In 1986, a questionnaire covering all the Articles of the Code
of Conduct was launched to prepare a detailed baseline study,
in five geographical regions namely: Africa, Asia and Pacific,
Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Near East Region.
The basic objectives of this FIRST questionnaire were to
gather reliable information on the status of implementation
of each provision of the Code, in each Member Country;
at about the time the Code was approved by the Conference (pre-Code situation) and to establish a computerized database. The intention was to use such information as a basis for measuring the future impact of the Code on the safety and efficiency in the use and control of pesticides world-wide. This was to be done through monitoring of the extent of observance of the Code by governments, by the pesticides industry, by users of pesticides and by other parties concerned.
In 1993, a similar questionnaire was sent again to governments to evaluate the progress made in implementing the Code in each country. The FIRST questionnaire was a "mirror-image" of the Code and sought to determine the extent of observance of each provision of the Code, while the SECOND one contained 144 questions (slightly more than the FIRST one in order to accommodate PIC), arranged according to the Articles of the Code. The basic objectives of the SECON questionnaire were to determine the degree and nature of any changes that had occurred during the approximately seven-year period between the time of completion of the FIRST and SECOND Questionnaires and to judge which aspects needed further attention.
The analytical study entitled “Analysis of Government Responses to the Second Questionnaire on the State of Implementation of the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides” was published by Plant Protection Service, Pesticide Management Unit (updated 15 December 1998). It stated that Similar information will be collected at appropriate intervals in order to monitor future developments including identification of specific areas (e.g., regulations, standards, responsibilities, policies, practices, etc.) requiring further attention or higher priority and follow-up by governments, international organizations, technical assistance agencies, the pesticide industry, environmental non-governmental organizations, other organizations, users of pesticides or by the public in general.
Hence, a comprehensive and adapted copy of the questionnaire was sent to each of the Near East Region’s countries in July to compile detailed information and progress made in the area of pesticide registration, use, management, control, enforcement of regulation and implementation of international conventions with direct operational implication for pesticides in the Region.
The purpose of the third questionnaire is to compile detailed information and progress made since 1993/94 survey, in the area of pesticide registration, use, management, control, enforcement of regulation and implementation of international conventions with direct operational implication for pesticides. This questionnaire contains three parts: the implementation of the code of conduct, the status of international policy instruments, and the actual pesticide consumption in each country.
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