PAN welcomes the ICCM4 resolution on highly hazardous pesticides
Pesticide Action Network welcomes the decision by the Fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) in Geneva to recognize highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) as an “issue of concern.” The conference today supported concerted action to address HHPs and welcomed a strategy to address them that has been developed by UNEP, FAO and WHO. Significantly, the ICCM4 placed emphasis on the need to promote agroecological alternatives instead of replacing then with another chemical pesticide.
Many delegates, particularly from Africa, the Arab region and Latin America, supported by PAN, IPEN and the international labour movement had favoured a Global Alliance of Phase out HHPs, dissention from the pesticide industry, and several high income countries prevented this from being agreed.
The resolution acknowledges that HHPs causes severe adverse effects on human health and the environment. We believe that the call for concerted actions to address HHPs would help developing countries to deal with the ongoing pesticide poisoning of people particularly children and contamination of the environment” said Sarojeni V. Rengam, Pesticide Action Network.
Throughout the week, PAN has released materials in support of its campaign for a global phase-out of HHPs.
On Monday an open letter from nearly 120 concerned professors, toxicologists, epidemiologists and physicians from 24 countries was delivered to Mr Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, Dr José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-?General of FAO, and Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. The letter called on government leaders to halt production and use of highly hazardous pesticides “to protect our children and the succeeding generations from an impending toxic tragedy.”
On Tuesday PAN released its new book Replacing Chemicals with Biology: Phasing out highly hazardous pesticides with agroecology. The book features examples of successful large-scale farming done using ecological principles, and describes the benefits to farmers in terms of increased yields and profits, and improved health and food security, and climate change adaption. PAN urges those who are phasing out HHPs to help their farmers replace them with agroecological practices not another pesticide.
On Wednesday, PAN released its Consolidated List of Banned Pesticides. Drawing on official data sources from 98 countries, the list shows that already 316 currently used pesticides have been phased out by 1 or more countries, demonstrating that countries can do it if they have the will.
The PAN International letter signed by toxicologists and health professionals can be accessed here https://pan-international.org/release/over-100-international-health-experts-and-toxicologists-call-for-an-end-to-the-use-of-highly-hazardous-pesticides/
The PAN International book titled Replacing Chemicals with Biology: Phasing out highly hazardous pesticides with agroecology is available here http://www.panap.net/sites/default/files/Phasing-Out-HHPs-with-Agroecology.pdf
The PAN International Consolidated List of Bans is available here https://pan-international.org/release/consolidated-list-of-banned-pesticides-pesticide-action-network-releases-list-of-highly-hazardous-pesticides-banned-in-countries-around-the-world/
Press Contact:
Sarojeni V. Rengam, sarojeni.rengam@panap.net