India Bans Seven Persistent Organic Pollutants Listed Under Stockholm Convention

The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 7 October, 2020, chaired by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, ratified the ban on seven Persistent Organic Pollutants (“POPs”) considered hazardous and listed under the Stockholm Convention. It may be noted that India had ratified the Stockholm Convention on January 13, 2006 as per Article 25(4) of the Convention, which enabled it to keep itself in a default "opt-out" position to the extent that amendments in various Annexes of the Convention cannot be enforced on it unless an instrument of ratification / acceptance / approval or accession is explicitly deposited with UN depositary. This ratification by the Union Cabinet is a step towards such enforcement.