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Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC COP-3)
9-13 October 2006 | Geneva, Switzerland
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11 Oct
13 Oct &
Summary

Highlights for Wednesday, 11 October 2006

The PIC COP-3 met in plenary throughout the day, heard the budget contact group report and addressed synergies, technical assistance, information exchange, cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The non-compliance working group and the financial mechanisms contact group met throughout the day and into the evening. The synergies contact group convened in the afternoon. A Friends of the Chair Group also met at lunchtime and evening, to continue discussions on chrysotile asbestos.
Plenary
L-R: Maria Teriosina, COP-3 rapporteur; Maged Younes, Head of UNEP Chemicals; Yue Ruisheng, PIC COP-3 President; and Bill Murray, Secretariat.
Yue Ruisheng, PIC COP-3 President, encouraged parties to fully utilize the Convention's information exchange mechanisms.
Leena Ylä-Mononen, European Union (EU), asked the Secretariat to identify technical assistance needs in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
Georg Karlaganis, Switzerland, said cooperation with the WTO is crucial, highlighting the principles of no hierarchy between trade and environment, mutual supportiveness and deference.
On synergies, Nik Kiddle, New Zealand, urged participation in the ad hoc joint working group proposed by the Stockholm Convention during its second meeting.
Merja Turunen, Ministry of the Environment of Finland.
L-R: Anne O'Toole and Keith Christie, Canada.
As the 109th signatory, the delegation from the Democratic Republic of Congo, moved to take that place amongst the parties.

L-R: Albert Yoka and Benjamin Dzaba-Boungou, Ministry of Economics, Forests, and Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sheila Logan, Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, outlined continued cooperation with WCO.
Fragamou Sy Diop, Senegal, proposed using the Basel Convention Training Centre for customs officials' training.
Boris A. Kurlyandskiy, Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, spoke about Russian formalized customs procedures.
L-R: Maria Cristina Cárdenas and David Ogden, Stockholm Convention Secretariat
Non-Compliance Working Group
L-R: Denis Langlois, Foreign Affairs Canada; Masa Nagai, Secretariat; and Meera Laurijssen, Secretariat.
On measures, the group agreed on issuing a statement of concern regarding actual or possible future non-compliance. Parties generally preferred a closed list of measures.
On consensus on the open versus closed basis for the committee meetings, Carlos González, Venezuela, stressed the meetings should be closed unless the party whose compliance is in question agrees otherwise.
Ahmed Hareb Al-Bulushi, Ministry of Environment of Municipalities, Regional Environment and Water Resources of Oman, specified a deadline for the ineligibility of the non-compliant party to serve as COP President or Bureau member.
On periodicity of meetings, Shuichi Takano said Japan could not authorize budgetary allocations for compliance meetings at this point.
On measures, Nicola Notaro, European Commission, recommended that a non-compliant situation be remedied by the non-compliant party/parties.
Regarding alternative formulations on receiving information, Lee Eeles, Chemical Policy, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia, supported the formulation specifying the ways in which information should be received.
On examining systemic issues of general compliance, Song Dong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China, supported language stating that requesting relevant information should be “directed by the COP.”
Gonzalo Entenza, Argentina, noted the budgetary implications of requesting information.
On triggers, Mona Aarhus, Norway, supported party-to-party and Secretariat triggers.
Stephan Michel, Switzerland, proposed distinguishing between open sessions for systemic issues and closed ones on parties’ compliance.
L-R: Yuichi Nakayama and Kenta Mochizuki, Kobe University Research Institute on MEAs (KURIM)
L-R: David Omumbwa and Patience Mpondo, Conference Secretariat
L-R: Denis Langlois, Foreign Affairs Canada; in consultation with the Chinese delegation (Liu Guozhi and Song Dong)
L-R: Judy Beaumont and Zini Manana of Environment & Sustainable Development Cooperation, South Africa
Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers. L-R: Leila Mead, United States of America, and Xenya Cherny Scanlon, Russia.
Synergies Working Group
L-R: The Synergies contact group was co-chaired by Guillermo Valles, Permanent representative of Uruguay to UN in Geneva, and Jan-Karel B.H. Kwisthout, VROM.
Participants during the Synergies Working Goup
Osvaldo Alvarez, GRULAC coordinator, Chile
Jan-Karel B.H. Kwisthout, VROM
Atle Fretheim, Norway
Financial Working Group
Johan Wide, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
L-R: John Whitelaw, Secretariat, and Fransisca F. Katagira, Tanzania
Around the conference
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