A Global Threat

For decades, concerned scientists and activist NGOs have been warning the international community about the severe threats posed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These chemicals, sometimes referred to as the "dirty dozen," are widely used as pesticides and in industrial applications. Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" published in 1962 raised awareness about the harm caused to the environment from indiscriminate use of pesticides, singularly DDT. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), widely used industrial chemicals particularly in transformers and condensers, were discovered in natural samples in the environment for the first time in 1966. Since then, evidence has mounted that POPs travel long distances and are found in remote areas far from their original source of application. Once introduced into the environment, POPs are persistent as their name suggests, retain their toxicity and degrade after decades. Of particular concern is the subtle long-term toxicity of such compounds, especially their effects on the endocrine systems of wildlife and human beings.

The Stockholm Convention

Recognizing the dangers of POPs, countries began limiting their production, use and release, first individually, then on a regional basis, and finally through global agreements. These efforts culminated in the Stockholm Convention of 22 May 2001, a global, legally binding agreement to reduce and eliminate releases of a number of POPs numbering 12 initially, including pesticides (e.g. DDT and mirex) and industrial chemicals (e.g. PCBs) as well as unintentionally produced POPs (e.g. dioxins and furans). The GEF is the interim financial mechanism of the Convention. The Convention was signed originally by 150 countries, entered into force in May 2004, and now counts 120 parties as signatories to the Convention (as of March 2006). The first Conference of the Parties took place in May 2006 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Snapshot of GEF's Role

GEF's involvement in tackling the threats posed by POPs dates back to 1995, with the introduction of the International Waters Operational Strategy and its contaminant-based component. In this framework, in the late 1990s, GEF began to develop a portfolio of strategically-designed projects including regional assessments and pilot demonstrations that addressed a number of pressing POPs-related issues. These initial activities allowed the GEF to respond promptly to requests for support from the negotiators of the Stockholm Convention for implementing the Convention. This in turn led to the adoption of the Guidelines by the GEF Council for POPs-enabling activities in May 2001, the same month that the Convention was adopted.

>> read more from the GEF website at http://www.GEFweb.org on PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

Members in Focal Area: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Total = 130
Africa Central
•	ACTION JEUNESSE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT
•	Action Volontaire pour la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques et les Effets Negatifs du Soufre du Diesel "AVOCHACLISD"
•	APRODEA, ACTION FOR ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
•	Association for the Management of Natural Resources Talents, Agriculture and Health Development (AMANARTAH)
•	Association of Actions of Peace and Community Development (APADEC)
•	Aube Nouvelle Pour La Femme Et Le Developpement (ANFD)/ New Dawn for Women and Development (NDWD)
•	FONDATION VILLAGEOISE DE GESTION DE LA NATURE ET DE LUTTE CONTRE LE BRACONNAGE
•	GASCO - Cameroun
•	Groupe D'Action Aux Necessiteux - GAN
•	Hard Working Farmers
•	organisation des laics engagés du sacré coeur pour le developpement de kimbondo
Africa East
•	Development Indian Ocean Network (DION)
•	Ensemble pour le Développement Durable du District d'Arta (E.D.D.A.)
•	Environmental Management for Livelihood Improvement
•	Environmental Protection and Conservation Organization (EPCO)
•	INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL AND POLICY STUDIES (ICESPS)
•	MABIRA FOREST INTEGRATED COMMMUNITY ORGANISATION
•	Mauritius Council for Development, Environmental Studies and Conservation (MAUDESCO)
•	Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS)
•	Networks and Information Exchange (NETINFEX)
•	Pro-biodiversity Conservationist in Uganda (PROBICOU)
•	Soroti Rural Development Agency (SORUDA)
•	Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN)
•	Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry & Environment Concerns - SAFE
•	UGANDA ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION (UEEF)
Africa North
•	Association Pour La Protection De L'Environnement Et Le Developpement Durable De Bizerte (APEDDUB)
•	Association Tunisienne pour la Protection de la Nature et de l'Environnement, ATPNE
•	Ong Agir En Faveur De L' environnement (ONG AFE)
•	Sudanese Environment Conservation Society (SECS)
Africa South
•	Action for Environmental Sustainability (AFES)
•	Dialogue International
•	Geography and Environmental Movement (GEM)
•	Human Settlements of Zambia (HUZA)
•	Masvingo Community Based HIV/AIDS and Vulnerable Children's Organization
•	PANOS SOUTHERN AFRICA
Africa West
•	Community Engineering Programme - COMENGIP
•	Free World Foundation
•	GLOBAL GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK
•	Green Earth Organization
•	HATOF Foundation
•	Kanuri Development Association
•	Nature Tropicale
•	NESDA Secretariat
•	Ojope Farmers and Rural Dwellers Development Association (OFRDDA)
•	Wuni Zaligu Development Association (WUZDA)
Asia North East
•	Environmental Quality Protection Foundation
•	Global Village Beijing
•	Green Camel Bell
•	Green Hanjiang
•	Greenriver Environmental Protection Association of Sichuan
•	The Takagi Fund for Citizen Science
Asia South
•	AKSHAYA Rehabilitation Trust
•	Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF)
•	Centre for Environment Protection (CEP)
•	Environmental Resources Research Centre
•	Institute for Integrated Rural Development
•	LEAD Pakistan
•	New World Hope Organization
•	PAHAL
•	Resources Center for Sustainable Development (RCSD)
•	Rural Reconstruction Nepal - RRN
•	Samanvay Resource Center
•	Society for Urban Environmental Protection (SUEP)
•	The Energy and Resources Institute-TERI
•	World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF-India)
•	World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan
•	Youth Welfare Club
Asia South East
•	Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP)
•	Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia (ENSEARCH)
•	Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS)
Asia West
•	CENESTA (Center for Sustainable Development)
•	Development for People and Nature Association
•	Technology Development Foundation of Turkey (TTGV)
•	The National Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS)
Caribbean
•	Caribbean Forest Conservation Association (CFCA)
•	Environment TOBAGO
•	Indigenous People (Bethechilokono) of Saint Lucia Governing Council (BGC)
•	Island Resources Foundation (Virgin Islands)
East Europe & Central Asia
•	Armenian Ecotourism Association
•	Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment
•	Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
•	Ecoforum of Uzbekistan
•	Ecological Movement of Moldova
•	Ecological Society Ruzgar
•	Foundation to support civil initiatives (FSCI, Dastgirie-Center)
•	National Center of Environment Forecasting (NCEG)/ECO-REAL
•	Public Association BIOS
•	Regional Environmental Centre Caucasus (REC Caucasus)
Europe
•	ASOCIACION CHELONIA
•	Asociatia "Valea Soarelui"/"Sun Valley" Association
•	Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF Lithuania)
•	Croplife International
•	Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI)
•	Green Peace International
•	International Council of Environmental Law
•	International HCH & Pestisides Foundation
•	International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN)
•	International Society of Doctors for the Environment - ISDE
•	IUCN UK National Committee Secretariat
•	NGO " Local Agenda 21 for Kostolac - BOROUGH"
•	Polish Ecological Club
•	SAAMI Council
•	Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD)
•	Tchad Agri Pour l' Environnement (TCHAPE)
Mesoamerica
•	Fundacion para la Defensa de la Naturaleza (FUDENA)
•	PRONATURA A.C.
•	SalvaNATURA
North America
•	Arctic Athabaskan Council
•	Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
•	Circumpolar Conservation Union (CCU)
•	Earth Island Institute
•	Environmental Health Fund
•	Global Coral Reef Alliance
•	Global Greengrants Fund
•	Institute for Sustainable Power, Inc.
•	Island Resources Foundation (USA)
•	National Audubon Society
•	Natural Resources Defense Council
•	Partnership for African Environmental Sustainability (PAES)
•	Renewable Natural Resources Foundation
•	The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment
•	World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
Pacific
•	Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI)
•	Ole Siosiomaga Society Incorporated (OLSSI)
•	Pacific Gender Climate Coalition
South America
•	Centro Mocovi "IALEK LAV'A
•	FUNDACION ECOS
•	FUNDACION JOSE CARDIJN
•	Organization Internacional Proinversion, Comercio y Medioambiente (OIPIC)
•	Sobrevivencia, Friends of the Earth Paraguay

Remarks:
Member organizations whose profiles have not been updated recently
may download their Membership Update Form HERE.

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