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Toxic pesticides and other hazardous chemicals kill or seriously
sicken thousands of people every year. They also poison the
natural environment and damage many wild animal species. Governments
started to address this problem in the 1980s by establishing
a voluntary Prior Informed Consent procedure. PIC required
exporters trading in a list of hazardous substances to obtain
the prior informed consent of importers before proceeding
with the trade.
In 1998, governments decided to strengthen the procedure
by adopting the Rotterdam Convention, which makes PIC legally
binding. The Convention establishes a first line of defense
by giving importing countries the tools and information they
need to identify potential hazards and exclude chemicals they
cannot manage safely. If a country agrees to import chemicals,
the Convention promotes their safe use through labeling standards,
technical assistance, and other forms of support. It also
ensures that exporters comply with the requirements.
The Rotterdam Convention entered into force on 24 February
2004.
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