National Implementation Plan

The above-mentioned guidance lists as an external factor triggering the review and update process any changes in obligations arising from amendments to the Convention. The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention in 4-8 May 2009, decided to amend the Convention by adding nine new chemicals to its Annexes A, B and C. In accordance with Article 22 of the Convention the amendments to Annexes A, B and C will enter into force on 26 August 2010, which is one year from the date of communication by the depositary of the adoption of the above-mentioned amendments.

This means that Parties has to comply with their new obligations by following all the neccesary steps to end up with a reviewed and updated NIP.

In light of this, the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention is organizing a series of workshops aims at raising awareness on the steps to be taken to review and update national implementation plans in order for Parties to be in a position to comply with their new obligations. Some of these workshops has already take place, the fist of which was organized in joint collaboration with the CP/RAC in the city of Barcelona. The Secretariat will try to cover all the regions and will count with the collaboration of the Regional Centres under the Convention.

[1] See annex to decisions SC-1/12 and SC-2/7.