Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

The meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences of the Parties (COPs) continued on Saturday, 9 May. In the morning, plenary heard report from contact groups on: Basel Convention (BC) strategic matters; BC technical matters; Stockholm Convention (SC) compliance; technical assistance and financial resources; coordination and cooperation; and budget. BC COP12 met in the morning to discuss the follow-up to the Indonesian-Swiss Country-Led Initiative, including the Ban Amendment and legal clarity. BC COP12 also discussed legal, compliance and governance matters.

During lunch, participants attended a side event on countering illegal trade of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). The Science Fair held an event on mainstreaming science in the sound management of chemicals and wastes.

In the afternoon, BC COP12 turned to scientific and technical matters, discussing amendments to the annexes of the convention, classification and hazard characterization of wastes and national reporting. On technical assistance, BC COP12 discussed the implementation of decision V/32 on the enlargement of the scope of the Trust Fund, and also the operations of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG). The contact groups on BC technical matters, and coordination and cooperation met in the afternoon.

At the reception that marked the end of the Science Fair, BRS Executive Secretary Rolph Payet emphasized that “this is not the conclusion of the science fair, but the beginning of the discussion of mainstreaming of science” in the BRS Conventions and beyond.