European lobbists are trying to change the position of russia concerning chrysotile asbestos use
From October 14 till October 15 in Moscow took place a conference » Hazardous chemical substances: the national and international tools of politics and practice», which was held by noncommercial organization «Eco-accord» and a network of non- governmental organizations » Women in Europe for a Common Future «(WECF). The basic attention was planned to be given to questions of handling chemical substances included and planned for inclusion into the list of Rotterdam Convention.
In 2011, the next conference of the parties of Rotterdam Convention will be held, where the question of inclusion of chrysotile asbestos into the list of dangerous substances will be put into the agenda. Now we see the informational and organizational preparation, which consists in formation of necessary public opinion for changing the official position of Russian Federation at the international level, concerning chrysotile asbestos use. That activity at the territory of Russia is being carried out by non- governmental organizations, financed by European governmental structures, interested in the removal of chrysotile asbestos from the global market of industrial fibres.
Since 2004, the attempts were regularly undertaken by international anti-asbestos lobby to include chrysotile into the list of hazardous substances. But, as a result of each voting, a number of the countries steadily acts against adoption of that, scientifically unreasonable, decision. Such attempts keep on going , and in 2011, voting in next time on the offer of chrysotile inclusion in the Annex №3 of Rotterdam Convention will be put again, what, as a matter of fact, makes impossible international trade by the substances, included into it.
In order to affect public opinion, the organizers of Moscow conference, neglecting the scientific data, were intentionally trying to mislead public opinion, not differentiating between the completely different forms of chrysotile asbestos and amphibole asbestos. Cноска 1“Global plan of action on workers’ health 2008-2017 WHA.60.26. p.10 determines holding “… global campaigns for elimination of asbestos –related diseases -bearing in mind a differentiated approach to regulating its different forms”.
Moreover for increase of supposed authority of the planned event the organizing committee of the conference went even on a facts garbling and a crude forgery.
The list of declared speakers did not correspond to the validity. The ambassadors of Germany, France, Portugal. have ignored the conference.
Moreover, despite of the organizers’ assurances, there was no a single representative of the Government of Russian Federation at the conference. The organizers consciously went to a distortion of the planned agenda of the conference. So, instead of discussion of a pesticides problem, as was declared in the program, the conversation unexpectedly for attendees has turned to about a chrysotile asbestos ban . Though the majority of experts from Russian Federation came to discuss the pesticides problem, according to their own words. There were practically no specialists at the conference who had experience in chrysotile asbestos studies, in connection with that it is difficult to understand why that event was called “expert”. In the text of the resolution appeared on the English web site of “Women of Europe for Common Future” was mentioned that that resolution had been prepared in collalaboration with the Federal service consumers’ rights protection and human well-being surveillance (Rospotrebnadsor), though there were no representatives of Rospotrebnadsor in attendance. The motives of the conference organizers who released so low-standard, but easily checked lies are not clear.
But even formal reasons for the benefit of the Convention, which have sounded at the conference were rather questionable.
Till now, there was no any reliable scientific medical reasons submitted, justifying reference of chrysotile to the same class with the most dangerous pesticides and chemical substances. The results of latest studies confirm, that chrysotile is one of safest among existing natural and man- made industrial fibres (Convention concerning safety in the use of asbestos №162 and Recommendation concerning safety in the use of asbestos №172). Convention establishes a ban only for amphibole asbestos. As for chrysotile a controllable use approach is defined.
Chrysotile in comparison with other substances which are on the PIC list, have been widely used in the CIS countries for more than 100 years already, and in comparison with many other substances and materials its use in various industries was not the reason of mass distribution of different diseases, its products meet all sanitary — hygienic norms and requirements. Moreover, many countries of the world, in which up to 80 % of all population of the globe lives, are widely using chrysotile asbestos in various industries and adhere to the politics of controllable use, in contrast to the European Union countries.
The International Alliance of Trade Union Organizations Chrysotile strongly objects to inclusion of chrysotile asbestos into the «black» list of Rotterdam Convention, as it can have the extremely negative consequences for a socio- economic situation of a number of the countries and 500 thousand workers of chrysotile industry, their families and residents of monocities.