Last week, a total ban on global trading of white asbestos moved closer, as all but four signatories to the Rotterdam Convention agreed to include the material on its hazardous chemicals list.
The Convention guarantees the right of governments to exercise “prior informed consent” to importation of materials that they consider could harm the health of their citizens.
Scandalously, Canada once again joined Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Vietnam in continuing to block the measure.
Commendably, for the first time, India backed it. However, this doesn’t mean the Indian government will halt construction of asbestos plants within the country itself.
See: http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10995