UNITED NATIONS

The third round of negotiations on a legally-binding treaty, which aims at restricting the use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides, was held in Nairobi in the last week of May. The meeting was jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The proposed treaty will allow governments to halt the entry of chemicals that they cannot improve the national-level management of agricultural and industrial chemicals which are dangerous to human health or environment. According to FAO small farmers in developing countries face considerable
threat of acute pesticide poisoning.
Elizabeth Dowdeswell, executive
Director of UNEP, says that the new treaty will
provide a safety net to prevent the
recurrence of tragic accidents of the kind that
Have occurred in the past.

The UN Development Programme has
announced a US $500 project to help Botswana safeguard its
Environmental resources and ecosystems by strengthening its National Conservation Agency. The project aims at improving community participation in the management of natural resources and wetlands and help the country implement global environment agreements.