Asbestos Legislation and Global Ban Implementation
topic
Over 65 countries including all EU member states, UK, Australia, Japan, and South Korea have implemented complete asbestos bans covering all six mineral types; the EU banned all asbestos from 2005, prohibiting manufacture, use, import, and extraction; the International Labour Organisation Convention 162 promotes safe management while the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent applies to chrysotile trade between signatory countries with over 2 million annual deaths attributable to historical asbestos exposure.
Role
Defines the international regulatory framework governing asbestos elimination from commerce, trade restrictions on remaining chrysotile use in non-ban countries, legal obligations for legacy asbestos management in buildings and infrastructure, and the global public health burden that motivates accelerated asbestos elimination and safe substitute fibre development programmes.