UNEP is to organise a world conference in Nairobi on the control of toxic chemicals from 25-29 January. The conference, following on from last year’s Montreal gathering, will involve representatives from 100 countries in negotiating a global treaty to govern Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) known to cause cancer and other health problems. POPs include DDT, chlorine and PCBs - toxic chemicals that migrate globally through eco-systems and accumulate in the tissues of animals and humans. POPs are used widely in Africa to fight malaria and protect crops. “The session is to look at obligations that might be contained in a future convention,” a UNEP official told IRIN. “If we can agree an outline for a legal framework, that would be great.”
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