Rotterdam Convention Introduction | UPSC – IAS
The Rotterdam Convention (formally, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade) is a multilateral treaty to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals.
- It was adopted in September 1998 and entered into force on 24 February 2004.
- It’s jointly administered by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment (UNEP).
- It creates legally-binding obligations for the implementation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
Objectives: To promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm.
To contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous chemicals by:-
- Facilitating information exchange about their characteristics;
- Providing for a national decision-making process on their import and export;
- and disseminating these decisions to parties.