Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COP)

UPDATE: At 3:46 am, the BRS Conventions COPs closed.

UPDATE: At 3:02 am, the joint sessions of the COPs reconvenes to discuss the budget.

UPDATE: At 1:59 am, the Basel Convention COP adopts the Programme of the Open-Ended Working Group. At 2:00 am, the Basel Convention COP suspends and parties wait for the budget before reconvening the joint session of the COPs.

UPDATE: At 1:24 am, Rotterdam Convention COP7 is unable to achieve consensus to list trichlorfon in Rotterdam Convention Annex III, as one country opposes adoption of the decision. Further consideration of this issue will be deferred to COP8.

UPDATE: At 1:19 am, Basel Convention COP discusses the Work Programme of the Open-ended Working Group, before suspending the COP.

UPDATE: At 00:48 am, Basel Convention COP12 adopts technical guidelines on e-waste.

UPDATE: At 00:00 am, The BRS COPs lose interpretation and continue working in English. Basel Convention COP12 discussions of e-waste technical guidelines continue in plenary.

UPDATE: At 11:45 pm, Stockholm Convention COP7 suspended; Basel Convention COP12 resumes with discussion of e-waste technical guidelines.

UPDATE: At 11:11 pm, Stockholm Convention COP7 votes to list PCP and its salts and esters in Annex A, with 90 in favor, 2 against, and 8 abstaining.

UPDATE: At 10:47 pm, following a single country’s objections to listing PCP in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, Switzerland calls for a vote. Delegates vote on whether to take a vote on listing.

UPDATE: At 8:52 pm plenary resumed with consideration of compliance and listing of chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention. COP7 agreed to defer consideration of fenthion and paraquat to COP8.

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The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) COPs convened on Friday, 15 May for its final day. In the morning, all three conventions convened separately and adopted several decisions on technical assistance and financial resources. A joint session of the three COPs also convened and adopted decisions on credentials and other items. Plenary then suspended at 11:38 am to allow parties time to consult in contact groups on compliance and budget and in informal consultations on other outstanding issues.

In the afternoon, each convention and the joint session of the three COPs again convened at 4:10 pm. Delegates to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions discussed the listing of chemicals. The Basel Convention COP considered the e-waste technical guidelines. Plenary was suspended at 5:58 pm to allow time for further consultations.

The meetings of the Conferences of Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions continued on Thursday, 14 May 2015, with plenary sessions convening in the afternoon and evening. Following reports from the contact groups, delegates addressed issues associated with each of the Conventions, including, inter alia, matters related to implementation of the Rotterdam Convention (RC); international coordination and cooperation; the programme of work and budget; matters related to implementation of the Basel Convention (BC); and matters related to implementation of the Stockholm Convention (SC). They agreed to list PCNs in annexes A and C of the Convention.

Contact groups on budget and technical assistance and financial resources met in the morning and afternoon, and contact groups on budget and SC compliance convened in the evening.

At lunch, a side event was held on: “IOMC Toolbox: Resources from international organizations to assist countries with the sound management of chemicals - Linking science to policies, legislation, and practice.” Two side events were held in the evening: “Building partnerships with universities for online education” and “Chemical Leasing - Sustainable Chemical's Service Solutions.”

The meetings of the Conferences of Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions continued on Wednesday, 13 May 2015. Delegates reconvened in the morning in a joint session of the three COPs to hear reports from contact groups. The Rotterdam Convention (RC) COP then met in the morning and afternoon to address issues including listing chemicals in Annex III, strategic issues, and other matters. The RC COP decided to list methamidophos in Annex III.

Contact groups met throughout the day to address issues including: BC legal matters; technical assistance and financial resources; budget; and listing of chemicals under the RC. A “Friends of the President” group met with BC President Jagusiewicz to discuss a possible way forward on the number of translation days for meetings of the OEWG, an issue within the remit of the BC strategic matters contact group. A “Friends of the Co-Chairs” group met throughout the day on compliance under the RC, and in the late afternoon, the contact group on this issue reconvened.

During lunch, participants attended side events on “Asbestos – who pays the cost? Testimonies and dialogue” and “Considering socio-economic impacts of chemicals and waste management; protecting vulnerable groups from hazardous pesticides and waste.” In the evening, side events included “Labour Unions and Chrysotile: International experience” and a screening of the movie “E-waste Tragedy.”

The meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences of the Parties (COPs) continued on Tuesday, 12 May 2015. In the morning, plenary heard reports from the contact groups before continuing with the agenda of the Rotterdam Convention (RC), including rules of procedure for the COP, non-compliance, and consideration of chemicals for inclusion in Annex III. In the afternoon, the Basel Convention (BC) COP reconvened to address matters related to the implementation of the convention and to adopt the meeting report.

Contact groups met throughout the day and into the night on: BC technical matters, BC legal matters, BC strategic matters, technical assistance and financial resources, budget, RC non-compliance and RC listing of chemicals.

Delegates were also invited to attend side events on a range of issues, including: “A Rapid Response Assessment. Waste Crime - Waste Risks: Gaps in meeting the global waste challenge”; “Paraquat: New insights on risks and alternatives”; “UNECE tools and good practices for preventing industrial accidents, especially those with transboundary consequences”; and the launch of “Gender Heroes: from grassroots to global action.”

The meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences of the Parties (COPs) continued on Monday, 11 May. In the morning, plenary heard reports from contact groups on: legal matters under the Basel Convention (BC); BC technical matters; technical assistance and financial resources; and cooperation and coordination. BC COP12 discussed matters related to the implementation of the convention, while contact groups on BC technical matters and budget also met in the morning.

As the contact groups on cooperation and coordination, BC technical matters, and technical assistance and financial resources continued their work over lunch, side events explored combating illegal traffic under the BC, and outcomes and outlook for the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment.

In the afternoon, plenary was suspended to allow delegates to work in contact groups on: BC technical matters, BC legal matters and budget. Other contact groups worked in the evening on Stockholm Convention compliance, BC strategic matters and coordination and cooperation.

Side events were held in the evening on: the first global e-waste monitor and the specific situation in the Latin American region; and ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention and the BC Amendment.

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.

The meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences of the Parties (COPs) met on Friday, 8 May 2015. In the morning, plenary heard reports on progress in the contact groups on: technical matters; technical assistance and financial resources; cooperation and coordination; listing of chemicals under the Stockholm Convention (SC); budget; and non-compliance under the Rotterdam Convention (RC). The Basel Convention (BC) COP reconvened to discuss issues related to implementation of the convention, including technical guidelines for electrical and electronic wastes (e-waste).

In the afternoon, SC COP8 reconvened to discuss draft decisions including on listing: polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in Annexes A and C; hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) in Annex A, with a decision for further work on listing HCBD in Annex C; and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in Annex A with a specific exemption for use in utility poles and crossarms.

A joint session of the three conventions met to discuss the draft report.

Throughout the day, the participants worked in several contact groups on: technical matters under the BC; technical assistance and financial resources; cooperation and coordination; budget; strategic matters under the BC; and non-compliance under the SC.

Several side events were held during the lunch break and in the evening, including on China’s actions toward a POPs-free future, implementation of the Bamako Convention and efforts to address e-waste management in developing and transition countries.

The Science Fair entered its second day and included a panel discussion on science for sustainable chemicals and waste management in the 21st Century.

The meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conferences of the Parties (COPs) reconvened on Thursday, 7 May 2015. In the morning, plenary heard reports on progress in the contact groups on: technical matters; technical assistance and financial resources; cooperation and coordination; listing of chemicals under the Stockholm Convention (SC); budget; and non-compliance under the Rotterdam Convention (RC). The SC COP convened in plenary throughout the day to address matters related to implementation of the convention.

Contact groups also met throughout the day to address: technical assistance and financial resources; technical matters; listing of chemicals under the SC; budget; RC non-compliance; and cooperation and coordination.

During lunch, many participants attended the opening of Science Fair, a three-day exhibit intended to: increase understanding of the scientific basis of the BRS Conventions; clarify the scientific processes established under the conventions for their effective implementation; and increase awareness and understanding of scientific considerations relating to decision-making under the three conventions.

The meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions reconvened on Wednesday, 6 May 2015 for the third day. In the morning, delegates heard reports from the contact groups on technical assistance and financial resources; coordination and cooperation; technical matters; and non-compliance in the Rotterdam Convention (RC).

The Stockholm Convention (SC) COP convened in plenary throughout the day, addressing matters related to implementation of the convention, including the listing of chemicals in Annex A, B or C, and measures to reduce or eliminate releases from intentional production and use.

Contact groups also met throughout the day to address issues including technical assistance and financial resources; technical matters; listing of chemicals; budget; RC non-compliance; and cooperation and coordination.

On Tuesday, 5 May, 2015, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions convened for the second day. In the morning, delegates met in a joint session of the three conferences of the parties (COPs) to discuss financial resources and non-compliance under the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions. The joint session established a contact group on technical assistance and financial resources. The contact group on technical matters under the Basel Convention also met during the morning.

During lunch, the side events area was a hub of activity. One event discussed linkages between human rights and hazardous wastes and substances. Several side events discussed issues related to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including the links between POPs and endocrine disrupting chemicals, alternatives to DDT and private sector engagement in POPs management.

In the afternoon, the joint session discussed international cooperation and coordination among other issues shared between the conventions. The contact groups for technical matters and technical assistance and financial resources met during the afternoon and the contact group on non-compliance under the Rotterdam Convention convened in the evening.

Basel Convention COP12, Rotterdam Convention COP7 and Stockholm Convention COP7 convened for its first day on Monday, 4 May 2015.

Welcoming participants in the morning, Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Secretariat underscored the importance of these meetings, saying that chemicals can now be found everywhere, even in Antarctica and the body of every human being. Clayton Campanhola, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Co-Executive Director of the Rotterdam Convention (RC), drew attention to the two pesticides, namely methamidophos and trichlorfon, and two severely hazardous pesticide formulations to be considered for listing in the Rotterdam Convention at this meeting, namely paraquat and fenthion. Saying that 2015 is “not a year like any other,” UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner highlighted the links between the BRS COPs and other processes, including the post-2015 development agenda and Financing for Development processes.

During the lunch break, delegates attended side events on the elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and how science, technology and innovation can tackle drivers of chemicals and waste, which focused on the lifecycle of plastic as a driver of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pollution.

In the afternoon, delegates continued their consideration of wastes containing or contaminated with POPs and established a contact group on the issue. Delegates then turned to technical and financial assistance under all three conventions and established a joint contact group to address the issues.

Delegates celebrated a successful first day at a reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland.