions, including criminal sanctions, should be established to enforce all the interdictions set
forth by the national legislation as well as to punish illegal traffic such as illegal traffic of banned or severely restricted
substances and waste (in relation with the Stockholm, Rotterdam and Basel Conventions and Montreal Protocol) and
non compliance with health and safety requirements. 260 The Code of Conduct specifically requests sanctions in order
to enforce the interdictions of repackaging or decanting of pesticides into food or beverage containers. 261 It calls for
“rigidly enforced punitive measures that effectively deter such practices”. Applicability of any sanctions established by
the legislation may require training and awareness-raising of prosecutors and judges.
257
Art. 9 of the Basel Convention.
258
Art. 5(2) of the ILO C184, allows the competent authority to entrust certain inspection functions at the regional or local level, on an auxiliary basis,
to appropriate government services, public institutions, or private institutions under government control, or may associate these services or
institutions with the exercise of such functions.
259
Art. 4(3) of the ILO C184.
260
Art. 4(3) of the ILO C184.
261
Art. 8.1.2 and 10.4 of the Code of Conduct.

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05
PHASING IN THE CHEMICALS CODES
& CONVENTIONS
This section sets forth a type of methodology that can be useful for determining what steps need to be taken in
order to comply with the international obligations in the chemicals codes and conventions, and for planning
how to go about taking those steps. While it can be adapted to different schemes, it is just one possible
approach. Other approaches for making the desired changes to national laws and practices may also be
considered.
For example, a number of countries are getting support through the SAICM effort for development of National
Chemicals Profiles. The methodology set forth below is compatible with the process of developing such profiles,
and related action plans.
It is useful to keep in mind that the no country has yet achieved a perfect system for ensuring compliance with
the international codes & conventions. Indeed, all countries can make improvements in their current mechanisms
and measures. The important thing is to make progress by carrying out priority measures as they can be
achieved.
5.1. STEP-WISE APPROACH FOR PHASING IN THE CHEMICALS CODES
& CONVENTIONS
The methodology below for phasing in the international chemicals requirements is divided into three phases. Each
phase in turn is divided into different steps. Figure 5.1 on the next page provides a diagram of the methodology.
5.1.1. Phase 1: Defining the country situation
This first phase is essential to determine the starting point for phasing in the international chemicals requirements.
The Phase 1 steps outlined below should not be considered as independent boxes but rather as part of an
interwoven analytical process. The three steps will normally run simultaneously and will serve to already fulfil
some of objectives of the steps identified in phases 2 and 3.
Step 1: Baseline analysis. The first step is to identify the baseline conditions in the country or region. This
is a type of “mapping” exercise. An assessment of the current situation in the country or community helps to
identify any gaps in the legal framework or in the system for implementation, as well as any need for training,
technical assistance, equipment or other infrastructure.
The assessment should include a review of the regulatory framework, the institutional framework, the political and
social context, as well as resources available at national and international level. These resources include
economic resources, e.g., budget, human and technical, and projects developed in the country.
This initial analysis and diagnostic exercise will enable the development of effective plans based on well-defined
implementation activities. Systematic gathering of information concerning gaps and needs and good analysis
concerning how to meet those needs can help to convince donors that financial or technical assistance will be
well spent and lead to concrete results, and is therefore already linked to step 5 (see next page).

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Figure 5.1: Phasing in the International Codes & Conventions
Phase 1: Defining the country situation
Step 1: Baseline analysis
Step 2: Needs assessment
Stakeholder consultation & participation
Awareness raising
Monitoring & Evaluation
Step 3: Identification of priorities and
opportunities
Output: Report on country situation
Phase 2: Plan for implementing the international obligations
Step 4: Evaluation of priorities and crosscutting
opportunities
(life cycle approach)
Step 5: Development of work plan
Step 6: Setting benchmarks & indicators
for tracking of progress
Output: National workplan for monitoring of progress
Phase 3: Implementation
Strengthening the legal
framework
Improving technical
capacity
Building the human
capacity
Step 7: Resource mobilisation
National and international

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The check lists developed in Annex I can help with this initial assessment, although more data will undoubtedly
be needed to complete the assessment. The development of a data gathering plan can help to carry out this first
assessment of the situation in the country. The check lists can also be helpful during the process of implementing,
as tools for monitoring the progress towards achieving specific benchmarks or milestones. If a National Chemicals
Profile has already been developed or is in the process of being developed, an adequate baseline analysis may
already be available.
In carrying out this initial baseline analysis, it will be important to determine any institutional or political obstacles
that may need to be addressed. These can range from lack of political will within key ministries as well as conflicts
between different agencies or personalities that may hamper cooperation. The analysis might also consider
citizens’ rights such as access to information, public participation, access to justice, protection of low income and
marginalised groups, and so on.
It will also be important to look at all previous chemicals-related studies and projects that may be relevant to take
into account, including any technical assistance from international organisations or bilateral funders such as
FAO, UNDP, or World Bank. These may already be directed towards achieving specific priorities and therefore
this exercise is linked to step 3 below. It is also essential to coordinate with planned and on-going projects in
order to avoid duplication and promote synergies.
Step 1 also includes the identification of key stakeholders and categories of key stakeholders that should
participate in the process of implementing the international chemicals requirements in the country. Initial
consultations with help to identify problems and needs in the country and define the political will and capacity
needs to meet the international requirements (Step 2).
Step 2: Needs assessment. The diagnosis and needs assessment is normally carried out at the same time
as Step 1. This step aims to identify the underlying causes of the various problems that have been spotted (e.g.,
enforcement problems due to gaps in the legal framework) as well as to determine the enabling environment in
the country to adopt an improved pesticides/chemicals management regime (the political will but also the
awareness and capacity of stakeholders).
05
Step 2 will also serve to determine what the country needs are: political, legal, social, economic and technical.
As needs are identified, it can be useful to try to define how those needs might be addressed, including cost
estimates. As part of this process it can be very useful to look at what other countries with similar conditions have
done to set up effective chemicals management regimes, and to try to identify possible models to follow and/or
lessons learned.
Step 3: Identification of priorities & opportunities. Step 2 will typically lead to a long list of needs and
of measures that should be taken. However, there are rarely sufficient resources to carry out all of the measures
identified at once, and therefore prioritisation will probably be necessary. Moreover, some of the measures may
depend on the successful completion of earlier actions. For example, setting in place a system to enforce
international requirements for the packaging and labelling of pesticides may require new legislation and capacity
building of the officials who will carry out controls in the marketplace.
In addition, there may be other plans, projects or programmes under way that could present unique opportunities
for setting in place measures aimed at implementing the international chemicals obligations. National strategies
to reduce poverty or technical assistance projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity or targeting a
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Steps 1 and 2 may also have identified urgent local problems requiring immediate action, e.g., severely
hazardous pesticide formulations on the market where a specific intervention is required in order to protect
human health or the environment.
In setting priorities, it can be useful to develop criteria, such as the impact on human health or the resources
available to implement the measure, and then score or rank the various needs and measures according to those
criteria.
The output of this initial phase might be a report on the national situation that identifies key needs and
priorities for action. The report should also identify the competent authorities holding responsibility for the various
needs as well as the stakeholders who would need to be involved in the priority activities. Aspects that might be
highlighted include:
1. Legislation and policy: whether the legal framework is adequate for safe chemicals management,
including for marketing and use of pesticides, and whether the rules in place are respected.
2. Technical capacity, e.g., the condition of infrastructure in the country for agricultural research and
training, monitoring of impacts on human health and the environment, enforcement, including at the
borders, and so on;
3. Human resources: the capacity of key stakeholders, including to what extent the State has the
institutional capacity including knowledge and resources to fulfil its international obligations under the
chemicals codes & conventions and to what extent industry representatives and pesticide users are aware
of the risks which led to the establishment of these international instruments as well as their duties
thereunder.
4. Financial resources: the available capacity in the country, including national budget allocations.
5.1.2. Phase 2: Plan for implementing the international obligations
Step 4: Evaluation of priorities & cross-cutting opportunities (life cycle approach). After identifying
the needs and opportunities, a further step of evaluation may be needed, especially to obtain a buy-in solution
from the various stakeholders. During this phase it can be useful sometimes to develop short briefing papers on
e.g., gaps in the national regulatory framework for chemicals management or opportunities for introducing
alternative, non-chemical methods of pest control.
Briefing papers can be useful for building awareness concerning national, regional and local priorities as well
as for elaborating on how improved chemicals and pesticides management practices can be of benefit in other
policy areas and sectors. These briefing papers could be discussed within more tailored working groups in order
to obtain further inputs on the issues analysed. While such a process may be time consuming, it can help to build
trust among different stakeholders and to ensure that the Work Plan (Step 5) is realistic in terms of implementation.
It can also help to ensure that stakeholders are committed to implement the Work Plan, and to facilitate
identification and allocation of the necessary financial resources to address the needs identified.
Step 5: Development of the work plan. At this point, a more systematic action plan should be developed,
according to the priorities established above and based on the available resources. This work plan will indicate
concrete short, medium and long term actions, including suggestions on the timing of their implementation. A
broader stakeholder consultation should take place to discuss the priorities of the work plan and time line for
implementation.

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Where projects and programmes in other sectors could help in the implementation of the overall strategy, they
could be included in the work plan. Stakeholder consultation will help to identify these programmes as well as
possible resources and the level at which specific projects should be designed and/or implemented (national,
regional, local). Contacts with stakeholder will also help to determine to what extent and how these stakeholder
could participate as drivers or assuming responsibilities in these projects.
Within this context normally three types of projects will be needed:
1. projects to improve the legislation in the country to incorporate the international obligations into
enforceable national law;
2. projects aiming at updating or creating adequate chemicals management infrastructure in the country or
to obtain necessary monitoring tools and equipment
3. training and other capacity building projects for key stakeholders and to create adequate institutional
structures and governance capacity.
If outside resources will be sought, it will be important for international donors to be present during this
stakeholder consultation. This will allow the international community to discuss areas where their input may be
effective and to ensure synergies between different projects while avoiding overlaps.
Step 6: Setting benchmarks & indicators for monitoring of progress. As the work plan is developed,
it is important to identify how progress will be measured. Development of benchmarks (milestones) and indicators,
along with a plan for gathering the data for tracking progress in terms of indicators will help in this regard.
Benchmarks are concrete, one-time measures such as drafting of legislation or set-up of a poison information
centre, while indicators are used to track trends over time. Examples of indicators might be levels of pesticide
residues in groundwater or in agricultural products in the marketplace.
05
Benchmarks and indicators should be agreed in advance with key stakeholders, and then used to monitor whether
political commitments are being kept and the plans implemented as agreed. The use of agreed benchmarks and
indicators also ensures more transparency in monitoring and evaluation.
The output from this second phase could be a national work plan for implementing the requirements in
the international chemicals codes and conventions. It might include concrete actions to implement the priority
measures, benchmarks and indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the strategy, and identification of the
lead actors responsible for the implementation of each priority.
5.1.3. Phase 3: Implementation
The next stage is of course implementation of the national plan. As noted above, three types of measures will
normally be needed:
1. Measures to strengthen the legal framework;
2. Investments to improve the technical capacity for chemicals management, including the necessary tools
and equipment for monitoring;
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Coordination structures will be important in order to obtain support and “buy-in” from the stakeholders who will
need to comply with the new measures and practices. Consultations and advance testing of options via pilot
projects can help to avoid problems and enable making of any adjustments needed to ensure effective
implementation of the legal requirements.
Step 7: Resource mobilisation is essential for the implementation of any strategy. The analysis
of the budget structure and fiscal/tax policies will have helped to identify opportunities. Contacts with
international organisations and donors in the identification of programmes and projects step will have also helped
to identify potential resources to implement the priorities identified. A financial strategy should also accompany
this exercise which should include an analysis of the financial sustainability of the solutions proposed.
It can also be important to get support. Participation in international fora such as Meetings of Parties to the
chemicals conventions can be energizing for the government officials responsible for implementation, and a
useful way to approach organisations who may be able to provide technical assistance or other support, such
as training.
5.2. HORIZONTAL CUTTING ISSUES
During the process described above, three horizontal issues should be taken into account and integrated all
along the implementation of the international chemicals codes and conventions. These are (1) stakeholder
consultation & participation; (2) awareness-raising; and (3) monitoring & evaluation (feedback).
5.2.1. Stakeholder consultation & participation
A workable pesticides/chemicals management regime will need the participation of key governmental and nongovernmental
stakeholders. One of the keys to getting this participation is to be diligent about stakeholder
consultation. A first step is to identify the relevant stakeholders in the country at national, regional and local level
(depending on the focus of the action).
Stakeholder workshops are important at the first stage, in the middle and at the end of the process to discuss
findings from each phase as well as when designing and implementing specific plans, programmes and projects.
In an initial workshop, stakeholders contribute with their views on problems and needs in their country with
respect to adopting the international chemicals requirements. Such participation is essential for getting a buy-in
solution at the end of the process and for the successful implementation of programmes and projects and the longterm
sustainability of solutions.
It is also important to set up coordinating structures – whether formal or informal – in order to involve all relevant
officials, as well as industry representatives, farmers and other pesticide users as well as concerned citizens,
and to avoid wasteful duplication of effort.
5.2.2. Awareness-raising
Successful stakeholder consultation and participation can require raising the awareness of key stakeholders as
well as the general public. Participation may also require the empowerment of civil society (NGOs, vulnerable
groups, marginalised groups, and minorities), if they are to be included in any consultation process.

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Raising the awareness of key stakeholders as well as the general public will benefit the development and execution
of a national plan for implementing the chemicals codes and conventions. Awareness among institutions needs also
to be raised to create the adequate enabling environment for implementing the national plan. This would include
Ministries with competence on issues related to pesticides and chemicals management, as well as local and regional
authorities.
Participation also includes the private sector (e.g., industry), farmers and consumers. Participation will be particularly
important at local level where most pesticide or chemical use decisions are taken.
5.2.3. Monitoring & evaluation (feedback mechanism)
No chemicals management system is perfect, and it is always possible to make improvements. Therefore, as
implementing measures are taken, it is important to remember to monitor the situation as the new measures unfold,
and to evaluate whether the expected results have been achieved. Any problems or gaps in implementation
identified can then be addressed by making adjustments or taking additional measures, as needed.
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06
WHERE TO GET ASSISTANCE FOR
NATIONAL EFFORTS
The international chemical conventions acknowledge the need for international assistance to developing countries
to assist them in setting in place the measures required to meet their international obligations. 262 Despite this
recognition of the need for technical support and/or funding for improving chemicals management, it is not easy to
identify whom to ask for such types of assistance.
This chapter looks at some of the international and national organisations that have already provided technical
assistance on chemicals management issues to developing country governments and other stakeholders, including
NGOs. It gives initial contact information and, in a few instances, provides some hints about the type of assistance
that could be obtained from a particular donor.
However, this information is not always available and moreover the priorities of donors change frequently.
Stakeholders looking for support will therefore need to supplement this information with their own knowledge about
donors and their activities in the country. The place to start is the local office of the international organization.
6.1. INTERNATIONAL SOURCES
6.1.1. Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) 263 is an independent financial international organisation established in 1991
to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries for projects and programs aimed at protection
of the global environment.
GEF is funded by contributions from 32 donor countries. Since its establishment, it has provided $6.8 billion in grants
and generated over $24 billion in cofinancing from other sources to support over 1,900 projects in more than 160
developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
GEF works through three “Implementing Agencies”:
• The United Nations Environment Programme
• The United Nations Development Programme
• The World Bank
The implementing agencies are assisted in the development of project proposals and in management and execution
of the projects by the so called executing agencies There are seven such agencies: African Development Bank
(AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Countries are eligible to receive funds from GEF if they are a party to the appropriate treaty and are eligible to
borrow from the World Bank or receive technical assistance grants from UNDP. GEF also provides assistance to civil
society, through the Small Grants Programme (SGP).
262
e.g.,Arts 12 -14 of the Stockholm Convention and Art. 16 of the Rotterdam Convention.
263
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In addition, any eligible individual or group may submit a project proposal to GEF through UNDP, UNEP, or the World
Bank. 264 These project ideas must be characterised by the aim to improve the global environment or to reduce risks
to it. They must also reflect national or regional priorities and have the support of the country or countries involved.
The GEF has six focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer
and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The POPs focal area is the most directly relevant for projects related to
chemicals management, including pesticides. The ozone layer focal area is also relevant for chemicals that are
ozone-depleting substances.
The GEF is in fact the interim financial mechanism for the Stockholm Convention. In May 2001, the same month that
the Convention was adopted, the GEF Council adopted Guidelines for POPs-enabling activities. 265 For example, the
GEF has financed the development of National Implementation Plans (NIPs) for a number of developing countries
party to the Stockholm Convention, and it is now intending to shift its focus to funding of measures to implement the
NIPs.
However, there are limitations on what the GEF can fund, since GEF funds can only cover agreed incremental costs
for the global benefit of a project. In the context of the POPs focal area, for instance, GEF will be able to finance
POPs reduction measures. Since such measures are supposed to address the different ways of releases of chemicals
(pesticides, industrial chemicals and unintentionally produced by-products), countries could implement measures that
would also improve their general capacity to achieve a sound chemicals management. But co-financing from other
funding sources would probably be needed to cover any costs for activities not considered to have global benefit.
• For practical information on how to determine whether a project is eligible for GEF, what
type of funding type is most appropriate, procedures for proposing a project and on how to
seek partnership opportunities and more: look at the “How do I” section on the GEF Website:
http://www.gefweb.org/interior.aspx?id=96.
• Also contact your national GEF Focal Point (which will have to endorse your project
proposal): http://www.gefweb.org/interior.aspx?id=298.
6.1.2. SAICM Quick Start
The Quick Start Program (QSP) 266 of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was
established in 2006 by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM). The program finances the
implementation of SAICM’s objective to improve chemicals management in developing countries and in countries with
economies in transition.
The SAICM QSP has three main priorities in the area of improving chemicals management:
- Development or updating of national chemical profiles and the identification of capacity needs for sound
chemicals management;
- Development and strengthening of national chemicals management institutions, plans, programmes and
activities to implement SAICM, building upon work conducted to implement international chemicals-related
agreements and initiatives;
- Undertaking analysis, interagency coordination, and public participation activities directed at enabling the
implementation of SAICM by integrating sound management of chemicals in national strategies.
264
For more info on the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), visit: http://sgp.undp.org/.
265
GEF Council Initial Guidelines for Enabling Activities for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), available at:
http://www.gefweb.org/documents/C.17.4.pdf.
266
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/qsptf.htm.

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The SAICM QSP includes a trust fund administrated by UNEP. It is a time-limited trust fund composed of voluntary
contributions. The ICCM has requested governments, regional economic integration organisations, intergovernmental
organisations and non-governmental organisations to make contributions to the trust fund until 30 November 2011.
Countries are eligible to receive money from the trust fund if they are developing countries or transition countries. A
proposal for a project can be submitted by a government participating in SAICM that has, at least, established a
SAICM national focal point for sound chemicals management. Exceptionally, civil society networks participating in
SAICM can also present proposals. 267 The application documents can be found on the SAICM website.
When deciding on a project proposal a number of criteria will be considered, such as its geographical situation, a
sectoral balance and the urgent needs of least developed countries and small island developing countries. Funds will
range between $50,000 and $250,000 per project proposal and will be distributed until 30 November 2013.
• For practical information on how to determine whether a project is eligible for GEF, what
type of funding type is most appropriate, procedures for proposing a project and on how to
seek partnership opportunities and more: look at the “How do I” section on the GEF Website:
http://www.gefweb.org/interior.aspx?id=96.
• Also contact your national GEF Focal Point (which will have to endorse your project
proposal): http://www.gefweb.org/interior.aspx?id=298.
6.1.3. UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1965 as an independent body
within the UN. It carries out research and training in a variety of fields, including in the field of chemicals and waste
management.
UNITAR’s Chemical and Waste Management Programme 268 provides institutional, technical and legal support to
governments and stakeholders to develop sustainable capacity for managing dangerous chemicals and wastes. It
contributes to the implementation of international chemicals management agreements, including the Stockholm
Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, the GHS and SAICM. UNITAR is, for example, carrying out pilot projects in
some countries developing an integrated national programme for sound chemical’s management. It also provides
assistance to countries to meet the SAICM's 2020 goal of sound chemicals management.
06
Financial support is generated solely from the voluntary contributions of governments, agencies, foundations and
individual donors and gathered in two funds: the General Fund and the Special Purpose Grant Fund. The General
Fund covers the central direction and administration of UNITAR, as well as the training programmes for diplomats in
Geneva, New York, Vienna and Nairobi. Most of UNITAR's programmes are funded through Special Purpose Grants
mainly from bilateral donors and intergovernmental organisations.
Support can be requested by governments and civil society. Countries or entities interested to apply for UNITAR
assistance for any of the ongoing programme areas are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to UNITAR. The letter
should come from a lead agency responsible for chemicals management, and be supported by other Ministries and
stakeholder groups. Based on the letter and supporting documentation, UNITAR will explore if resources are available
to support the request.
267
SAICM Quick Start Program Trust Fund,“Funding Application Guidelines”, 14 September 2007,
http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/qsp/application_materials/3rd%20round%20QSP%20Trust%20Fund%20applications%20guidelines%20June%2007.doc :
Civil Society Networks wishing to submit a proposal will need to have designated a SAICM NGO focal point. Given the exceptional character of this
type of funding, the project proposal will need to address a significant need, address a clearly identifiable gap and demonstrate the value of the project.
For more information, see the Guidelines.
268
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• A letter of intent can be sent to: Manager, Chemicals and Waste Management Programme,
UNITAR, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.
• Countries and NGOs can also get assistance from UNITAR to develop proposals for the
SAICM Quick Start Programme Trust Fund.
• For more information, please contact UNITAR at cwm@unitar.org.
6.1.4. FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organisation 269 is the UN body that focuses on achieving food security for all. This is done
through four kinds of activities: providing information, sharing policy expertise, providing meetings among nations
and implementing field projects.
The Plant Protection Service of FAO is designed to work together with member countries as a partner to implement
a number of programmes on pesticide management that reduce health and environmental impacts of pesticides. The
Service arranges, for instance, for national training on PIC or coordinates disposal operations.
The Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP) 270 is working to clean up obsolete pesticides, dispose of them safely and
prevent more stocks from accumulating. A cleanup project starts with an inventory of stocks, stored in the Obsolete
Pesticides Management System (OPMS). FAO, the pesticides industry and bilateral donor agencies provide technical
support to countries where the cleanup activities are taking place. FAO liaises with donor countries and donor
agencies, such as UNEP, as well as with industry to obtain the necessary funding for these activities.
• Any government or organisation that wishes FAO support for upgrading capacity to manage
pesticides should first contact the FAO representation in their country:
http://www.fao.org/decentralizedoffices/physical_presence.asp?lng=en&jAction=d.
6.1.5. World Bank 271
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association
(IDA) are two main lending institutions of the World Bank. They both provide financial and technical assistance to
middle-income countries (IBRD) and least developed countries (IDA).
The World Bank finances technical assistance projects throughout GEF or other grants, 272 to governments. Secondly,
the IBRD and IDA provide low-interest or interest-free loans and credits. These institutions obtain their funds from the
financial markets and act as a borrower for developing countries.
The World Bank has more than 100 country offices globally which can be contacted for more information on funding
and credit opportunities.
269
http://www.fao.org/.
270
http://www.africastockpiles.net/.
271
http://www.worldbank.org/.
272
For a full overview of all grants, visit:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/OPPORTUNITIES/0,,contentMDK:20061756~menuPK:96315~pagePK:95645~piPK:95672~theSitePK:
95480,00.html.

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• To find the World Bank Country office in your country, go to www.worldbank.org: on the
homepage go to: Countries, then select your Region and then click on contact. Or use the
following direct link:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:2
0234094~menuPK:485641~pagePK:146736~piPK:226340~theSitePK:258644,00.html
6.1.6. European Union
EuropeAid 273 is the European Commission’s cooperation office managing external aid programmes and providing
development assistance. It provides assistance to governments and to third parties.
EuropeAid’s programmes are financed through the European Union’s budget and the European Development Fund.
One of the six financial instruments used by EuropeAid, the Development Co-operation Instrument (DCI), runs five
thematic programmes, including “Environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy”.
It dedicates resources to help developing countries and partner organisations address environmental and natural
resource management issues and meet their obligations under multilateral environmental agreements.
Grants are direct financial contributions from the EU budget or from the European Development Fund (EDF). They are
awarded as donations to third parties that are engaged in external aid activities. Grants as a general rule, require
some co-financing by the grant beneficiary.
• Grants are awarded through a competitive procedure. Calls for proposals are published on
the EuropeAid website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/cgi/frame12.pl. After examination
and evaluation of the submitted proposals, the European Commission awards the grant to
successful proposals.
• It can be helpful to contact the EU delegation in your country for further information and to
familiarize them with your technical assistance needs:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/delegations/intro/web.htm .
• The European Commission has published a “Practical guide to contract procedures for EC
external action” that explains in detail how to respond to a call for proposals for EuropeAid’s
external aid programmes:
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/common_documents/pra
ctical_guide/new_prag_final_en.pdf#page=1
06
6.2. BILATERAL DONORS
The list of bilateral donors below is not complete. Other countries including Switzerland and Italy, the hosting
countries for the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, and Canada have also indicated their willingness to support the
governments of developing countries and other stakeholders to improve their chemicals management capacity. It is
therefore recommended to begin by getting acquainted with the local representatives of bilateral donor governments,
and to explore with each of them the possibilities of funding various capacity building projects in the area of chemicals
management.
273
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/.

96
W h e r e t o g e t a s s i s t a n c e f o r n a t i o n a l e f f o r t s
6.2.1. Sweden
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) 274 is a Swedish government agency under the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SIDA is working with over 100 partner countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern
Europe and Central Asia and currently it has in-depth cooperation programs with 33 of these countries. 275
Since 2005, SIDA has designated the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI) 276 as its partner agency, in co-operation
and development projects covering health and environmental aspects of industrial and consumer chemicals, as well
as pesticides. In 2006 this partnership was made formal through the signing of a framework agreement between the
two government agencies.
As KemI is a specialised agency, the aim of the framework is to deliver better support to partners in development cooperation
in the field of chemicals. Under the current setup KemI acts as both executing and implementing agency.
Although the projects and programmes are closely connected to the work of SIDA, the international secretariat of
KemI 277 has the responsibility for projects in this field.
KemI is engaged in the following programs:
• Facilitation of legal, technical and institutional infrastructures on sound management of chemicals in
developing countries and countries with economies in transition;
• Support to the gobal monitoring of POPs for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Stockholm convention;
• Mainstreaming sound management of chemicals into MDG-based national development plans;
• Programme for strengthening the role of poisons centres in promoting chemical safety and supporting health
sector needs for safe chemicals management;
• Chemicals work and non-governmental organisations.
KemI is currently supporting regional projects in South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as well as bilateral projects
in Tanzania, China, Vietnam, Macedonia and Serbia. Additional bilateral negotiations are underway with Russia
and the Ukraine.
• KemI works primarily with governments and governmental agencies sometimes in partnership
with other organisations especially FAO, IFCS, IMO, UNDP, UNECE, UNEP, WHO/IPCS and
the OECD.
• KemI also supports awareness raising and capacity building in civil society, through cooperation
with NGOs.
• Partner countries are generally those from the SIDA list, available at:
http://www.sida.se/sida/jsp/sida.jsp?d=100&language=en_US.
• Visit the KemI International Secretariat webpage:
http://www.kemi.se/templates/Page____3140.aspx for more information on KemI and the
possibility of working with KemI, and contact the SIDA representation in your country to find
out more.
274
http://www.sida.se/sida/jsp/sida.jsp?d=121&language=en_US
275
http://www.sida.se/sida/jsp/sida.jsp?d=100&language=en_US
276
KemI is a supervisory authority under the Ministry of the Environment, for more information visit: http://www.kemi.se/default____550.aspx
277
http://www.kemi.se/templates/Page____3140.aspx

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
97
6.2.2. Denmark
The Agency for Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA) focuses on bilateral environmental assistance
to countries in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. The objective is to co-operate bilaterally with countries in order
to further sustainable development and to support efforts to mitigate the effects of environmental pollution and the
pressure on natural resources.
Programmes focus on capacity building of authorities, civil society and NGOs and on the practical demonstration
of methods for preventing and controlling pollution. Danish NGOs can obtain funding for a framework contract, a
mini-programme or for a single project. National authorities can enter into bilateral environmental agreements
providing for resources.
• For more information go to: http://www.um.dk/en/menu/DevelopmentPolicy/ and contact
the DANIDA representative in your country.
6.2.3. USA
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) 278 is the US independent federal government agency providing
assistance in 4 regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and Europe and Eurasia. It uses two types of financial instruments: grants and cooperative agreements.
One of USAID’s priorities concerns protection of the environment, and more specifically, pollution prevention, climate
change, water, forestry, biodiversity and land management, with a general focus on policy development.
Most grants and cooperative agreements are awarded following a call for proposals, 279 which aim at achieving the
objectives in a program. Highly exceptionally, funding can be received for unsolicited applications.
6.2.4. Japan
06
The various components of Japan's Official Development Assistance such as grant aid, yen loans, and technical
cooperation are administered by different implementing bodies including the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA). 280 JICA is an implementation agency for technical assistance, focusing on institution building, organisational
strengthening, and human resources development
After receiving a request from a developing country, JICA adopts various cooperation approaches (cooperation
tools). In order to achieve the objective of promoting development, JICA determines how to combine these cooperation
tools, how long they will be implemented, and how to time them for the most effective and efficient results. The
cooperation tools are, for instance, grants and technical cooperation projects.
In 2005 Japan pledged to increase its overall ODA by the equivalent of $10 billion within five years, and double
its assistance to Africa within three years.
278
http://www.usaid.gov/.
279
The website publishing the calls for tenderers is www.grants.gov.
280
http://www.jica.go.jp/english/.

98
W h e r e t o g e t a s s i s t a n c e f o r n a t i o n a l e f f o r t s
6.3. OTHER
6.3.1. PAN International281
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is a network of over 600 participating nongovernmental organisations, institutions
and individuals in over 90 countries working to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and
socially just alternatives. PAN was founded in 1982 and has five independent, collaborating Regional Centres that
implement its projects and campaigns. While PAN is not a source of funding per se, it is a very useful source of
pesticide-related information and as such an important support for government officials and citizens working to
address local and national pesticide problems.
6.3.2. Private foundations
Funding can also be obtained from private foundations that make funds available for the promotion of environmental
protection and, particularly, for chemicals management. The most extensive database of private foundations is the
“Foundation Center” which can be consulted on http://foundationcenter.org/ 282 or the “European Foundation
Center” (EFC) on www.efc.be. The database of the EFC does not group foundations focusing on environmental
protection. However, the search function on the webpage can help provide a list of corresponding foundations. 283
For example, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has a specific environmental programme focusing on the
prevention of toxic pollution programme that seeks to reduce and, where possible, eliminate the use of toxic
substances and their release into the environment. It supports such initiatives in Latin America, particularly on the
US/Mexico border, and Mexico. 284
6.3.3. International charities
International charities active in developing countries, such as Oxfam International, 285 may also be able to provide
technical assistance or other support to projects relating to sound chemicals management.
281
http://www.pan-international.org/.
282
Note that www.foundationcenter.org is not free of charge whereas www.efc.be can be consulted for free.
283
Search term:“environment”.
284
http://www.efc.be/webready/mott001env.html.
285
http://www.oxfam.org/en/.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
99
ANNEX I: CHECKLISTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
The elements of basic chemicals management, including pesticide safety, discussed in Section 4 can seem
overwhelming for someone approaching these issues for the first time. It is important to realize that not everything
can be done at once and that all journeys must begin with small steps.
It can be useful to start by getting an idea of what is already in place in your country. The checklists in this section
are intended to guide you in making an overall assessment in a systematic way. It will help you to identify gaps in
the regulatory and administrative structures of your country, as well as technical capacity needs. The checklists are
intended to be used with reference to the subsections in Section 4 where elements of chemicals and pesticides
management have been described. It is important to keep in mind that no single country in the world has all of these
elements in place. The elements listed below are rather a compilation of best regulatory and administrative practices.
1. Status of the main chemicals conventions & other relevant instruments
This checklist is to enable you to track and assess the status of the main chemicals conventions in your country.
Conventions Signed Ratified Year Implement’n
Plan
Stockholm Convention (POPs)
❑ ❑ ❑
Rotterdam Convention (PIC)
❑ ❑ ❑
Basel Convention
(waste shipment) ❑ ❑ ❑
Regional waste shipment
Convention (please name _______ ) ❑ ❑ ❑
Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer)
❑ ❑ ❑
Montreal Protocol (ODS)
❑ ❑ ❑
ILO Convention on Chemicals at
Work (C-170) ❑ ❑ ❑
ILO Convention on Health
& Safety in Agriculture (C-184) ❑ ❑ ❑
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
of International Importance ❑ ❑ ❑
Convention on Biological Diversity
❑ ❑ ❑
Other instruments
Code of Conduct
SAICM
Codex Alimentarius
UN Recommendations on Transport
of Dangerous Goods
Implement’n Plan
❑
❑
❑
❑
06

100
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
2. Legislation to implement the chemicals conventions & codes
This section is for evaluating the adequacy and completeness of the legislation in place in your country for
implementing the codes and conventions. The checklists ask whether the specific requirements have been adequately
established in the national legal order. For example, a legislative requirement that a chemical product should be
adequately labelled without details concerning what should be on the label would be considered “poor”.
Requirements limited to basic information and language would be considered “adequate”. Detailed requirements
specifying the content of the label, including symbols, risk and safety advice, format, etc. would be considered
“excellent”. This will require some idea of what should ideally be in place. We have therefore included references
to the subsections in Section 4 where these are described.
A. Basic chemicals management (§ 4.2.1)
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Competent authority & its duties
& responsibilities clearly set forth ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Clear allocation of duties
& responsibilities of the other
actors involved in chemicals
management
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Basel Convention
(waste shipment) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Classification system based on
intrinsic hazards
(e.g., WHO/GHS)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Powers to restrict & ban
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Obligation to register if placed
on market ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Labelling requirements
Safety data sheet requirements
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
Minimum packaging
requirements ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirements for safe transport
(§ 4.3.4) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Environmental quality standards
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Sanctions for violations of basic
requirements ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
101
B. Safe management of pesticides (§ 4.3.1)
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Competent authority & its duties
& responsibilities clearly set forth ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Clear allocation of duties
& responsibilities of the other
actors involved in pesticide
management
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Classification system based on
intrinsic hazards (WHO) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Registration & authorisation
system based on risk assessment ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Powers to restrict & ban
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Substitution requirements
Use reduction commitment
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
IPM & Good Agricultural
Practice requirements ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Safe storage requirements
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Point of sale requirements, e.g.
certification of retailers ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Bans on misleading advertising
Prohibition against repackaging
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
❑
Standards for safe reentry of
fields & other treated areas ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Sanctions for violations
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

102
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
C. Prevention of unwanted trade (§ 4.3.3)
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Producer & importer
responsibility for illegal &
obsolete chemicals
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Documentation requirements for
all imports of chemicals incl.
pesticides
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Licensing or other system to track
imports of pesticides ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Documentation requirements for
all imports of chemicals incl.
pesticides
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Restrictions to prevent import of
pesticides close to expiry date ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Powers to stop entry of
unwanted chemicals ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Updated customs codes with PIC
/ POPs / ODS nomenclature ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirements for customs to
report to competent authority
regularly
Obligation to notify Rotterdam
Convention Secretariat of
national decisions concerning
wanted/unwanted chemicals
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
103
D. Controls over manufacturing & formulation (§ 4.3.2) 286
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Competent authority & its duties &
responsibilities clearly set forth ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Clear allocation of duties
& responsibilities of the other actors
involved in pesticide management
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Permitting system for facilities
handling dangerous substances (DS) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Emission standards for releases to
the environment (waters, air, soil) ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirement of BAT for
manufacturing processes ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirement to substitute less
dangerous chemicals &/or
processes
Requirements to site facilities
handling large quantities of DS so
as to protect bystanders & the
environment
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Accident prevention plan
requirements ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:
06
286
The legislative elements described above focus on the controls over the manufacturing and formulation processes needed to protect the
environment and human health in general. More specific requirements aimed at protection of workers handling chemicals are listed in subsection F
on health, safety and consumer protection.

104
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
E. Waste management
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Basic waste management
framework legislation ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Specific legislation on hazardous
waste management/disposal ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Prohibition against
abandonment, dumping
& unsafe disposal of waste
Cradle-to-grave tracking system
for hazardous waste within
national borders
Cradle-to-grave tracking system
for transboundary hazardous
waste shipments (Basel
Convention procedures)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Obligation to dispose of waste
through an authorized
handler/disposer
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Permitting requirements for all
waste management operators ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Obligation to dispose of empty
containers & unused (obsolete)
chemicals safely
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Bans on reuse of empty
containers ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Producer & importer
responsibility for obsolete
chemicals & used packaging
(incl. clean-up of sites
contaminated by OPs)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
105
F. Health, safety & consumer protection
At the workplace Nothing in place Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Requirements for informing
workers about hazards
associated with exposure to
chemicals at workplace (e.g.
safety data sheets, training)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirements for employers to
provide personal protective
equipment
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Requirements for first aid
provisions to workers ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Right of workers to refuse to
carry out unsafe practices ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
In the marketplace
Labelling in local languages
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Liability for defective products
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Obligation for sales staff to
inform consumers of hazards
& safety measures
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Bans against misleading
advertising ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Pesticide residue standards for
foods on the market place ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Standards for application
equipment, personal protection
equipment etc.
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

106
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
G. Information disclosure (right to know) & public participation
Nothing in place
Poor
(framework
only)
Adequate
(basic
regulations)
Excellent
(detailed
regulations)
Access to information held by
authorities on hazards posed by
specific chemicals
Access to information submitted
to authorities in the process of
requesting authorisation
Protection of commercial
information with clear provisions
for what information cannot be
held confidential (e.g., health
& safety information)
Obligation of authorities to
disseminate information to the
public on chemicals & their
hazards
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Opportunities for the public to
participate in decisionmaking
(e.g. in permitting of
installations, authorisation or
registration of specific chemicals)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Legal remedies when access to
information etc. is denied ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Please use the space below to list the relevant laws and administrative regulations:

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
107
3. Administrative structures
For legislation to be effective, adequate administrative structures and systems need to be in place to ensure that legal
requirements are implemented and enforced. Evaluation of the adequacy of administrative structures needs a different
approach towards the elements involved. A coordination structure that consists only of information exchange or that
has been named on paper but never meets in fact would be scored as “poor”. A coordination structure that meets
on an ad hoc basis would be considered “adequate”. A coordination structure that has the form of a committee or
working group, has specific competences set forth in a regulation or memorandum of understanding and is fully
operative (e.g. meets regularly) would be scored as “excellent”.
A. Basic chemicals management
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Decision making body for taking
basic regulatory actions ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Structures for coordination
among relevant government
bodies
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Staff in the relevant ministries
assigned responsibility for
chemicals issues
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Chemicals register in place
& maintained ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Monitoring systems in place to
spot impacts from chemicals ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Inspectorates or other structures
for enforcement of basic
requirements
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Systems for regular reporting to
Convention secretariats ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06

108
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
B. Safer management of pesticides
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Decision making body for taking
basic regulatory actions, e.g.
authorisation of pesticides
Staff assigned clear
responsibilities for pesticide
regulation
Register of authorized /
unauthorized pesticides
accessible by public
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Reporting & record keeping of
pesticide-related problems to
inform decision makers
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Extension services to support
farmers in making safer pest
control decisions
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Guidelines on pesticide
management available for users
(e.g. safe storage, application
systems)
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Pesticide use reporting system
in place ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Control systems for marketing of
pesticides & for inspecting farms
& other industrial users
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
109
C. Prevention of unwanted trade
Coordination between chemicals
regulatory authorities &
customs/border guards
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Risk assessment procedures for
spotting high-risk shipments ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Safe storage facilities at borders
for seizure of unwanted
chemicals
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Competent staff in place for
carrying out licensing and/or
PIC notification procedures
Controls to ensure reliability of
documentation for chemicals
shipments
Reporting, monitoring &
recordkeeping to spot problem
chemicals including severely
hazardous pesticide formulations
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
D. Controls over manufacturing & formulation
Operative permitting system for
facilities manufacturing and/or
formulating chemicals including
pesticides
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Coordination among relevant
authorities for permit conditions ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Information on BAT tailored for
local circumstances readily
available to industry
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06
Systematic inspection (both
planned & on-spot) of facilities
carrying out manufacturing
& formulation
System to ensure follow-up
enforcement actions where
infringements spotted
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Recordkeeping of violations to
enable spotting & penalising of
repeat offenders
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

110
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
E. Waste management
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Administrative systems in place
for permitting of waste
management /disposal
operations
Administrative systems in place
for registering / licensing waste
handlers (e.g., transporters)
Administrative systems &
procedures for tracking of
crossborder (Basel Convention)
shipments
Inspection systems for monitoring
compliance of waste
management operations with
standards
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Special collection systems for
chemical-related wastes,
e.g. a return system for
empty containers
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Inventories of OP stocks
& contaminated sites ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
F. Health, safety & consumer protection
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Poison information centres
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Inspection systems to ensure
health & safety in the workplace ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Monitoring & inspection of
chemical products on the market
to ensure proper labelling, etc.
Systematic testing to control
chemical residues on foods in
the marketplace
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
System to spot & recall defective
& illegal products on the market ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
111
G. Information disclosure (right to know) & public participation
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Administrative systems for
prompt responses to requests for
information from the general
public
Guidelines on information held
by authorities & how to request
access to that information
Secure data management
systems to handle commercially
sensitive information
& personal data
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Guidelines for authorities on how
to apply commercial
confidentiality requirements,
including when to disclose
because of public interest
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Procedures for enabling public
participation in decision making ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Pollutant release & transfer
register (PRTR) in place covering
both intentional, unintentional
& diffuse releases/transfers
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Systematic diffusion of
information on chemicals & their
hazards to all stakeholders
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06

112
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
4. Technical capacity of key stakeholders
This section is to be used for assessing the technical capacity of various stakeholders to implement basic chemicals
and pesticides management measures. It is intended to be a first step towards identifying needs for technical
assistance, including training and investment in equipment and infrastructure.
A. Government officials at central level
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Central laboratory for testing of
chemicals & pesticides ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Computers & internet access for
all officials responsible for
chemicals management
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Databases of information on
chemical hazards, etc. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Officials trained in chemicals risk
assessment for taking regulatory
decisions
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Trained inspectorates
& enforcement authorities ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Inspectorates or other structures
for enforcement of basic
requirements
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Systems for regular reporting to
Convention secretariats ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
B. Government officials at regional & local levels
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Officials within agricultural
extension centres trained to
provide information on technical
issues, including chemical
hazards
Computers & internet access for
local officials responsible for
chemicals management
Databases on safe pest control,
including GAP, IPM & nonchemical
alternatives
Local laboratories for testing
food on the markets / drinking
water
Transportation & communication
equipment to enable monitoring/
inspection/enforcement
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
113
C. Farmers & agricultural workers
Training on safer pesticide
management, including waste
management
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Access to information on
alternative pest control methods ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Affordable personal protective
equipment widely available ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Affordable & high-quality
application equipment available ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Secured storage facilities for
chemicals ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Trained specialist at all industrial
farms charged with ensuring
safer pest control practices
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
D. Industry (including industry workers)
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Training on chemicals hazards,
safety measures, accident
prevention,
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Capacity (equipment, skills) to
self-monitor releases of chemicals ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
06
Trained specialist at all facilities
manufacturing, formulating or
repackaging chemicals including
pesticides with ensuring safer
chemical management practices
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Comfortable personal protective
equipment available for all
workers exposed to chemicals
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Emergency response equipment
available on site ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

114
A n n e x 1 : C h e c k l i s t s f o r i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
E. Health practitioners
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Doctors & other health workers
trained to identify cases of
chemical poisoning
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Computers with internet access
to poison & other chemical
databases, etc.
❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
Poison antidotes widely
available ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
F. Civil society, including NGOs
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Computers with internet access
to chemical databases, etc. ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑
G. Other physical infrastructure
Nothing in place Poor Adequate Excellent
Storage/disposal facilities for
hazardous waste ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
115
ANNEX II: SOURCE GUIDE
Chemicals Conventions & Codes
International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. FAO, 2003.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4544E/Y4544E00.HTM.
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides
in International Trade. Adopted in 1998; entered into force in 2004.
Text at http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=t&id=49&sid=16.
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Adopted in 2001; entered into force in 2004.
Text at: http://www.pops.int/documents/convtext/convtext_en.pdf.
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
Adopted in 1989; entered into force in 1992.
Text at: http://www.basel.int/text/con-e-rev.pdf.
• Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement
and Management of Hazardous Wastes. Adopted in 1991 entered into force in 1998.
Text at: http://www.ban.org/Library/bamako_treaty.html.
• Regional Agreement on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes. Adopted in 1992.
Text at: http://www.ban.org/Library/centroamerica.html.
• Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive
Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes Within the
South Pacific Region. Adopted in 1995; entered into force in 2001. Text at:
http://www.ban.org/Library/waigani_treaty.html.
06
Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Adopted in 1985; entered into force in 1988.
Text at: http://www.unep.ch/ozone/vc-text.shtml.
• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Adopted in 1987; entered into force in
1989. Text at: http://ozone.unep.org/pdfs/Montreal-Protocol2000.pdf.
Other international instruments related to chemicals management
ILO Convention on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work (C170). Adopted in 1990; entered into force in
1993. Text at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/safetytm/c170.htm.
• ILO Chemicals Recommendation (R177), 1990. Text at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/safetytm/r177.htm.
• ILO Code of Practice on Safety in the Use of Chemicals at Work, 1993. Text at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cops/english/download/e931998.pdf.
ILO Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture (C184). Adopted in 2001; entered into force in 2003.
Text at: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?C184.
• ILO Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation (R192), 2001.
Text at: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/convde.pl?R192.
ILO Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention (C129) and Recommendation (R133), 1969.
Text at: http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/subjlst.htm.

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A n n e x I I : S o u r c e g u i d e
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). Further information on SAICM and its three
main instruments (The Dubai Declaration, The Overarching Policy Strategy and A Global Plan of Action).
Available at: http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/.
UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - Model Regulations. Thirteenth revised edition.
2003. Further information at: http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/danger.htm & text
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev13/13files_e.html.
Codex Alimentarius. Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, operational since 1966. Joint FAO/WHO
Secretariat. Further information at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Agenda 21 - Global Programme of Action on Sustainable Development. Adopted in 1992.
Text at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm.
• Chapters 14 - Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Chapter 19 - Environmentally Sound Management of Toxic Chemicals, Including Prevention of Illegal
International Traffic in Toxic and Dangerous Products.
International Plant Protection Convention. Adopted in 1952; revised in 1979 and 1997; entered into force in
1997. New revised text at:
https://www.ippc.int/servlet/BinaryDownloaderServlet/13742_1997_English.pdf?filename=/publications/1374
2.New_Revised_Text_of_the_International_Plant_Protectio.pdf&refID=13742.
UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. Adopted in 1979; entered into force in 1983.
Text at: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/welcome.html.
Protocol (to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution) on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs). Adopted in 1998; entered into force in 2003.
Text at: http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/full%20text/1998.POPs.e.pdf.
UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. Adopted in 1992; entered into force in
2000. Text at: http://www.unece.org/env/documents/2006/teia/Convention%20E.pdf.
UNECE Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental
matters. Adopted in 1998; entered into force in 2001. Text at: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/.
Protocol (to the Aarhus Convention) on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers. Adopted in 2003; not yet into
force. Text at: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/prtr.htm.
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. Adopted in 1971;
entered into force in 1975. Text at: www.ramsar.org/.
• Recommendation 6.14 on toxic chemicals (1996).
Text at: http://www.ramsar.org/rec/key_rec_6.14.htm.
• Strategic Plan 1997-2002. Text at: http://www.ramsar.org/key_strat_plan_e.htm.
Convention on Biological Diversity. Adopted in 1992; entered into force in 1993.
Text at: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/legal/cbd-un-en.pdf.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
117
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Adopted in 2000; entered into force in 2003.
Text at: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/legal/cartagena-protocol-en.pdf.
• Decision VI/5 - Agricultural biological diversity.
Text at: http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/default.asp?lg=0&dec=VI/5.
UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Adopted
in 1992; entered into force in 1996. Further information and text at: http://www.unece.org/env/water/].
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the “OSPAR Convention”).
Adopted in 1992; entered into force in 1998. Further information and text at:
http://www.ospar.org/eng/html/welcome.html.
Guidance on Implementation of the Codes & Conventions
Code of Conduct
Strategic Programme 2006 -2011 for the implementation by FAO of the revised version of the International Code
of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticide. FAO, 2006.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
PAN Germany. On-line action guide to the Code of Conduct. Available at: http://fao-code-action.info/
Guide for Industry on the Implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides.
CropLife, 2004. Text at: http://www.croplife.org/library/attachments/efc4ae38-0cef-41e2-997aa905c80189c7/9/Implementing_the_FAO_Code_of_Conduct%20(Feb-2008).pdf.
Rotterdam Convention
Guidance for Designated National Authorities on the Operation of the Rotterdam Convention (revised in 2006).
Text at: http://www.pic.int/ResourceKit/B_Guidance%20information/a.Guidance%20to%20DNAs/E_DNA%20
Guidance_040906.pdf.
06
Guide on the Development of National Laws to Implement the Rotterdam Convention. Text at:
http://www.pic.int/ResourceKit/C_Implementation%20document/PIC%20Circular%20Guide/Circular_guide_
English.pdf.
Protecting human health and the environment: a guide to the Rotterdam Convention on hazardous chemicals and
pesticides. UNEP, 2004. Text at: http://portalserver.unepchemicals.ch/Publications/RotterdamConv_book.pdf.
The PIC Circular: A Users' Guide. Text at:
http://www.pic.int/ResourceKit/C_Implementation%20document/PIC%20Circular%20Guide/Circular_guide_
English.pdf.
Decision Guidance Documents (DGDs). A DGD has been prepared for each of the chemicals listed in Annex III
and subject to the PIC procedure. The DGDs can be found at: http://www.pic.int/en/Table7.htm.
Stockholm Convention
GEF Initial Guidelines for Enabling Activities for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
2001. Text at: http://www.pops.int/documents/implementation/nips/initialguidelines/default.htm.
Interim guidance for developing a national implementation plan for the Stockholm Convention. December 2004
(revised). Text at: http://www.pops.int/documents/implementation/nips/guidance/guidances/docdirec_en.pdf.

118
A n n e x I I : S o u r c e g u i d e
Global report on lessons learned and good practices in the development of National Implementation Plans for the
Stockholm Convention. UNEP, 2006. Text at:
http://www.pops.int/documents/implementation/nips/lessons_learned/GLOBAL%20REPORT%20V1%20rev2.pdf.
Ridding the world of POPs: A guide to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Text at: http://www.pops.int/documents/guidance/beg_guide.pdf.
Guidance for a Global Monitoring Programme for Persistent Organic Pollutants. UNEP, 2004.
Text at: http://portalserver.unepchemicals.ch/Publications/Guidance%20for%20Global%20POPs%20Monitoring-
June04.pdf.
F.B. Gonzalez. Citizens’ Guide to the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention. Spanish edition, 2004,
English edition, 2005. Text at: http://www.ipen.org/ipepweb1/library/citizensguideenglish.pdf.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Resource Kit. UNDP/GEF. Available at:
http://www.ipen.org/ipepweb1/library/UNDP-GEF%20POPs%20Kit.pdf
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): An Awareness Module For National Coordinators And Steering Committees.
IPEN, 2007. Text at: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/library/ipendocuments/popstrainingmodule.pdf.
Basel Convention
General technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of wastes consisting of, containing or
contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Basel Secretariat, 2007.
Text at: http://www.basel.int/pub/techguid/tg-POPs.pdf.
Manual for the Implementation of the Basel Convention. Basel Secretariat.
Text at: http://www.basel.int/meetings/sbc/workdoc/manual.doc.
Legislation on pesticides management
J. Vapnek, I. Pagotto, & M. Kwoka. Designing national pesticide legislation. FAO Legislative Study 97, 2007.
Order online at: http://www.fao.org/icatalog/search/dett.asp?aries_id=109041&ch_lang=en.
Guide on the Development of National Laws to Implement the Rotterdam Convention. UNEP/FAO. Available at:
http://www.pic.int/Guidance/Guide-National%20Laws.pdf.
Guidelines for legislation on the control of pesticides. FAO, 1989.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Model Legislation Implementing the Basel Convention, Prohibiting the Import and Transit of Hazardous Wastes,
and Controlling Their Export. Basel Action Network. Text at: http://www.ban.org/Library/modeleg.html.
Chemicals management in general
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), UNECE, second revised
edition, 2007. Text at: http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html.
European Community’s REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals).
Text at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm.
Principles on good laboratory practice (as revised in 1997). OECD, 1998.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/1998doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00000C5A/$FILE/01E88455.PDF.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
119
Guidance Document on Risk Communication for Chemical Risk Management. OECD, 2002.
Text at http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2002doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-jm-mono(2002)18.
Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals. OECD, 2006.
Text at: http://www.oecd.org/document/22/0,2340,en_2649_34377_1916054_1_1_1_1,00.html.
Users' Manual for the IPCS Health and Safety Guides. IPCS, 1996.
Text at: http://www.inchem.org/documents/hsg/hsg/hsgguide.htm.
Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound Management of Chemicals (INFOCAP).
Operated by the SAICM Secretariat. Available at: http://www.who.int/ifcs/infocap/.
Technical Guidance Document on the Use of Socio-Economic Analysis in Chemical Risk Management Decision
Making. OECD, 2002. Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2002doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-jm-mono(2002)10.
Chemicals Databases
PAN Pesticide Database. Available at: www.pesticideinfo.org.
Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI). Databases available at:
http://www.kemi.se/templates/Page____2859.aspx.
Danish National Working Environment Authority. Product Register Database. Available at:
http://www.at.dk/sw12538.asp.
European Chemical Substances Information System (ESIS). Available at:
http://ecb.jrc.it/esis/index.php?PGM=pbt.
IPCS Pesticide Safety Datasheets. Available at: http://www.inchem.org/pages/pds.html.
06
Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Ambiente y Salud. Available in Spanish at:
http://www.istas.net/ecoinformas/web/.
University of Akron, Hazardous Chemical Database. Available at: http://ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/erd/.
UNEP. Inventory of Information Sources on Chemicals. Available at:
http://www.chem.unep.ch/irptc/invent/igo.html.
UNEP International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals. Available at:
http://www.chem.unep.ch/irptc/irptc/moreirpt.html.
OSPAR documents on hazardous substances. Available at: http://www.ospar.org/eng/html/welcome.html.
Protection of human health
Guidelines for the purchase of public health pesticides. WHO, 2002.
Text at: http://portalserver.unepchemicals.ch/Publications/WHO_CDS_WHOPES_2000.1.pdf.
Pesticides and their application for the control of vectors and pests of public health importance. Sixth edition.
WHO, 2006. Text at:
http://portalserver.unepchemicals.ch/Publications/WHO_CDS_NTD_WHOPES_GCDPP_2006.1_eng.pdf.
Guidelines on monitoring of incidents, health and environmental conditions. FAO, 1988 (under revision).
Text at: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y4544E/Y4544E00.HTM.

120
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Guidance Concerning Health Aspects of Chemical Accidents. OECD, 1997.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/1996doc.nsf/LinkTo/ocde-gd(96)10.
Health Aspects of Chemical Accidents. Guidance on Chemical Accident Awareness, Preparedness and Response
For Health Professionals and Emergency Respondents. OECD, 1994.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/1994doc.nsf/LinkTo/ocde-gd(94)1.
Guidance Notes for Analysis and Evaluation of Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity Studies. OECD, 2002.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2002doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-jm-mono(2002)19.
Guidance Notes for Analysis and Evaluation of Repeat-Dose Toxicity Studies. OECD, 2000.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2000doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-jm-mono(2000)18.
IPCS Guidelines on the prevention of toxic exposures - Education and public awareness activities. ILO, UNDP,
WHO, 2004. Text at http://www.who.int/ipcs/features/prevention_guidelines.pdf .
Pesticides registration and management
WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard and Guidelines to Classification. WHO, 2004.
Text at: http://www.inchem.org/documents/pds/pdsother/class.pdf.
WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Available at: http://www.who.int/ctd/whopes/index.html.
Survey of Best Practices in the Regulation of Pesticides in Twelve OECD Countries. OECD, 2001. Text at:
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2001doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-jm-mono(2001)3.
Guidelines on the initial introduction and subsequent development of a simple national pesticide registration and
control scheme. FAO, 1991. Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on data requirements and test guidelines for chemical pesticide registration. FAO, 1985 &
Addendum. FAO, 1988. (Currently under revision).
Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines for the registration and control of pesticides. FAO, 1985; Addendum, 1988 (currently under revision)
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on efficacy data for the registration of pesticides for plant protection. FAO, 1985.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Revised guidelines on environmental criteria for the registration of pesticides. FAO, 1989.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
OECD Governments' Approaches to the Protection of Proprietary Rights and Confidential Business Information in
Pesticide Registration. OECD, 1998.
Text at: http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/1998doc.nsf/LinkTo/env-mc-chem(98)20.
Manufacturing/formulation
Manual on the development and use of FAO and WHO specifications for pesticides. FAO, Rome 2006.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau. BAT Reference Documents. Available for download
at: http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/FActivities.htm.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
121
Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines. World Bank. 2007 (revised).
Available at: http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines.
OECD/IOMC Guidance on Safety Performance Indicators. Guidance for Industry, Public Authorities and
Communities for developing SPI Programmes related to Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and
Response. Interim publication scheduled to be tested in 2003 and 2004 and revised in 2005.
Text at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/60/39/21568440.pdf.
OECD/IOMC Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response (2003).
Text at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/37/2789820.pdf .
ISO14000 Series Environmental Management Systems.
Further information at: http://www.iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/index.html.
Distribution & sales within the territory
Guidelines on Good Labelling Practice for Pesticides. FAO, 1995.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/label.doc.
Provisional guidelines on tender procedures for the procurement of pesticides. FAO, 1994.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guideline for retail, distribution of pesticides with particular reference to storage and handling at the point of
supply to users in developing countries. FAO, 1988.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/retail.doc.
Pesticide storage and stock control manual. FAO Pesticide Disposal Series N°3. FAO, 1996.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/V8966E/V8966E00.htm.
Controls against improper use
06
Draft Guidelines on Best Available Techniques and Guidance on Best Environmental Practices. UNEP, Stockholm
Secretariat. Text at: http://www.pops.int/documents/meetings/bat_bep/3rd_session/Default.htm.
Manual for Instructors to Train Farmers’ Housewives on the Safe and Correct Use of Plant Protection Products and
Integrated Pest Management (IPM). CropLife.
Text at: http://www.croplifeafrica.org/uploads/File/forms/resource_center/manuals/HOUSEWIVES.pdf.
Understanding the Codex Alimentarius. FAO/WHO, 2005 (revised and updated).
Text at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y7867e/y7867e00.htm.
Updating the Principles and Methods of Risk Assessment: MRLs for Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs. FAO/WHO,
2006. Text at: http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/JMPR/DOWNLOAD/bilthoven_2005.pdf.
Manual on the submission and evaluation of pesticide residues data for the estimation of maximum residue levels
in food and feed. FAO, 2002. Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidance Document on the Definition of Residue. OECD, 2006.
Text at: http://appli1.oecd.org/olis/2006doc.nsf/linkto/env-jm-mono(2006)31.
Guidelines on organization and operation of training schemes and certification procedures for operators of
pesticide application equipment. FAO, 2001.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y2686E/Y2686E00.HTM.

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Guidelines on personal protection when working with pesticides in tropical climates. FAO, 1990.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on good practice for ground application of pesticides. FAO, 2001.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on good practice for aerial application of pesticides. FAO, 2001.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on the organization of schemes for testing and certification of agricultural pesticide sprayers in use.
FAO, 2001. Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on procedures for the registration, certification and testing of new pesticide application equipment.
FAO, 2001. Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on standards for agricultural pesticide application equipment and related test procedures - Volume 1:
Portable (operator-carried) sprayers; Volume 2: vehicle-mounted and trailed sprayers. FAO, 2001.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Alternative (non-chemical) pest control methods
OISAT: Online Information Service for Non-Chemical Pest Management in the Tropics. PAN Germany.
Available at: www.oisat.org.
Reducing and eliminating the use of Persistent Organic Pesticides: Guidance on alternative strategies for
sustainable pest and vector management. UNEP.
Text at: http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/pdf/redelipops/redelipops.pdf.
Finding Alternatives to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for Termite Management. UNEP.
Text at: http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/termites/termite_toc.htm.
Disposal of waste
Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP). Further information at: http://www.africastockpiles.org/.
Provisional guidelines on prevention of accumulation of obsolete stocks. FAO, 1995.
Text at http://www.fao.org/docrep/V7460E/V7460E00.htm.
Provisional guidelines for prevention and disposal of obsolete pesticides. FAO.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Disposal/guides_en.htm.
Provisional technical guidelines on the disposal of bulk quantities of obsolete pesticides in developing countries.
FAO, 1996. Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on the management of small quantities of unwanted and obsolete pesticides. FAO, 1999.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Factsheet on Alternatives for POPs Disposal. IPEN, 2005 (second edition). Available in English, French and
Spanish at: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/library/4_2_dpcbw_doc_2.html.
Assessing soil contamination: a reference manual. FAO, 2000.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l To o l s f o r P r e v e n t i n g L o c a l P e s t i c i d e P r o b l e m s :
A C o n s o l i d a t e d G u i d e t o t h e C h e m i c a l C o d e s & C o n v e n t i o n s
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Inspection and enforcement
Guidelines on monitoring and observance of the Code of Conduct. FAO, Rome 2006.
Text at http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on compliance and enforcement of a pesticide regulatory programme. FAO, 2006.
Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Quality control of pesticides products –Guidelines for national laboratories. FAO,
2005. Text at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/.
Guidelines on compliance and enforcement of a pesticide regulatory programme. FAO, 2006. Text at:
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Code/Download/Compliance06.pdf.
Selected international organisations
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Further information at:
http://www.unep.fr/en/branches/chemicals.htm.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Further information at:
http://www.oecd.org/topic/0,2686,en_2649_34365_1_1_1_1_37465,00.html.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Further information at:
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/ .
World Health Organization (WHO). Further information at: http://www.who.int/topics/chemical_safety/en/.
International Labour Organization (ILO). Further information at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/chemsfty/index.htm.
06
Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC). Further information at:
http://www.who.int/iomc/en/.
International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). Further information at: http://www.who.int/ipcs/en/.
Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS). Further information at: http://www.who.int/ifcs/.
Global Information Network on Chemicals. Further information at: http://www.nihs.go.jp:80/GINC/.
Basel Action Network (BAN). Further information at: www.ban.org.
International HCH and Pesticides Association (IHPA). Further information at:
http://hjem.get2net.dk/HCH-Pesticides/.
PAN International and its Regional Centers. Further information at:
http://www.pan-international.org/panint/?q=en/node/35.
International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). Further information at: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/ipep.html
Reference books
Buccini, J. The Global Pursuit of the Sound Management of Chemicals. World Bank, 2004.
Pallemaerts, M. Toxic and Transnational Law – International and European Regulation of Toxic Substances as
Legal Symbolism. Hart Publishing, 2003.

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"This is a thorough and accessible guide which will be a useful addition to the
literature. Unlike many other texts, it will be equally handy for researchers
interested in the codes and conventions, governments building capacity to manage
pesticides, and concerned citizens wishing to support
these efforts."
Jessica Vapnek, Legal Officer, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization