RELEVANCE OF THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
TO KENYA
INTRODUCTION
For the past four decades, awareness has been growing about the threats posed to human health
and the global environment by the ever increasing release in the environment of synthesized
chemicals. Mounting evidence of damage to human health and the environment has focused
attention of the international community on a category of substances referred to as persistent
organic pollutants. Some of these substances are pesticides, while others are industrial chemicals
or unwanted by-products of industrial processes or combustion. POPs are characterized by
persistence which is the ability to resist degradation in various media for months and even
decades; bio accumulation-the ability to accumulate in living tissues at levels higher than those
in the surrounding environment and potential for long range transport-the potential to travel great
distances from the source of release through various media
Specific effects of these pollutants can include cancer, allergies and damage to central and
peripheral nervous systems, reproductive disorders and disruption of the immune system. They
can damage the reproductive and immune systems of exposed individuals as well as their
offspring
The realization of these threats led a number of countries to introduce policies and legal and
regulatory instruments to manage an increasing number of this substances.However, because of
the persistence of these pollutants and ability to cross borders countries began to seek bilateral
and regional cooperative action
This convention is therefore relevant to Kenya in a huge way as this problem is also hugely
experienced in Kenya.
RELEVANCE
Kenya has itself set some set objectives towards achieving sustainable economic, political and
social growth and development for the future years. Some of the objectives are preserving,
protecting and improving the quality of the environment, protecting human health, prudent and
rational utilization of natural resources, promoting measures at international level to deal with
regional environmental problems.
Parties to the convention have agreed to a process by which persistent toxic compounds can be
reviewed and added to the convention, if they meet certain criteria for persistence and
transboundary threat
TO KENYA
INTRODUCTION
For the past four decades, awareness has been growing about the threats posed to human health
and the global environment by the ever increasing release in the environment of synthesized
chemicals. Mounting evidence of damage to human health and the environment has focused
attention of the international community on a category of substances referred to as persistent
organic pollutants. Some of these substances are pesticides, while others are industrial chemicals
or unwanted by-products of industrial processes or combustion. POPs are characterized by
persistence which is the ability to resist degradation in various media for months and even
decades; bio accumulation-the ability to accumulate in living tissues at levels higher than those
in the surrounding environment and potential for long range transport-the potential to travel great
distances from the source of release through various media
Specific effects of these pollutants can include cancer, allergies and damage to central and
peripheral nervous systems, reproductive disorders and disruption of the immune system. They
can damage the reproductive and immune systems of exposed individuals as well as their
offspring
The realization of these threats led a number of countries to introduce policies and legal and
regulatory instruments to manage an increasing number of this substances.However, because of
the persistence of these pollutants and ability to cross borders countries began to seek bilateral
and regional cooperative action
This convention is therefore relevant to Kenya in a huge way as this problem is also hugely
experienced in Kenya.
RELEVANCE
Kenya has itself set some set objectives towards achieving sustainable economic, political and
social growth and development for the future years. Some of the objectives are preserving,
protecting and improving the quality of the environment, protecting human health, prudent and
rational utilization of natural resources, promoting measures at international level to deal with
regional environmental problems.
Parties to the convention have agreed to a process by which persistent toxic compounds can be
reviewed and added to the convention, if they meet certain criteria for persistence and
transboundary threat
