It aims to stamp out the use of pesticides banned or restricted in the rich countries but still widely used in developing nations without adequate health and environmental protection.

The so-called Rotterdam Convention was approved in 1998, but required ratification by 50 countries to acquire the force of international law.

The convention, which has the support of the European Union and the United States, aims to promote shared responsibility between exporting and importing nations to protect human health and the environment.

The convention states that hazardous chemicals and pesticides may not be exported unless explicitly agreed by the importing country.

"This treaty will enable developing countries to avoid many of the mistakes made in the richer countries, where the misuse of chemicals and pesticides has too often harmed or killed people or damaged the environment," said Klaus Toepfer, director of the United Nations Environment Program.

The treaty also aims to build the capacity of developing countries to handle toxic chemicals safely.

Under the treaty, hazardous products must be properly labelled and accompanied with detailed information about potential risks to health and the environment.

However, some environmental experts warn that attempts to control the trade in dangerous chemicals would not prevent the smuggling of such products.

Jacques Diouf, the director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said pesticides would continue to be used because of the increasing need for food, but the treaty would enable countries to minimize risks, such as the use of dangerous pesticides by small farmers without the facilities for handling them.

The convention lists 27 chemicals that cannot be exported without prior consent, but 15 others were likely to be added when the countries that signed the treaty meet in Geneva in September.

In a joint statement, the FAO and UNEP said 70,000 chemicals are available on the market and around 1,500 new products are added every year.

"This poses a major challenge to many governments that must attempt to monitor and manage these potentially dangerous substances," the statement said.

"Many pesticides that have been banned or whose use has been severely restricted in industrialized countries are still marketed and used in developing countries."

Products covered by the treaty include a controversial organochlorine pesticide called Lindane, which is being phased out in the European Union because of its toxic and suspected carcinogenic and hormonal effects, but which is still widely used in developing countries.

TERRA.WIRE