Nusa Dua, Bali, Feb. 24, 2010 (ANTARA) - The United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) here Wednesday launched a `Safe Planet` or `body burdens`
campaign to raise global awareness of the need for action on the
threats posed by hazardous chemicals and wastes.
"Hazardous chemicals and wastes are not only around us, but they are in our bodies," said Fatoumata Keita Ouane, senior scientific officer at UNEP`s secretariat to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Hazardous chemicals and wastes such as heavy metal and mercury could be found among other things in agricultural products and textiles and they could cause cancer and impairment in children, she said.
"The time is right and we can`t wait any longer. We should act collectively and in coordinated ways," she said at the campaign launching event held on the sidelines of the UNEP Simultaneous Extraordinary Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, and the 11th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum.
According to UNEP, there are over 80,000 chemicals used in industry and commerce, and many chemicals have the potential to enter people`s bodies.
`Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes` has invited high-profile individuals and international experts to engage in a dialogue on how human bio-monitoring information can support the Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2010 target to achieve sound management of chemicals and wastes.
Trade in chemicals increased by 50 percent during the last six years and the trend that more productions are moved to developing countries, according to Per M Bakken, head of the UNEP Chemicals Branch.
By 2020, developing countries might produce around 31 percent of the world`s total chemical products such as pesticides, paint, pharmaceuticals, and one third of chemical consumptions will be in developing countries, he told the press.
In the launching of the campaign, UNEP Executive Director Achim Stainer was represented by Donald Cooper, co-executive secretary of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Information Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, concurrently executive secretary of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants of UNEP.
(f001/A/HAJM/B003)
(T.F001/A/F001/B003) 24-02-2010 19:47:44
"Hazardous chemicals and wastes are not only around us, but they are in our bodies," said Fatoumata Keita Ouane, senior scientific officer at UNEP`s secretariat to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Hazardous chemicals and wastes such as heavy metal and mercury could be found among other things in agricultural products and textiles and they could cause cancer and impairment in children, she said.
"The time is right and we can`t wait any longer. We should act collectively and in coordinated ways," she said at the campaign launching event held on the sidelines of the UNEP Simultaneous Extraordinary Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, and the 11th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum.
According to UNEP, there are over 80,000 chemicals used in industry and commerce, and many chemicals have the potential to enter people`s bodies.
`Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes` has invited high-profile individuals and international experts to engage in a dialogue on how human bio-monitoring information can support the Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2010 target to achieve sound management of chemicals and wastes.
Trade in chemicals increased by 50 percent during the last six years and the trend that more productions are moved to developing countries, according to Per M Bakken, head of the UNEP Chemicals Branch.
By 2020, developing countries might produce around 31 percent of the world`s total chemical products such as pesticides, paint, pharmaceuticals, and one third of chemical consumptions will be in developing countries, he told the press.
In the launching of the campaign, UNEP Executive Director Achim Stainer was represented by Donald Cooper, co-executive secretary of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Information Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, concurrently executive secretary of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants of UNEP.
(f001/A/HAJM/B003)
(T.F001/A/F001/B003) 24-02-2010 19:47:44
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