IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future

The IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future is a 2006 statement by the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) outlining a commitment to achieve a 'Toxics-Free Future' by 2020. The declaration calls for the phase-out of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the adoption of the precautionary principle in chemical safety, and the implementation of 'polluter pays' and 'no data, no market' principles globally.

• The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) committed to achieving a 'Toxics-Free Future' by the year 2020, defined as a state where all chemicals are used and produced to eliminate significant adverse effects on the environment and human health, and where persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and equivalent chemicals no longer contaminate bodies, food, or environments.
• IPEN advocates for a fundamental reform of national chemical laws and policies worldwide, specifically calling for the integration of the precautionary principle—taking preventive action even when causal evidence is inconclusive—and the 'no data, no market' principle, which requires comprehensive hazard and exposure data for all chemicals on the market.
• The declaration demands the implementation of the 'polluter pays' principle through liability and compensation mechanisms, requiring chemical industries to cover the full costs of harms caused to human health and the environment, as well as the costs governments incur for chemical safety programs and the remediation of toxic spills and wastes.
• The document calls for the expansion and ratification of several international agreements, including the Stockholm Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, and the Basel Convention. Specifically, it urges the expansion of the Stockholm Convention's list of twelve POPs to include all chemicals with POPs characteristics and the expansion of the Rotterdam Convention's list to include hazards like chrysotile asbestos.
• IPEN emphasizes the need for a 'just transition' and special protections for vulnerable groups—including women, children, peasants, and indigenous communities—particularly in developing countries and economies in transition, during the phase-out of hazardous chemicals and dirty technologies.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2006). IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future. https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-joins-the-international-pops-elimination-network-in-adopting-the-ipen-dubai-declaration-for-a-toxics-free-future/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future. 2006. https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-joins-the-international-pops-elimination-network-in-adopting-the-ipen-dubai-declaration-for-a-toxics-free-future/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future |date=1 March 2006 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-joins-the-international-pops-elimination-network-in-adopting-the-ipen-dubai-declaration-for-a-toxics-free-future/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2006ipen, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2006}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/ciel-joins-the-international-pops-elimination-network-in-adopting-the-ipen-dubai-declaration-for-a-toxics-free-future/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }