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During this virtual meeting, the Committee finalized its work on two industrial chemicals: decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds. The CRC agreed to recommend that the Conference of the Parties (COP) list both industrial chemicals in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. 

The online meeting featured robust discussions on what more the Basel Convention should do on plastic wastes, waste lead-acid batteries, and transboundary e-waste shipments.

This online technical session addressed the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) Replenishment Task Force’s (RTF) report on the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for 2021-2023, which is essential to the continued success of the Montreal Protocol in phasing out ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases.

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the platform that monitors the progress to achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at global, regional and national levels. It identifies challenges, shares lessons learned and searches for solutions. The 2020 HLPF will be held from 7 to 16 July 2020 under the theme “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.” Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions, this year’s HLPF will be entirely virtual. ENB is providing coverage of selected side events during the 2020 HLPF.

Given the considerable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human health and the global economy, this year’s meeting convened on the originally planned dates but was held virtually. The agenda was adjusted to focus on the potential impact of the pandemic on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Virtual event discusses role of smallholder farmers in promoting land restoration activities, with subsessions on: soils and the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration; soil organic carbon, and how smallholder farming communities benefit from carbon sequestration projects; and measuring progress on gender and land tenure. 

The Global Environment Facility Council's 58th meeting appointed a new CEO and Chairperson. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Costa Rica's Environment and Energy Minister, will lead the GEF, with Naoko Ishii leaving after eight years. The GEF Council also agreed a work program with resources totaling USD 645.4 million. The GEF Council met online for the first time due to COVID-19. 

While a face-to-face meeting was impossible, the UNFCCC held a series of virtual events to keep climate action and momentum alive. Several events related to the work of the constituted bodies, which are the bodies that focus on implementing various aspects of the Convention and the Paris Agreement. These technical bodies provided updates on their work and future plans.  

The 11th meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) convened for its first-ever digital edition under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The workshops were held with the objective of maintaining momentum on global discussions on oceans, and articulate key recommendations to important global ocean meetings, many of which have also been affected by the global pandemic.