Note by the Secretariat

Annexes I and II to the present note set out provisional lists of meeting documents for the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention. The documents listed in annex I are grouped according to the items on the provisional agenda for the meeting to which they pertain. Those listed in annex II are organized by document symbol.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/4 on the evaluation of the continued need for DDT for disease vector control and promotion of alternatives to DDT, the DDT expert group assessed the information on production and use of DDT and prepared a report for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants at its sixth meeting.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/4 on the evaluation of the continued need for DDT for disease vector control and promotion of alternatives to DDT, annex I to the present note contains a report by the United Nations Environment Programme on progress in the implementation of the Global Alliance for Alternatives to DDT. The report of the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for Alternatives to DDT, which took place in Nairobi, on 27 and 28 August 2012, is set out in annex II to the present note. The annexes have not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/5 on the register of specific exemptions and the register of acceptable purposes, the annex to the present note sets out the report of a study, undertaken by the Secretariat, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, of health sector information sources on the availability of lindane as a pharmaceutical and its alternatives as a treatment for head lice and scabies. The annex has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/9 on polychlorinated biphenyls, annex I to the present note contains a report by the United Nations Environment Programme on progress in the implementation of the Polychlorinated Biphenyls Elimination Network (PEN). The report of the fourth meeting of the PEN Advisory Committee, held in Beijing, on 7 and 8 September 2012, is set out in annex II to the present note. The annexes have not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. At its fifth meeting, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants adopted decision SC-5/28 on financing and budget for the biennium 2012–2013, in which, among other things, it:

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/10, the Secretariat invited parties to submit information on their experiences in implementing the recommendations set out in the annex to decision POPRC-6/2 on the elimination of brominated diphenyl ethers from the waste stream and on risk reduction for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride, using a format developed for that purpose. As referred to in UNEP/POPS/COP.6/6, and as requested by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee in its decision POPRC-7/7, this format was also used for collecting information for the evaluation and review of brominated diphenyl ethers pursuant to paragraph 2 of parts IV and V of Annex A to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/12, the Secretariat invited parties and others to nominate experts with specific expertise in best available techniques and best environmental practices to the joint Toolkit and best available techniques and best environmental practices expert roster.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/19, on the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology, a compilation of relevant information related to the evaluation of the eight Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology endorsed by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting in 2009 is set out in the annexes to the present note. Annex I contains a summary of the draft assessment of the regional centres to be evaluated by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting. Annex II contains draft assessments for each of the eight centres based on the draft methodology for the evaluation of the performance and sustainability of the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres set out in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/19/Add.1. The annexes to the present note have not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. Document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/4 on the evaluation of the continued need for DDT for disease vector control and promotion of alternatives to DDT contains information for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants at its sixth meeting.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As stated in the notes by the Secretariat on the review and updating of the Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases (UNEP/POPS/COP.6/13) and on the guidelines on best available techniques and provisional guidance on best environmental practices (UNEP/POPS/COP.6/12), the reports of the sixth and seventh Toolkit expert meetings and of the first meeting of the expert group on best available techniques and best environmental practices, established by decision SC-5/12, are annexed to the present note.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/15 on implementation plans under Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the annex to the present note contains a table indicating the deadlines by which each party to the Convention is to transmit to the Conference of the Parties its implementation plan pursuant to Article 7 and its revised and updated implementation plan, as well as the dates on which the plans were received by the Secretariat.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/15, on implementation plans under Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention, the Conference of the Parties, in decision SC-5/14, took note of the progress made in developing guidance for the review and updating of national implementation plans with information relating to the persistent organic pollutants listed in 2009 and 2011 and requested the Secretariat to identify any additional guidance that might be required to assist parties in their implementation of the Convention. In response to the request, the Secretariat, in collaboration with UNIDO and UNITAR and with the financial support of GEF, developed new guidance documents to assist parties in developing, updating, and reviewing their implementation plans under the Stockholm Convention with information relating to the newly listed persistent organic pollutants. The Secretariat subsequently invited parties to provide comments on the updated existing guidance and the new guidance.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/15, on implementation plans under Article 7 of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the report on the feasibility of parties, particularly developing-country parties, parties with economies in transition and small island developing States, revising and updating their implementation plans with information relating to the newly listed persistent organic pollutants is set out in the annex to the present note. The report is presented without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

1. In its decision SC-5/14 on implementation plans, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention requested the Secretariat to prepare, within available resources, a report to the Conference of the Parties for consideration at its sixth meeting and subsequent action on the legal opinion on Article 7 of the Convention, taking into account decisions SC-1/12 and SC-2/7, in particular when new chemicals are listed in Annexes A, B or C to the Convention.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/17 on the recommendation by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to list hexabromocyclododecane in Annex A to the Stockholm Convention, the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants decided, in decision POPRC-8/3, and in accordance with paragraph 9 of Article 8 of the Convention, to recommend to the Conference of the Parties that it consider listing hexabromocyclododecane in Annex A to the Convention with specific exemptions for production and use in expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene in buildings.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/18 on technical assistance and capacity-building, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, by paragraph 2 of decision SC-5/20, invited developing-country parties and parties with economies in transition to provide information to the Secretariat on their technical assistance and technology transfer needs and the barriers and obstacles in that regard. Furthermore, paragraph 3 of the same decision invited developed-country parties to provide information to the Secretariat on the technical assistance and technologies that they had available to be transferred to developing-country parties and parties with economies in transition, together with the barriers and obstacles to responding to those needs referred to in paragraph 2 of the decision.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/18 on technical assistance and capacity-building for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, the annex to the present note sets out the technical assistance programme for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention. Section I contains the Secretariat’s programme for the delivery of technical assistance for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. Section II sets out a programmatic approach for the delivery of technical assistance relevant to the mandates under the Stockholm Convention, the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention and the needs assessment carried out in 2012. The annex to the present note has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/19 on Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology, the activity reports submitted by the regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology for the period from January 2011 to December 2012 can be found on the Convention webpage at http://chm.pops.int/Implementation/RegionalCentres/Workplansandactivitiesreport/tabid/482/Default.aspx.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/20 on needs assessment, the report on the assessment of funding needs of parties that are developing countries or countries with economies in transition to implement the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants over the period 2015–2019, prepared by a team of independent experts, is set out in the annex to the present note. The report is presented without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

1. In its decision SC-5/22, the Conference of the Parties invited parties and others to provide information required to undertake the assessment of funding needed by developing country parties and parties with economies in transition to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants over the period 2015–2019 for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/20 on needs assessment, the Secretariat invited parties and observers to submit information, by completing a questionnaire, on ways in which they could support the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/20 on needs assessment, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, in decision SC-5/22, invited parties and others to provide the relevant information required to undertake the assessment of funding needed by developing-country parties and parties with economies in transition to implement the Convention over the period 2015–2019 for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/21, the report of the Global Environment Facility to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting is set out in the annex to the present note. The report has been reproduced without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/23, the draft report on the third review of the financial mechanism of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is set out in the annex to the present note. The draft report has been prepared by an independent consultant, ICF International. It is reproduced as submitted, without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

1. Pursuant to decision SC-5/23, on additional guidance to the financial mechanism, as referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/24, the Secretariat, in consultation with the secretariat of the Global Environment Facility, prepared the consolidated guidance to the financial mechanism of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which is set out in the annex to the present note. It has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/25, the Secretariat invited parties to submit information, by completing a questionnaire, on the key objectives and functions to be achieved to improve the efficiency of the work on financial resources and mechanisms and on the organizational structures best suited to delivering those objectives and functions.

Note by the Secretariat

1. In decision SC-5/16, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants requested the Secretariat to develop a strategy to increase the rate of submission of national reports by parties pursuant to Article 15, taking into account the feedback received from parties on obstacles to reporting.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/27, the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants invited parties and others to submit comments on the proposed framework.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/27 on effectiveness evaluation, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, in decision SC-5/17 on effectiveness evaluation, invited parties and others to submit comments on the proposed framework for effectiveness evaluation, and requested the Secretariat to integrate the comments received from parties into the proposed framework for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/28 on the global monitoring plan for effectiveness evaluation, the Secretariat has continued to support the process of revising and updating the guidance on the global monitoring plan for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Convention and the work of the regional organization groups and the global coordination group for the global monitoring plan.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/28 on the global monitoring plan for effectiveness evaluation, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, in decision SC-4/31, adopted the global monitoring plan for persistent organic pollutants and requested the Secretariat to make non-substantive changes as necessary.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/28 on the global monitoring plan for effectiveness evaluation, the Conference of the Parties, in its decision SC-4/31, requested the Secretariat to make non-substantive changes to the implementation plan for the global monitoring plan for persistent organic pollutants for the first effectiveness evaluation that was adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting, so that it can serve future effectiveness evaluations.

Note by the Secretariat

1. In its decision SC-5/18, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants requested the Secretariat to continue to support the work of the regional organization groups and the global coordination group for the global monitoring plan and the process of revising and updating the guidance on the global monitoring plan.

Note by the Secretariat

1. By its decision SC-5/18 on the global monitoring plan for effectiveness evaluation, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants encouraged parties to engage actively in the implementation of the global monitoring plan and the effectiveness evaluation, in particular to continue to monitor the core media of air and human breast milk or human blood.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/31 on admission of observers, the annex to the present note contains a list of bodies and agencies that had not previously been admitted to meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and that are requesting admission to participate in such meetings as observers in accordance with rule 7 of the Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention, as at 22 April 2013. The annex to the present note has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. The annex to the present note sets out a report prepared by the Secretariat on its activities pertaining to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2012, which were undertaken in accordance with its mandate under the Convention and as decided by the Conference of the Parties. The annex to the present note has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. By its decision SC-5/2, the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention amended the financial rules governing the administration of the Conference of the Parties, its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat to read as set out in the annex to that decision. As amended, paragraph 1 of rule 3, which deals with the budget, requires the Executive Secretary to dispatch reports on the actual income and expenditure for each year of the previous biennium and estimates of actual expenditure in the current biennium at least 90 days before the opening of the meeting of the Conference of the Parties at which the budget for a given biennium is adopted.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note contains a report prepared by the Secretariat, as at 31 December 2012, on the implementation of the programme budget approved by the Conference of the Parties in decision SC-5/28. It describes expenditures incurred under the general and the voluntary trust funds of the Stockholm Convention and provides information on related voluntary contributions made by donors for the implementation of activities. The report has been reproduced without formal editing.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in paragraph 4 of document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/INF/36 on information on financial matters, the annexes to the present note set forth updated information on expenditures and on contributions pledged or received. The annexes, which have not been formally edited, are organized as follows:

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/18 on technical assistance and capacity building for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, the annex to the present note contains information on Stockholm Convention capacity-building and training activities, planned by the Secretariat to take place between 1 January and 31 December 2013. Table 1 lists capacity-building and training workshops and table 2 lists webinars and online meetings. The annex to the present note has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/18 on technical assistance and capacity building for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the annex to the present note sets out tables listing capacity building and training activities organized by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention between May 2011 and December 2012. Regional and national-level activities are described in table 1, global-level activities are set out in table 2 and relevant projects are listed in table 3. The annex to the present note has not been formally edited.

Note by the Secretariat

1. As referred to in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/19 on the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology, the Secretariat received a new nomination from the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for South-East Asia, located in Jakarta, wishing to become a regional centre for capacity-building and transfer of technology under the Stockholm Convention, in accordance with the terms of reference set out in the annex to decision SC-3/12.

Note by the Secretariat

The annex to the present note sets out a revised version, submitted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), of the draft memorandum of understanding between UNEP and the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants contained in the annex to the note by the Secretariat in document UNEP/POPS/COP.6/32. The revised version of the draft memorandum is being circulated as provided by UNEP and has not been formally edited.