Obsolete pesticide stocks have accumulated in most of the world’s developing countries and economies in transition in recent decades. International organizations estimate that some 500,000 tons are stockpiled worldwide, about half of which are located in countries of the former Soviet Union.

Recognizing that developing countries and economies in transition would require capacity building to develop and address the challenge of eliminating or reducing the production of Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Stockholm Convention designated the GEF as its interim financial mechanism. To date, the GEF has provided some 136 countries funding for developing National Implementation Plans that describe how they will meet their obligations under the Stockholm Convention.