Indonesia Formally Ratified Rotterdam Convention and Nagoya Protocol
Indonesia has formally ratified the Rotterdam Convention and the Nagoya Protocol on 8 May 2013 through the adoption of Act No. 10 of 2013 and Act No. 11 of 2013 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
“The passing of the Act (Act No. 11 of 2013) is an important step in Indonesia’s commitments to protect biodiversity. The ratification of the Rotterdam Convention is important to allow us to take part in regulating the circulation of hazardous chemicals and pesticides,” said Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya in Jakarta on Wednesday .
Act No. 11 of 2013 is the law on the ratification of the Nagoya Protocol on Access Certification in Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing Fair and Balanced Arising From Usage.
In the meantime, Act No. 10 of 2013 is the law on the ratification of the Rotterdam Convention on the Basic Procedure Informed Consent for Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade Specific.
Furthermore, Balthasar stated that the trade of hazardous chemicals and pesticides may be important for development, but it needs to be regulated to protect the public.
“Do not let this place be a landfill for other countries’ trash or wastes. Our interests in becoming a Party are to have equal rights and to obtain shared information (on the circulation of hazardous chemicals and pesticides) in order to protect the nation from the impact of those hazardous materials,” he said.
The instruments of ratification will be formally submitted to the depository—or the Secretary General of the United Nations—in New York in September this year. The Convention will come into force for Indonesia 90 days after the date of the deposit.
Indonesia has signed the Rotterdam Convention on 11 September 1998. As of now, the Convention has been ratified by 152 other countries.
