National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (NIP/POPs).

This National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (NIP/POPs) is a multisectoral document aiming at assessing the status of these pollutants in Syria and setting out several measures to fulfill the requirements of the Convention. These pollutants are considered highly harmful since they are resistant to degradation in the environment (persistent), highly toxic, bioaccumulative, transported by air, water, and transboundary migratory species, and settle away from the place of release where they accumulate in ecosystems. They have a serious impact on human health and the environment, as they are found in the adipose tissues of humans and animals. The Plan includes two main strategies, the first one regards the management of the pollutants while the second one regards the contaminated sites. The document indicates two time periods for the measures to be adopted: the most urgent actions must be carried out by 2013, while some measures are postponed for the period from 2013 to 2023. As for the POPs management, the (i) measures for institutional and organizational strengthening including developing and activating special legislation for persistent organic pollutants to improve their management; (ii) measures aimed at establishing legal and administrative mechanisms to reduce or eliminate releases from intended production and use; (íii) achieve proper management of production, import, export, use, storage, and waste of Persistent Organic Pollutant Pesticides included in Part I of Annex A; (iv) complete the establishment of a database regarding the production, import and export, use, removal, storage and disposal of PCBs and PCB-containing equipment related to Part II of Annex A; (v) develop a plan for managing the use of T.D.D stocks including their production, import and export, use, stocks, and waste (Annex B chemicals) if used in the country; (vi) measures to reduce releases from unintended production; (vii) measures to reduce releases from stockpiles and waste. The second strategy deals with the identification of polluted sites (chemical substances listed in Annexes A, B, and C) and their treatment in an environmentally sound manner, including the decontamination of polluted areas with analysis of environmental risks and assessment of the need for pollution disposal, the establishment of a database of persistent organic pollutant stocks, hotspots, and contaminated sites, the adoption of appropriate measures to reduce releases and stockpiles of persistent organic pollutants and materials likely to be contaminated with POPs, the technical support to build and develop the capabilities to fulfill the national obligations, and the provision of the necessary legislative support. The main measures include (i) the information exchange and stakeholder engagement; (ii) public awareness, information, and education; (iii) evaluation of effectiveness; (iv) reporting by ensuring that reports submitted are following the requirements of the Agreement; (v) research, development, and monitoring; (vi) technical and financial assistance.