Environment Minister David Anderson and Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut made the announcement in Iqaluit today. The Canada POPs Fund will be administered by the World Bank and will provide financial support to a variety of POPs-related projects which will be tailored for the specific needs of developing countries by the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Environment Facility and other multilateral organizations. This fund together with international agreement on the reduction of POPs will contribute to the protection of the health of Canadians and of the global population as well. Canada is playing a leading role in United Nations negotiations for a global agreement to reduce or eliminate releases of POPs. One essential element to its success will be donor countries addressing technical and financial assistance in a manner that responds to the identified capacity-building needs of developing countries.
Global cooperation is crucial to addressing the threats from POPs.
The Canada POPs fund is part of a global effort to reduce the emission of these dangerous substances and will help other countries to find safer alternatives to these pollutants. POPs are toxic substances that pose significant risks to the health of Canadians, particularly northern Aboriginal populations dependent on traditional foods. Even though Canada has banned or restricted their use, most POPs of concern are transported from foreign sources through the atmosphere into Canada, where they accumulate in the food chain. POPs are introduced into humans through the food chain, and some may be passed on from mother to child across the placenta and through breast milk. POPs are semi-volatile chemicals.