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Executive Summary

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants commits governments to take measures to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In practice, this means reducing and, where feasible, eliminating the production and environmental releases of the 12 chemicals presently listed as POPs: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, toxaphene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, furans and hexachlorobenzene (HCB).

Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention requires each party to develop a national implementation plan (NIP) setting out how it will address its obligations under the Convention. New Zealand has already achieved, or is currently undertaking, many activities that taken together go a long way towards meeting the Government’s obligations under the Stockholm Convention. The New Zealand NIP builds on these past and recent activities, which provide a sound platform from which to identify the additional measures needed. The measures are set out under each of the articles relevant to the Plan.

Table 1: National Implementation Plan: Summary of measures by New Zealand

Article	Responsibility	Function – including measures
Article 3: Eliminate releases from the intentional production and use of POPs	ERMA	ERMA will administer the HSNO Act 1996 in matters relating to: assessing new chemicals, pesticides or industrial chemicals currently in use that exhibit POP characteristics permitting the appropriate use of POPs for laboratory-scale research or as a reference standard managing the existing exempted use and storage of PCBs.
	MED and New Zealand Customs Service	The MED and New Zealand Customs Service will: administer and enforce the Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Prohibition Order (No. 2) 2004, and the Basel Convention control movements of POP chemicals and POP hazardous waste across the border.
Article 4: Register of Specific Exemptions	New Zealand is not registered for specific exemptions, so no monitoring is required.
Article 5: Action Plan to reduce or eliminate releases of dioxins and other Annex C chemicals	MfE	To protect human health and the environment by continuing the minimisation and, where feasible, ultimate elimination of release of dioxins and other Annex C chemicals, MfE will (summarised): review and update five-yearly a New Zealand Release Inventory of Dioxins and other Annex C chemicals monitor and periodically evaluate laws and policies to manage releases of dioxins and other Annex C chemicals identify strategies to minimise releases of dioxins and other Annex C chemicals promote information (where appropriate) to support the above programmes report progress under the Action Plan for Dioxins and Other Annex C Chemicals every five years implement the Action Plan for Dioxins and Other Annex C Chemicals to achieve release reduction or source elimination.
Article 6: Stockpiles and wastes	ERMA and MfE	To reduce or eliminate release from stockpiles and wastes: ERMA will administer the system of exemptions for the use and storage of PCBs to achieve the withdrawal and disposal of exempted PCB stocks before 2016 ERMA and MfE will facilitate the ongoing collection and disposal of miscellaneous and minor PCB stocks ERMA and MfE, in conjunction with stakeholders, will promote among rural property owners the safe interim storage of historical POPs. In addition, MfE will: fund in conjunction with regional councils, the disposal of unwanted POP pesticides for a further three years to June 2009 develop policies, guidelines and administrative systems to facilitate the environmentally sound management of POP-contaminated land administer the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund to assist local government to assess and clean-up contaminated sites throughout the country investigate national environmental standards for contaminated land.
Article 7: National Implementation Plan (NIP)	MfE	MfE will: prepare a draft National Implementation Plan, consult with stakeholders, and submit New Zealand’s Plan to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat by December 2006 review and update the Plan in accordance with the reporting requirements of Article 15 respond to requests for international co-operation consistent with commitments under Article 12.
Article 8: Listing of new POPs under the convention	ERMA and MfE	ERMA and MfE will: monitor international assessments of potential POP chemicals and participate in forums, as appropriate; and, subject to resources, will collect information about these POP candidates in New Zealand consult with stakeholders in developing a New Zealand position on chemicals recommended by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to the Conference of the Parties (to the Stockholm Convention) for listing under the Convention.
Article 9: Information exchange	MfE	MfE will provide and exchange information with parties to the Stockholm Convention, either directly or via the Information Clearing House of the Convention Secretariat.
Article 10: Public information, awareness and education	MfE	MfE will consider the requirements of Article 10 when undertaking projects relevant to the Stockholm Convention.
Article 11: Research, development and monitoring	MfE, MoH, and DoL	MfE and MoH will continue, subject to resources, a bio-monitoring programme (breast milk, serum) appropriate to tracking the New Zealand population’s declining exposure to POPs. MfE will monitor the effectiveness of the NIP (relating to dioxin reduction, waste stocks and contaminated sites management). DoL will facilitate the completion of research on the health significance of past occupational exposures to dioxin.
Article 12: Technical assistance	MfE, MFAT, NZAID	MfE, in conjunction with MFAT and NZAID, and subject to resources, will address requests for technical assistance.
Articles 13 and 14: Financial resources	MFAT	MFAT will consider New Zealand’s level of commitment to the fourth Global Environment Facility (GEF) replenishment round.
Article 15: Reporting	MfE	MfE will: submit New Zealand’s NIP to the Stockholm Convention Secretariat by December 2006 collect the necessary information, and prepare and submit New Zealand reports in accordance with the requirements of the Convention.
Article 16: Effectiveness evaluation	MfE	MfE will: maintain international liaison and collaborate with the Stockholm Secretariat, as appropriate and subject to resources, in contributing to a global monitoring programme provide to the Secretariat information gained from existing POP monitoring programmes and from any future research programmes.
Articles 17–30	The remaining articles (Articles 17 to 30) concern the international administration of the convention and are not considered relevant to the New Zealand NIP at this stage.

Note: For explanations of the abbreviations used in this table, see the Glossary on the following page.

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