Use of Stockholm Convention national reporting data informs research on sound management of chemicals

Data collected and submitted by Parties in their national reports can be used in multiple ways, as demonstrated by new research showing declines in DDT production and use. An article published in October 2017 in the open-access Malaria Journal, by Gamini Manuweera of the BRS Secretariat, together with researchers from the universities of Wageningen and Copenhagen, shows a steady decline in both the production and use of DDT over the years since the adoption of the Stockholm Convention.

View the full article here: https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-017-2050-2

The article highlights several limitations in implementation of the Stockholm Convention with regard to DDT, some of which may also apply to other POPs, including in particular deficiencies in reporting, with a low response rate and inaccurate or incomplete information contained in many submitted reports. In particular, the assessment and reporting on obsolete stocks, waste and disposal of DDT should be improved. Similarly, the response rate to the DDT Questionnaire has so far been inadequate, with several countries for which independent information sources indicate ongoing use of DDT failing to fulfill this specific requirement under the Convention. There are indications that deficiencies in the quality of reporting (e.g. on dates, DDT amounts, and formulations) are an impediment for the comprehensive evaluation of the continued need for DDT by the Conference of Parties.

For more information on the BRS Secretariat work on DDT, see: https://chm.pops.int/Implementation/PesticidePOPs/DDT/Overview/tabid/378/Default.aspx