Overview

The goal of UNITAR’s Pollution Release and Transfer Registries (PRTRs) Programme is to assist countries in the design of national PRTRs through multi-stakeholder processes. PRTRs are inventories of pollution from industry and other sources that have proven to be an effective tool for environmental management in many countries by providing government, industry, and the public with information on releases and transfers of toxic chemicals to air, water, and land. The UNITAR PRTR Programme Area is implemented in cooperation with OECD and UNEP Chemicals.

UNITAR’s current country-based PRTR activities provide technical assistance, guidance and reference material, and support country–based activities, building on experience draw from past collaboration with Cuba, Argentina, Egypt, the Czech Republic, Mexico, the Slovak Republic, South Africa, and Ecuador.

IOMC PRTR Coordinating Group

In support of these country-based activities, UNITAR, in collaboration with the IOMC PRTR Coordinating Group, has initiated, and provides the secretariat for, a Network of PRTR Resource Persons. Through this network, interested countries have the opportunity to learn about, and have better access to, PRTR-related expertise in countries and organisations.

Recent and ongoing PRTR – related Capacity Building Activities

Europe and CIS countries

UNITAR collaborates with Armenia to Design a National PRTR System to Strengthen National Capacities for the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention. In 2008 Armenia will design a pollutant release and transfer register that will focus on, but not be restricted to, persistent organic pollutants (including candidate chemicals for addition to the Stockholm Convention). On 10 -11 March 2007 over 40 participants from various government ministries and agencies, academia, industry and NGOs attended the PRTR Awareness Raising Workshop that took place in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. As part of these efforts, the PRTR software application was developed for users at the facility as well as authority level. It is expected that the project outcomes will contribute towards implementation of the UNECE Protocol on PRTRs and demonstrate how PRTRs can be used as a tool for the Stockholm Convention implementation. The financial support was kindly provided by the Government of Switzerland.

The SAICM Quick Start Programme Trust Fund at its fourth application round conditionally approved the project on Strengthening Capacities for Designing a National Pollutant and Release Transfer Register and Supporting SAICM Implementation in Georgia, with UNITAR as an executing agency. The project is expected to begin in late 2008.

Africa

In 2006 Togo has taken steps to prepare a Situation Analysis and Feasibility Study for the Development of a National PRTR System. The feasibility study assisted Togo to determine the realistic goals of the national PRTR system that would address national needs and environmental priority concerns. Currently Togo is defining priority tasks, such as the development of emission factors applicable in the African context, necessary to advance towards the PRTR development.

In addition, Chad, Burundi, Kenya and Yemen are in the process of developing a National Chemicals Management Database as part of their projects on Strengthening Integrated Chemicals Management for Effective SAICM Implementation.

Latin America

In 2002 the Government of Chile, through its National Environment Commission (CONAMA) and with the support of Environment Canada and UNITAR, initiated a process to promote the establishment of a national PRTR in Chile (2002-2005). A key outcome of this process was the National PRTR Proposal that included complete specifications of the national PRTR system. In the course of the project CONAMA developed PRTR regulations, agreed on an institutional structure of the PRTR, and defined its administrative role, as well as the procedures for transferring information from sectoral agencies. All national activities in Chile were implemented with the active participation of civil society. Additionally, the project included a parallel initiative to strengthen NGO capacities to enable their substantial participation. At present, Chili is implementing its PRTR system. The first reporting year will be 2008.

In the Latin American region, Ecuador, Panama and Chile are in the process of developing a strategy for the integration of the data, generated by the Mercury Emission Inventory into the existing or future national PRTRs.

In addition, some initial actions were initiated to support the development of a Central American regional PRTR system in collaboration with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), UNITAR and USEPA. Stakeholder involvement will be a critical project component.

Global

It is expected that in late 2008 UNITAR in close collaboration with UNEP will launch a GEF-supported Global PRTR Project on POPs monitoring, reporting and information dissemination using PRTRs.

This global pilot project will demonstrate the value of using PRTRs as a monitoring and reporting system for POPs at the country level in three countries in the LAC region, two countries in the CEE region and two countries in Asia, as well as at the regional level involving five Central American countries.

PRTR Virtual Classroom under the Aarhus Convention

UNITAR completed a pilot phase of a Virtual Classroom on PRTRs, with the support of the Government of the Netherlands. The Virtual Classroom facilitates and supports information exchange and communication concerning the development of national PRTR systems and provides a forum for sharing experience and knowledge on PRTRs. Registered participants benefit from access to an ongoing open forum, where queries can be registered, documents posted and chats maintained. In addition, more limited discussion groups on specific issues can be formed. An example is found in the discussion group entitled "PRTR Protocol Guidance Forum", intended to support the preparation of a draft guidance document for implementation of the UNECE’s Kiev Protocol on PRTRs.

PRTR Design and Implementation under the Stockholm Convention

UNITAR is also available to assist countries with PRTR design and implementation as part of their Stockholm Convention implementation efforts. For more information, please click here.

Participation in Regional PRTR Workshops

Regional PRTR Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean

This workshop, held in Mexico City, brought together representatives from South, Central and North America and from the Caribbean, facilitated information exchange on PRTRs in the region and connected interested countries with potential donors. The workshop was organised by UNEP in collaboration with UNITAR, and supported by Environment Canada. Representatives from industry, government and NGOs had the opportunity to listen to lessons learnt in countries with experience in PRTR development, and were able to obtain further information from an exhibition booth on PRTRs run by UNITAR. Several countries approached UNITAR to request support for developing a PRTR system.

Regional PRTR Workshop for ASEAN Countries

A Regional Workshop on PRTRS for ASEAN Countries was held in Penang, Malaysia, with the goal of exploring the feasibility of developing PRTRs in the region. A UNITAR representative attended the workshop as an observer, introduced the PRTR concept, and outlined UNITAR’s methodology for PRTR development. The meeting succeeded in raising awareness of the need for systematic data on emissions, providing an overview of the status of PRTRs in the region, and identified the main needs and challenges regarding implementation of PRTRs. The workshop was organised by UNEP and received support from University Sains Malaysia, and the Canadian POPs fund.