Foreword
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants commits governments to protect human health and the environment by reducing and, where feasible, eliminating the production and environmental releases of 12 chemicals listed under the Convention.
New Zealand became a signatory to the Convention at a diplomatic conference held in Stockholm on 16 May 2001. The Convention came into force on 17 May 2004. New Zealand ratified it on 24 September 2004, and became a party to the Convention on 23 December 2004. As of October 2006 there are 151 signatories to the Convention, of which 131 are ratified parties.
Parties to the Convention are required to develop, and endeavour to put into practice, a national implementation plan setting out how they will implement their obligations under the Convention. Taking into account the history of use of organochlorines in New Zealand, this plan sets out measures that affirm and build on current activities for the purpose of meeting Convention obligations.
The New Zealand National Implementation Plan is to be tabled at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in May 2007.
The Plan will be updated as necessary to reflect decisions made by the New Zealand Government, or by the Conference of the Parties, such as amendments to the Convention or its annexes, including the addition of chemicals to Annexes A, B or C, or the adoption of guidance or guidelines.
The New Zealand Government is fully supportive of the goal of the Stockholm Convention to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants. By implementing this Plan, we hope to make a difference for New Zealanders and I expect that levels of organochlorines in human tissue will continue to decline. The Plan will be judged a success when concerns about persistent organochlorines can be put behind us.
Hon David Benson-Pope
Minister for the Environment
