On 9-13 October, officials from more than 100 countries are meeting in Geneva to decide whether to add chrysotile asbestos to Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention [ access the text of the Convention, which already contains 39 hazardous substances, including all other forms of asbestos.

The Rotterdam Convention is a multilateral environmental agreement designed to promote transparency and information sharing in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals, in order to protect human health and the environment. In other words, the Convention enables the world to monitor and control the trade in certain hazardous chemicals. It does not impose any bans. It is, instead, an instrument providing importers with information about the possible risks caused by these chemicals. If trade takes place, requirements for labeling and provision of information on potential health and environmental effects will promote their safe use [ Read more about the Rotterdam Convention ].

The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) have just published Chrysotile asbestos: hazardous to humans, deadly to the Rotterdam Convention.

See also European campaign on asbestos, CIS News, September 2006.