IWMD 2023 Liverpool MAVS Update On Asbestos Trade And Legislation
John Flanagan from Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group (MAVS) spoke at the event at the Racquest Club in Chapel Street, Liverpool.
He advised attendees of the need to ensuring appropriate and timely financial support to the families of those suffering from Mesothilioma due to exposure to Asbestos at work, and of the of the threat to asbestos related legislation and major health & safety legislation as a result of the Governments intention to abolish all existing EU legislation from the UK' statute book.
This could aslo include even the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974.
John's main focus was on an amendment to the Rotterdam Convention 2023 aimed at getting Asbestos listed as a 'toxic substance' and to fight for reform to the rules that govern asbestos trade. This would mean that exporters of asbestos would be required to label their product with an End User Warning about asbestos.
The amendment from Australia's global justice organisation was moved at the Convention held in Rotterdam. The organisation, Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA, is based in Australia and was established in 1984.
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA’s international program has developed from a rights based approach, with a focus on solidarity, not charity. Their work aims to build self-reliance through support to educational and training projects for workers and their organisations.
As the global justice organisation of the Australian trade union movement, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA works to support stronger union and social movements in thirteen locations in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Southern Africa.
Rotterdam 2023: List asbestos as a toxic substance
Here is his short speech to the floor of the Convention by Phillip Hazelton, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA’s asbestos campaign coordinator. APHEDA is proud to work alongside those in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia who are advocating an end to asbestos use in their countries:
"Chrysotile asbestos has been recommended for listing by the CRC for nearly 18 years.
It meets all criteria for listing.
Why has important information on this toxic substance not been provided to importing countries in all this time? For us, it is an example of the failure of this convention in meeting its objectives.
According to International Labour Organization/World Health Organization, asbestos kills more than 200,000 people every year, mostly workers. This is probably the most scientifically studied toxic substance in history. The toxicity of chrysotile asbestos is not in dispute anywhere, by independent scientists. Safer alternatives are readily available and widely in use around the world. We all know this.
In Australia, we are still suffering 4000 deaths a year, from asbestos exposure.
My organisation, the international global justice organisation of the Australian trade union movement, works on occupational health and workers’ rights programmes, supporting our partners in 15 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific.
Seeing so many of our friends and colleagues die from asbestos diseases in my country for so many decades, we are appalled at the continued exposure to chrysotile asbestos occurring across these regions, particularly Asia. This use of chrysotile asbestos in manufacturing, especially without information as to its toxic nature being provided to governments by exporting countries, is a tragedy. So often in Asia this manufacture is in circumstances of absolutely no health and safety regulations, no waste disposal regulations and very high levels of exposure.
Information to Parties in all regions is crucial to help them make decisions on chemical management to protect workers.
We plead with all parties to list chrysotile asbestos at this COP11.
Thank you Madam President."
Below is John Flanagan's speech on behalf of the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group at the meeting in Liverpool on IWMD 2023:
Update: The convention rejected the proposals from Union Aid Abroad, as they have done for many years in the past.
