National Implementation Plan (NIP) for Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

This NIP is a nationwide sectoral document aiming at (i) addressing core issues in policy deployment for chemicals management in general and POPs in particular; and (ii) providing short-term actions to build the capability to formulate, enforce, and monitor effective systems in protecting both health and environment. It is developed to inform both the public and the Conference of the Parties (COP) on how the requirements of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) shall be implemented in Qatar and, in particular, the Article 7 which states that each party must develop and endeavour to implement a plan for the implementation and submit it to the COP within two years following the entry into force. Main objectives of the NIP are (i) establish actual levels of the POPs contaminants in the environment, giving priority to abandoned dump sites; (ii) fill the gaps in the legal system with respect to POPs in general and PCDD/PCDF and PCBs in particular, establish acceptable levels of the contaminants, and introduce actions to be taken if the levels are exceeded; (iii) strengthen the existing institutional system and the capacity building; (iv) raise awareness among all target groups; (v) strengthen the existing educational system; (vi) promote improved technologies and practices for new industries; (vii) mobilize financial resources; (viii) establish a general monitoring system for the POPs contaminants. The timetable for Plan implementation envisages for each of the proposed activities a short, medium, and long-term of implementation in the period 2009 - 2024.