LocationsThis project will enable Mauritius to establish inventories of products and articles containing the newly listed POPs and identify industrial processes where they are still employed or unintentionally produced.
This three-day workshop aims to enhance coordination and engagement by bringing together task teams, national stakeholders, and international experts.
UNDP Mauritius / Sharon Sunassee
A three-day inception and training workshop is taking place from 26 to 28 March 2025, to mark the start of the "Review and Update of the National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)" project. Organised by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change (ESWMCC) and supported by UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the workshop aims to strengthen national efforts in managing POPs and building the capacity of key stakeholders. The opening ceremony was attended Hon. Rajesh Bhagwan, Minister of ESWMCC; Hon. Joanna Bérenger, Junior Minister of ESWMCC; Ms. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles; and stakeholders from various ministries, the private sector, academia and CSOs.
Strengthening National Efforts to Manage POPs
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are hazardous chemical characterized by their toxicity, persistence, and the ability to accumulate in the environment and in humans. They can travel long distances through air or water and include pesticides, industrial chemicals, and by-products that pose threats to both human health and the environment. To limit the global impact of these pollutants, the Stockholm Convention on POPs was adopted in 2001 and was since ratified by 186 Parties.
As a signatory to the Convention, Mauritius has made significant progress in identifying and eliminating POPs. In 2006, with the support of UNDP, the country developed its first National Implementation Plan (NIP), outlining a detailed action plan for managing and controlling POPs within the country. However, given the recent identification of 22 new POPs, countries are required to review and update these plans.
In this context, the UNDP, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is supporting the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change to revise the country's National Implementation Plan for POPs management. This project includes 4 key components, including the establishment of a work plan and stakeholder's engagement; the development of POPs inventories and assessment of national infrastructure and capacity; the development of action plans for new POPs and updating of action plans for initial POPs; and the formulation, endorsement and submission of the updated National Implementation Plan.
Safeguarding public health and the environment
During her address, Ms. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, emphasized the importance of this project to “enable Mauritius to establish inventories of products and articles containing the newly listed POPs and identify industrial processes where they are still employed or unintentionally produced.” She also highlighted the holistic dimension of this initiative, whereby the data collected will also be used to inform and guide the implementation of other ongoing projects on hazardous wastes.
Highlighting the alarming persistence of toxic chemicals, Hon. Rajesh Bhagwan, Minister of Environment, Solid waste Management and Climate Change, emphasized that “Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are an invisible danger that affects us all. These pollutants are silent threats that accumulate in our environment, the air we breathe, and even in our bodies.” He also expressed the urgent need to monitor and reduce POPs to safeguard both public health and the environment.
This three-day workshop facilitated by the international POPs expert Dr. Roland Weber and national POPs experts, aims to enhance coordination and engagement by bringing together task teams, national stakeholders, and international experts. This includes initiating the update of the Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plan (NIP), reviewing the status of original Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) inventories, and launching activities for their update. Additionally, the action seeks to develop strategies for compiling new POPs inventories, inform stakeholders about newly listed POPs and their applications, introduce updated inventory methodologies, and establish comprehensive work plans and action strategies for effective implementation.
