Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Implementation Plan (HKSARIP) for the Stockholm Convention
The Stockholm Convention (the Convention) became effective to the People's Republic of China (PRC), including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on November 11, 2004. As required by the Convention, the PRC had to submit a National Implementation Plan (NIP) to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Stockholm Convention before its third meeting in April 2007. The NIP includes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Implementation Plan (HKSARIP).
The HKSAR Government prepared the first HKSARIP, based on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Interim Guidance for Developing a National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention (Revised, December 2004). The first HKSARIP includes the following key components:
- an overview of the current persistent organic pollutants (POPs) situation in Hong Kong;
- control strategies, priorities and action plans in the next 5-10 years to reduce/eliminate POPs as required by the Stockholm Convention;
- promotion of public awareness; and
- enhancement of regional collaboration and capacity building.
We consulted the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs and the Advisory Council on the Environment on the first draft HKSARIP in February and March 2006 respectively. The first draft HKSARIP was submitted to the Central People's Government (CPG) in September 2006. Following the approval by the State Council, the first China's NIP, which had incorporated the first HKSARIP, was submitted by the CPG to the Convention Secretariat in April 2007.
Pursuant to the fourth and fifth meeting of the COP held in 2009 and 2011, the amendments to list 10 new POPs in the respective Annexes were adopted by the PRC and entered into force in PRC (including the HKSAR) on 26 March 2014. On 26 December 2016, the amendment which was adopted by the sixth meeting of the COP to list a new POP was taken effect in PRC and also HKSAR. An updated NIP (i.e. the second NIP) shall be submitted to the Convention Secretariat in accordance to the Convention.
The HKSAR Government updated the first HKSARIP accordingly. We informed the Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs on the updated HKSARIP (i.e. the second HKSARIP) in January 2016 and then submitted it to the CPG in February 2016. The second NIP, including the second HKSARIP, was submitted to the Convention Secretariat in December 2018.
Pursuant to the seventh and eighth meeting of the COP held in 2015 and 2017, the amendments to list 5 new POPs in the respective Annexes were adopted by the PRC and entered into force in PRC (including the HKSAR) on 6 June 2023. An updated NIP (i.e. the third NIP), which includes the updated HKSARIP (i.e. the third HKSARIP) currently under compilation, shall be submitted to the Convention Secretariat in accordance to the Convention.
