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

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.