They build up in the fat of game animals like polar bear, walrus and seals, staples of the Inuit diet. It was established in 1980 to collectively respond to rapid development and negative changes to the Arctic environment. Mandela, who endured more than two decades in jail for his crusade against white rule, has become an inspiration to indigenous rights activists around the globe. Former South African leader Nelson Mandela. INC 5 negotiations will focus on limitations on manufacture and use of POPs, national action plans, funding, technical assistance, exemptions for DDT, which is used to combat malaria, and stockpiles of obsolete or unwanted pesticides.
Negotiators hope to establish criteria identifying other POPs for elimination.
If all sides agree this week, a diplomatic conference to sign the treaty will take place in Stockholm in May 2001, followed by ratification and implementation. Watt-Cloutier said Mandela's role was vital to the Inuit. Due to Mandela s moral stature, his words could bring critical attention to the neglected issue of Arctic pollution, Watt-Cloutier said. If Nelson Mandela even glances toward the Inuit, so too will the world. Cloutier said the ultimate goal of the UN treaty is to stop environmental contaminants at their source.