The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was adopted in 2001 with the following objective (Article 1):

Mindful of the precautionary approach as set forth in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the objective of this Convention is to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants.

Under Article 7 of the Convention, Parties are required to develop and endeavour to implement national implementation plans (NIPs). These NIPs are to be transmitted to the Conference of the Parties (COP) within two years of entry into force of the Convention for the transmitting Party. The Stockholm Convention is dynamic, in that Parties regularly add chemicals to the lists in Annexes A, B and/or C to the Convention. This has implications; NIPs addressing newly added chemicals are due within two years of the entry into force of the amendment which added them to the scope of the Convention. Parties are also required under Article 7 to review and update, as appropriate, their NIPs on a periodic basis.

Article 7 further calls on Parties, where appropriate, to “cooperate directly or through global, regional and subregional organizations, and consult their national stakeholders, including women’s groups and groups involved in the health of children, in order to facilitate the development, implementation and updating of their implementation plans.” Finally, Parties are to integrate their NIPs into their sustainable development strategies where appropriate.