by Mohammed Al A'li, Gulf Daily News

BAHRAIN is set to join the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

The convention was ratified yesterday by the Shura Council, which initially backed it in principle last week.

A report on the convention was presented to members by the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee, which said it had no objections to Bahrain's decision to join.

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs.

POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.

They circulate globally and can cause damage wherever they travel.

In implementing the convention, governments will take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment.

An explanation was given at last week's meeting by Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife vice-president and director general Dr Ismail Al Madani.

He said Bahrain lost aid worth BD500,000 because of delays in parliament, which meant that it was unable to join the convention before the deadline.

Outgoing committee vice-chairman Sayed Habib Hashim said that during meetings with government officials, they have stressed that POPs were dangerous to people's health, especially pregnant women and their unborn children.

"When Bahrain didn't meet the convention deadline by December 2004, it lost BD500,000 financial aid in addition to technological assistance," he said.

Mr Hashim said that the Electricity and Water Ministry had already stopped using a similar pollutant (PCB), used by a number of its sub-stations.

"Under the convention, Bahrain will have to stop POPs through legislation and administrative action," he said.

"It should also exchange information with other countries under the convention to help wipe POPs out, through tests and monitoring in addition to the preparation on annual report on it."

Meanwhile, the council also backed in principle Bahrain's decision to join the GCC pesticides and manure laws.

It will take a final vote next Monday.