Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). National Implementation Plan of the Union of Comoros.

The National Implementation Plan (NIP) of the Union of Comoros is a national cross-sectoral plan of Comoros for the implementation of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Its main objective is to contribute to the fight against poverty and the promotion of sustainable development. This can be achieved through the consideration of chemical safety in the different national strategies to find the appropriate solutions to address chemical risks and threats (from POPs in particular) on human health and the environment.
The specific objectives of the NIP are those outlined by the Stockholm Convention: i. Environmentally sound management of POPs pesticides and their wastes, and chemicals in general; ii. Environmentally sound management of PCBs and their wastes; iii. Environmentally sound management of sources of dioxins and furans; iv. Identification and environmentally sound management of sites contaminated by POPs and their wastes; v. Strengthening of the institutions and regulations concerning chemicals; vi. Establishment of a regional and national system to exchange of information in order to inform, raise awareness, and educate the public; vii. Undertake research and development and monitoring activities concerning sources of POPs, and their impact on human health and the environment; and viii. Periodic reports reviewing the effectiveness of the measures taken to implement the Convention.
To fulfill the obligations under the Stockholm Convention, the national strategy builds on five cross-cutting areas of intervention that should be coordinated for the three groups of chemicals (POPs pesticides including DDT, PCBs, and dioxins/furans). The areas of intervention are as follows: 1.Political and legislative framework; 2. Institutional and coordination framework; 3. Control and monitoring; 4. Awareness raising, information, and education of target populations; 5. Resource mobilization.
The NIP’s action plans are based on the strategic axes described above. They are: Action plan 1: Environmentally sound management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and related equipment, wastes, and contaminated sites; 2. Action plan 2: Environmentally sound management of pesticides, in particular POPs pesticides including DDT; Action plan 3: Environmentally sound management of dioxin and furan sources. They include all short-, medium-, and long-term actions and activities identified to fulfill the global and specific objectives of the Convention. Each action plan has a global objective, specific objectives that address the five areas of intervention mentioned above, and activities to address concrete problems in a detailed work plan over eight years.
NIP implementation activities will be under the responsibility of the National Department of the Environment and Forests of the Ministry of the Environment.