Information exchange is an integral part of the Rotterdam Convention. The opportunities for information exchange cover a broad range of chemicals, those included in Annex III of the Convention as well as those chemicals that have been subject to final regulatory actions in participating countries that ban or severely restrict the use. In addition, Article 14 mandates a general exchange of scientific or regulatory information “relevant to the objectives of the Convention” of potential interest to regulators around the world.
The various provisions of the Convention provide opportunities to obtain information on potentially hazardous chemicals and to share information and experience with countries facing similar concerns. The most important opportunities for information exchange include the PIC Circular, export notifications, DGDs, the network of DNAs as well as the Rotterdam Convention web site.
PIC Circular
The PIC Circular (see Section 1.4.3 and Annex 7.2) provides Parties with information from other Parties on national final regulatory actions to ban or severely restrict chemicals as well as proposals for hazardous pesticide formulations provided to Parties. It also includes an up-to-date list of the chemicals subject to the Convention, a list of the import decisions of participating countries as well as those countries that have failed to provide an import decision.
Decision Guidance Documents
Parties receive information on chemicals subject to the Convention through the circulation of DGDs (see Section 1.4.3 and Annex 7.1). These documents contain a summary of important information related to final regulatory actions taken by notifying countries, basic information about the characteristics of the chemical and summary information about the hazards and risks associated with the use of the chemical.
Export Notification
Export notifications on chemicals banned or severely restricted in the exporting country are required to include certain information related to identifying the chemical and the shipment as well as information related to its known risks and hazards. The importing Party may also request further specific information that it considers it necessary from the exporting Party. For more detailed description of the information required to accompany export notifications see Annex V of the Convention.
With regard to the export of chemicals, the Convention contains general obligations under Article 13 for Parties to ensure that there is adequate information to accompany shipments of chemicals for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment. These obligations include ensuring that exported chemicals contain adequate labelling instructions regarding the hazards and risks of the chemicals listed in Annex III of the Convention and chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted in its own territory.
Information Exchange
Article 14 of the Convention specifically addresses information exchange and requires Parties to facilitate the exchange of scientific, technical, economic and legal information concerning chemicals falling within the scope of the Convention. This includes providing information that is publicly available on their regulatory actions and also making this available to other Parties either directly or through the Secretariat. Although the Convention does not provide any instruction as to how long Parties should take to respond to such requests for information, in the spirit of cooperation and information exchange embodied in the Convention, Parties should attempt to provide such information as quickly as possible.
In obligating Parties to engage in information exchange, the Convention obliges Parties to protect confidential information. It also specifies certain types of information that are not to be regarded as confidential and, therefore, should be able to be sent to another Party or to be made publicly available. This information includes, among others, the information provided as part of notifications or proposals of chemicals to the Secretariat, the expiry date of the chemicals and summaries of the toxicological and ecotoxicological tests.
List of Designated National Authorities
A list of the contact details for all DNAs provides a ready network for the exchange of information on chemicals of concern. A current version of the list is circulated with the PIC Circular every six months and may also be found on the Rotterdam Convention web site (www.pic.int).
Rotterdam Convention Web site (www.pic.int)
The Rotterdam Convention web site is updated on an ongoing basis. It is an important source of information on the operation and status of implementation of the Convention. It provides current list of Parties to the Convention and the contact details of their DNAs, as well as information on chemicals included in Annex III of the Convention submitted by other Parties. Information on upcoming meetings of the Chemical Review Committee and the Conference of the Parties and relevant meeting documents are also posted in advance of the meetings. Copies of decision guidance documents, all relevant forms and instructions, meeting reports, etc., are also available on this site.
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The information exchange component of the Rotterdam Convention naturally builds networks of persons that individual DNAs may call upon. At the sub-regional, regional and global level this can create a critical mass of expertise that can enable an exchange of ideas and possible cooperative resolution of problems that may not be achievable by individual country action alone. The receipt of additional information that may not otherwise be available to a country provides a broader base upon which sound regulatory decisions may be made, delivering better health and environmental outcomes. Information exchange has a direct effect on resource expenditure. If information on certain chemicals is available from other countries and through the Secretariat, then countries may not need to expend resources in trying to collect this information. The often limited resources that are available to some countries may be able to be better expended in managing other aspects of chemical management. Depending upon the characteristics of the chemical concerned, information exchanged in support of the Rotterdam Convention may also have potential to highlight potential candidate persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals for consideration in other fora such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). |
