Summary
On Tuesday morning, the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions convened jointly in plenary to hear reports from contact groups. Rotterdam Convention COP 8 then convened to consider issues including listing of chemicals in Annex III to the Convention. Contact groups on budget and BC compliance met in parallel to plenary.
A contact group on SC compliance met during the lunch break.
In the afternoon, Basel Convention COP 13 convened in plenary to consider matters related to the implementation of the Convention, including technical matters, partnerships and compliance. Contact groups on synergies, BC Compliance, and technical assistance and financial resources met into the evening.
Side events were held during lunch on: electronic report systems of the BC and SC; how the BC could support implementation of regional conventions on transboundary movements on hazardous waste; and how multilateral environmental agreements address environmental concerns. In the evening, side events included a screening of the film “Death by Design” and sessions on paraquat and on cooperation between the World Trade Organization (WTO) and BRS Conventions.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided digital coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the 2017 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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Morning Plenary
View of the dais during the morning plenary
Felix Tchabi, Benin
Silvija Kalniņš, Latvia, Co-Chair of the open-ended Contact Group to develop a way forward on enhancing effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention
Suzana Andrejevic Stefanovic, Serbia
Khidir Gibril Musa, Sudan
Ertan Öztürk, Turkey
Wilfredo Roldan, the Philippines
Marit Espevik Randall, Norway
Olubunmi Olusanya, Nigeria
Natalia Kostenko, Russian Federation
Juan Carlos Lliquin Criollo, Ecuador
Oleksandr Kravchuk, Ukraine
Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla, Senegal
Meriel Watts, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia-Pacific
Andrew Dettmer, IndustriALL
Monique Perron, US
Andy Hedgecock, CropLife International
Delegates applaud the adoption of the 50th chemical listed under the Rotterdam Convention
Contact Groups Throughout the Day
Contact Group on Basel Convention Compliance
Budget Group
Contact Group on Stockholm Convention Compliance
Afternoon Plenary
View of the dais during afternoon plenary
Marco Buletti, Switzerland
Dong Yao, China
Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President
Francis Kihumba, Kenya
Shunsuke Kudo, Japan
Jacinthe Séguin, Canada, Co-Chair of the Contact Group on Basel Convention Technical Matters
Delegates applaud the adoption of various decisions
Side Events Throughout the Day
Panel speakers for the side event titled 'Making connections: InforMEA' hosted by UN Environment and co-organized with the BRS Secretariat
Panel speakers for the side event titled 'How could the Basel Convention support implementation of regional conventions on transboundary movement of hazardous waste?' hosted by UN Environment, Secretariats of the Bamako and Waigani Conventions, Basel Convention Regional Centre (BCRC)-South Africa, BCRC-Senegal, Basel Convention Coordinating Center (BCCC)-Nigeria, and the BRS Secretariat
Civil Society Demonstration
Members of the Global Asbestos Action Alliance demonstrate against the use of asbestos
Phillip Hazelton, Rajendra Pevekar, and Siti Kristina share their experiences with asbestos
Members of Global Asbestos Action Alliance present Franz Perrez, Rotterdam Convention COP 8 President, with a petition of 7000 signatories from more than 100 countries, calling for action on listing chrysotile asbestos and support for amendments to the Convention proposed by 12 African countries to break the veto of any single country to block listing
Around the Venue
Members of IPEN hold a demonstration urging delegates to take concrete action during the negotiations
Delegates from Saudi Arabia
Delegates from Singapore
Delegates from Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis
Delegates from Burundi
Delegates between sessions
Media teams film the negotiations
Jane Stratford, UK, speaks with delegates
