Implementation Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants for 2017 – 2028.

The strategic goal of the NIP is to ensure protection of human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants. Having signed the Stockholm Convention on POPs on May 23, 2001, and ratified it on June 7, 2007, Kazakhstan has declared its intention to follow the course of the international community to the global approach to eliminating chemicals that are hazardous to human health and the environment. The NIP addresses the questions of POPs problem solution in Kazakhstan until 2028. National priorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan are linked with the solution of priority problems in the field of POPs. Among them: (a) detailed inventory of POPs, including new POPs, listed in the Stockholm Convention; (b) development of POPs monitoring system; (c) creation of a unified system of POPs control; (d) development of legislation on the issue of chemical safety and creation of mechanisms for its implementation; and (e) increasing of the human capacity in the field of POPs.
The NIP is an operational document that gives a structure to the implementation of the Stockholm Convention in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The NIP is developed on the basis of the large-scale consultation with the partners in a close cooperation with the national structures.
Implementation plan defines: (a) strategic direction of the NIP on the obligations under POPs-containing pesticides; (b) strategic direction of the NIP in the field of polychlorinatedbiphenyls; (c) strategic directions of NIP in the field of unintentionally produced POPs; and (d) strategic directions of the NIP concerning POPs in stockpiles and wastes.
In Kazakhstan an issue of the POPs releases monitoring is extremely urgent. In Kazakhstan POPs monitoring system, including new POPs, is neither upgraded nor updated. The identification and monitoring of hazardous chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants in consumer goods (toys, kitchenware, packaging, paints, cosmetics, etc.) is completely absent. In technical product documentation there is usually no requirements for certain hazardous chemicals with properties of persistent organic pollutants. Accordingly, there is no complete picture in terms of the use of products containing POPs. Apparently, systematic monitoring of POPs in the environment and consumer goods in Kazakhstan isn't implemented. But, nevertheless, in scientific literature and within the separate researches and projects there are some data on the POPs content in various environments.
The issue of POPs, especially the industrial ones, is relatively new for Kazakhstan. Representatives of the legal and executive bodies, industrial circles and people at large know little about what are POPs, how they are formed and what danger they pose for human health.
Non-governmental sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan works actively in the field of implementation of the commitments of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the Stockholm Convention. In particular, within the framework of the implementation of projects with participation of international organizations, the non-governmental concerned parties carried out the following activities: (a) public information through organization and carrying out of informational activities and campaigns(distribution of booklets, flyers, skits on POPs); (b) establishment of resource centers provided with information on POPs, with open access to all parties concerned in the regions; (c) lectures in the educational institutions read by attracted experts; (d) articles in the specialized popular and scientific magazines; (e) seminars for teachers of chemistry, biology, geography, valeology, and nature science; (f) movies, advertising videoclips, themes in the ecological programs; and (g) development and implementation of informational and educational programs at the national level.
In order to reduce the negative impact of POPs pesticides on human health and the environment, it is necessary to take measures for the safe storage and disposal of pesticide wastes. Among such measures are the following: (a) carrying out a detailed inventory of obsolete pesticides; (b) construction of warehouses for temporary storage of pesticide wastes; (c) repackaging of obsolete pesticides; (d) collection and delivery of wastes to the site of elimination or temporary storage; and (e) elimination of POPs pesticides wastes.
Reduction of POPs in environmental media and food will indicate the successful implementation of the proposed action plan in the NIP. If the performance evaluation shows that the risk of POPs is not enough decreased, further measures can be taken.