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The federal government is refusing to reveal what position it will take on listing the chrysotile variety of asbestos on the world's list of most hazardous substances at a UN-sponsored meeting this week in Rome.

The Canadian stand is considered key at the talks, which begin Monday, after Ottawa led efforts to block the listing at the last round of the negotiations two years ago.

“Government officials are continuing internal consultations in preparation for the meeting,” said Daniel Barbarie, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs, who would not elaborate on what that meant about the Canadian position.

The negotiations, known as the Rotterdam Convention, are also looking at two other items: the pesticide endosulfan, and tributyltin, an anti-fouling agent.

All three substances have been vetted by scientific experts to verify that they pose major human health or environmental dangers.

Mr. Barbarie said he did not know Canada's position on the other compounds.

Chrysotile is the only type of asbestos still sold on the world market and is mined in Quebec, where it supports about 700 jobs.

Because of health and litigation concerns within Canada, about 95 per cent of Quebec's output is exported, mainly to developing countries.

The World Health Organization considers it and all other kinds of asbestos to be cancer-causing materials, and estimates they lead to about 100,000 premature deaths a year.

Canada's role in promoting the carcinogen has become increasingly controversial, both within the country and internationally.

The federal government, while acknowledging that chrysotile causes cancer, has issued statements saying it is a less potent carcinogen than other types of the mineral and can be safely used if proper precautions are taken.

Health Canada has commissioned a panel of independent health experts to look at the dangers of chrysotile, but is refusing to release the group's findings, which were completed in March.

Last week, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a stinging editorial in which it condemned what it expected would be the government's continuing opposition to the hazardous-substance listing.

A group of health professionals in Quebec also issued a public call last week for the federal government to change its position, arguing that it is damaging the province's international reputation.

“Quebec is getting a very bad image in the rest of the world because of the fact that it's defending the selling of chrysotile,” said Dr. Pierre Auger, a professor of preventative medicine at Laval University in Quebec City.

Critics also say that Canada, if it scuttles the proposed listing, risks undermining the convention.

Canada was the only developed country opposing it at the last meeting, but was supported by other producers, such as Zimbabwe and Russia.

Items placed on the list are not banned, so Canada would be able to continue exporting the mineral.

But once chrysotile were listed, importing countries would be required to give informed consent that they are aware of the material's hazards before shipments would be allowed.

Compounds are listed by consensus, which allows any country with objections to stop action. Chrysotile is the first on which agreement has not been reached.

The convention was established to prevent advanced Western countries from dumping highly dangerous materials on unsuspecting developing countries.

There are worries the controversy over chrysotile may damage the convention by leading to the development of two lists of highly dangerous substances. One would include those items with international agreement, the other those items whose listing is opposed by countries with financial interests in their continuing production.

Kathleen Ruff, co-ordinator of the Rotterdam Convention Alliance, an activist group, said Canada will play a critical role at the talks.

If it changes its position, she said, the other countries opposing listing will probably drop their objections.