*EPF111 03/20/00
Text: Yeager Statement at Bonn Negotiations on Toxic Chemicals
(Seeks broad participation by developing countries) (1120)

A U.S. official says that a global agreement to help protect human health and the environment from toxic substances known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) should include broad participation among both developed and developing countries.

Brooks Yeager, head of the U.S. delegation at the fourth round of talks in Bonn to conclude a treaty on POPs, said in a press statement March 20 that the United States attaches high importance to the negotiations, and that a major goal "is to bring developing countries along in a way that ensures participation in the agreement."

POPs refer to a variety of toxic chemicals, such as PCBs and DDT, that can persist in the environment for decades and be transported thousands of kilometers through the air and water.

Yeager said that the United States advocates a ban on the production and use of all the POPs pesticides except DDT, production of which should be limited to approved uses by the World Health Organization for fighting malaria. The United States also supports strong steps to control by-products of combustion, such as dioxins -- steps that would be flexible enough to account for large differences among developing countries.

Yeager said that in developing countries where national resources are not adequate to control POPs, the United States supports using mechanisms such as the Global Environment Fund and other multilateral and bilateral programs to assist implementation.

Following is the text of the press statement:

(begin text)

March 20, 2000

Press Statement by Brooks Yeager, Head of the United States Delegation to Persistent Organic Pollutants Negotiations, INC-4
Bonn, Germany

It is a pleasure to be here today in Bonn. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our hosts, the German government, and the UN Environment Program for their efforts to make this important negotiation possible.

As you know, we are at the beginning of the fourth out of five sessions to conclude a treaty on Persistent Organic Pollutants. This will be the first global treaty to address in a comprehensive manner the risks to human health and the environment from the production and use of certain hazardous chemicals.

The United States attaches the utmost importance to these negotiations, which put an international spotlight on what has been called a "silent plague" of toxic chemicals.

We are seeking a strong POPs agreement with realistic, implementable provisions that has as its objective to significantly reduce and/or eliminate releases of persistent organic pollutants of global concern.

The U.S. was one of the handful of countries that first proposed a global assessment of the risks of POPs, and we subsequently led the call for a global treaty at the Washington Conference on Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution in 1995.

The U.S. has already taken strong action on all of these pollutants We have eliminated production and use of all nine pesticides, and have taken strong controls on PCBs, as well as on by-products such as dioxins - where we have achieved reductions estimated at well over eighty percent since 1990.

Over the past few years, the United States government has provided over $19 million on POPs specific projects around the world. We have made this level of commitment because POPs, like other global pollutants, do not respect national or regional boundaries.

The characteristics of POPs present a strong basis for global cooperation over the long term - both in the negotiation of the treaty and in its implementation. It is in the best interest of world community to work together to eliminate the adverse effects that countries experience as a result of POPs releases into the environment.

These global negotiations are an ambitious undertaking, since they encompass a broad range of measures to address POPs of transboundary concern. We are seeking to address POPs harms ranging from production and use of commercial chemicals, to waste, and by-product releases from a many different industrial sources. For many countries, this will be the first time that these substances have been controlled, and the effects are likely to be significant.

A major goal at this meeting in Bonn is to bring developing countries along in a way that ensures broad participation in the agreement and, consequently, meaningful reductions in the amount of pollutants that get into the air and water.

Specifically, the U.S. advocates a ban on production and use of all of the POPs pesticides except DDT.

For DDT, the U.S. proposes limiting production only to World Health Organization approved uses for fighting malaria.

For PCBs, we are proposing a ban on production and new uses.

The agreement also calls for measures on by-products such as dioxins. While the U.S. and other countries have done much to reduce their dioxin releases in the last decade, many - if not all - developing countries are just beginning to address this critical issue.

We support a goal of continued minimization because we think it is feasible, and if implemented by all, would make a tremendous difference in global dioxin releases. Elimination would mean, effectively, the elimination of such commonplace sources as fireplaces, wood stoves and crop burning, as well as natural sources such as forest fires which, of course, can not be totally prevented.

The U.S. supports an approach that would take strong steps to control dioxins, but steps that would be flexible enough to account for large differences among developing countries. We want to ensure that countries from Asia to Africa are part of this agreement.

Finally, a critical part of the agreement will be to marshal resources to help developing countries to effectively implement this agreement. Developing countries have a longer road to travel to reach the objective of this treaty. In countries where national resources are not adequate to control POPs, the U.S. supports using and as necessary adapting existing mechanisms such as the Global Environment Fund, and other multilateral and bilateral programs, to assist in POPs implementation. Our goal here at INC-4 is to create the framework for cooperation on this international effort.

I would just note that the United States has already provided UNEP with $3.5 million to begin establishing the needed capacity building measures in the developing world.

The U.S. has taken a position that is at once strong and sensible. We seek a science-based agreement that will have broad participation among both developed and developing countries. A truly global effort, based on goals that are realistic for all, would be a great success. We are committed to that outcome.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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