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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.
Website: "http://www.fao.org/pic/Default.htm"
[Summary provided by PIC.]
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