Stockholm Convention parties agree to tackle "toxic 21"

Controversy and chaos at Fourth Conference of Parties but deal reached to list further nine chemicals, including PFOS.

Five years after entering into force, parties to the UN Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) added nine new chemicals to Convention early on Saturday morning. Agreement was reached during an 11th hour package deal brokered by Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, from late Friday evening, between developed and developing country parties, following marathon informal and formal negotiations. The last hours of the meeting...