On Thursday, 26 October 2017, the thirteenth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC-13) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade concluded its work, a day ahead of schedule, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), Rome, Italy.

In plenary in the morning, the Committee heard a report from the contact group on phorate, and established a drafting group to finalize the rationale. The Committee agreed that CRC-14 would meet in Rome from 10-14 September 2018, back-to-back with the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC). They took note of information from the Secretariat on activities to facilitate effective participation.

In the afternoon, the Committee met and agreed to the draft decision recommending the listing of phorate in Annex III of the Convention, and adopted the report of the meeting. In closing statements, Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, BRS Secretariat, commended the Committee for setting new standards in terms of efficiency, and welcomed the important strides made at the meeting. Bill Murray, FAO, Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam Convention, lauded the experts for successfully recommending the listing of two pesticides and one industrial chemical, and thanked outgoing CRC Chair Jürgen Helbig for his dedication and support of the Committee’s work.

In recognition of Chair Helbig’s contribution, Magdalene Frydrych (Poland) presented him with a gift of appreciation from the Committee. Interim CRC Chair Noluzuko Gwayi (South Africa) thanked members and observers for raising probing questions during the session, noting that these will improve the Committee’s work going forward.

Chair Helbig gavelled the meeting to a close at 5:41 pm.