African Group

The meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions concluded on Friday. In the morning, the high-level segment continued. Tim Kasten, UN Environment, reported from ministers roundtable discussions on the theme “A Future Detoxified: the Sound Management of Chemicals and Wastes.” Ministers, Vice-Ministers and Ambassadors then engaged in an interactive discussion. In the afternoon, the COPs adopted their outstanding decisions. Basel Convention COP13 President Mohammed Khashashneh noted that May 5, 2017 is the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Basel Convention. Closing the meeting, BRS Executive Secretary Rolph Payet and Rotterdam Convention Executive Secretary – Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) Bill Murray thanked delegates for their diligence and efforts to realize cooperation. The Basel Convention COP 13 gaveled to a close at 6:35 pm. The Rotterdam Convention COP 8 gaveled to a close at 6:39 pm. The Stockholm Convention COP 8 gaveled to a close at 6:40 pm. 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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. High-Level Segment Delegates gather in plenary for the High-Level Segment Tim Kasten, Deputy Director, Economy Division, UN Environment Moderator Juliette Foster, Broadcaster and Journalist Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland Ministerial Panel during the High-Level Segment Oppah Chamu Muchinguri, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Zimbabwe Khaled Fahmy, Minister of Environment, Egypt Carole Dieschbourg, Minister for the Environment, Luxembourg Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of the Congo Singappuli Premajayantha, Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy, Sri Lanka Noel Holder, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana Sydney Samuels, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Guatemala Arlette Sombo-Dibele, Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing, Central African Republic Etienne Didier Dogley, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Seychelles Sundus Omar Ali, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iraq Marcos Alegre, Vice Minister of Environmental Management, Peru Kare Chawicha Debessa, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Ethiopia Walter Garcia, Minister of Environment, Ecuador Nestor Batio Bassiere, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso Adalah Atteereh, Chairman, Environment Quality Authority, Palestine Mehmet Ceylan, Deputy Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Turkey Santiago Francisco Engonga Esono, Secretary of State, Ministry of Forests and the Environment, Equatorial Guinea Per Änquist, Ministry of the Environment and Energy, Sweden Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Closing Plenary COP Presidents and BRS Secretariat consult before the start of the closing plenary Sam Adu-Kumi, Stockholm Convention COP 8 President Franz Perrez, Rotterdam Convention COP 8 President Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President Delegates applaud the election of the new bureau Final negotiations take place among the Co-Chairs of the Contact Group on Technical Assistance and Financial Resources, the EU, Egypt, and India Fredrick Mupoti Sikabongo, Namibia Anne Daniel, Canada Mohsen Naziriasl, Iran Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan Lemnyuy Albun William Banye, Cameroon Francisco Fabian Saez, Argentina, speaking on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) Felix Wertli, Switzerland Serge Molly Allo'o Allo'o, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Pamela Miller, International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) James Mulolo, Basel Convention Regional Centre (BCRC)-South Africa Sarojeni Rengam, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific Bill Murray, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention - Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions BRS COPs family photo Around the Venue Delegates from Cambodia Delegates from the Marshall Islands Delegates from Saudi Arabia with Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Delegates from Switzerland and Liechtenstein Delegates from Australia Delegates from Argentina Nestor Batio Bassiere, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso, speaks with delegates Osvaldo Patricio Álvarez Pérez, Chile, incoming Rotterdam Convention COP 9 President, with Bill Murray, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention - FAO Mahamat Djimadingar, Chad Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President, conducts an interview Shankar Prasad, Nepal Delegates between sessions The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team covering the meeting (L-R): Annelies van Gaalen, South Africa; Tallash Kantai, Kenya; Jessica Templeton, US/UK; Yixian Sun, China; Jen Allan, Canada; Jonelle Jones, Trinidad and Tobago; and Kiara Worth, South Africa

The BRS Conventions COPs continued Tuesday. Meeting jointly in the morning, the COPs discussed: enhancing cooperation and coordination among the BRS Conventions; compliance; scientific and technical matters; and other matters. Contact groups were established on BC compliance and legal matters, SC compliance, and scientific and technical matters. During lunch, side events met to discuss work under the theme of “science to action” and the evolution of the science associated with understanding and identifying persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In the afternoon, the COPs met jointly to discuss the programme of work and budget and admission of observers. The COPs adopted a decision on the date and venue of the next COPs to occur in 2019. Then, Stockholm Convention COP8 met in plenary, discussing the rules of procedure, the effectiveness evaluation, listing of decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), short-chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) in the Stockholm Convention. The joint contact groups for technical assistance and financial resources, and synergies and joint issues met throughout the day. In the evening, contact groups on Stockholm Convention compliance and on scientific and technical matters. 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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Morning Plenary View of the dais during the morning plenary Franz Perrez, Rotterdam Convention COP 8 President Enrique Moret Hernandez, Cuba Momodou Jama Suwareh, the Gambia Shweta Narayan, IPEN Mohammed Abdelsalam Abdelhamid Esshahed, Egypt Delegates from Belarus Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President Ali Al-Dobhani, Yemen Anne Daniel, Canada Yocasta Valenzuela Arias, Dominican Republic Yousef Dougha, Libya Contact Groups Throughout the Day Contact Group on technical assistance and financial resources Contact Group on synergies and joint issues Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Sam Adu-Kumi, Stockholm Convention COP8 President Yvonne Ewang-Sanvincenti, BRS Conventions Secretariat Ardagul Alimkhanova, Kazakhstan Osvaldo Patricio Álvarez Pérez, Chile Teeraporn Wiriwutikorn, Thailand Christina Tolfsen, Norway Ertan Öztürk, Turkey Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network (BAN) Tai Pelli, International Indian Treaty Council Joe DiGangi, IPEN Side Events Throughout the Day Panel speakers for the side event titled 'From science to action', hosted by Nigeria, STAP/GEF and the BRS Secretariat Side event titled 'Evolution of the science associated with understanding and identifying PBTs & POPs' hosted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Basel Convention Regional Center (BCRC) - Egypt Special Event A special event is held to celebrate the success of the BCRC-Egypt programme highlighting the efforts made in 22 Arab states in North Africa and West Asia to implement the Basel Convention Moustafa Kamel Ahmed, Egypt, presents gifts of appreciation to Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President (left), and Tina Kajakoski, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland (right) Around the Venue Delegates watch proceedings from the gallery Delegates speak informally Members of the BRS Secretariat Members of the African Group gather in the evening The 'Geneva Bus' outside the venue showcases hazardous substances and provides information on how the Government of Switzerland has made efforts to reduce these substances Hazardous materials on display

The thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel Convention (BC COP13), eighth meeting of the COP to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP8), and eighth meeting of the COP to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP8) began in Geneva, Switzerland. Meeting jointly in plenary throughout the day, the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) COPs first heard opening statements. Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment noted that the BRS Conventions cover the “worst chemicals,” and drew linkages between the work of these COPs and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Minamata Convention. Delegates then adopted the agendas and organization of work for each of the COPs, and discussed coordination and cooperation among the BRS Conventions. The COPs established a joint contact group on the review of synergies arrangements. During lunch, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) hosted a side event discussing past and future programming for impact. The International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) held an event titled: “Toxic toy or toxic waste? Recycling POPs into new products.” In the afternoon, the COPs discussed matters related to the implementation of the Conventions, including international cooperation and coordination, technical assistance and financial resources. The COPs then established a joint contact group on technical assistance and financial resources. 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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Ceremony A yodelling performance opens the meeting Opening Plenary View of the dais during the opening plenary Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland Bill Murray, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention - Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment Ana Berejiani, Georgia, speaking on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group Francis Kihumba, Kenya, speaking on behalf of the African Group Francisco Fabian Saez, Argentina, speaking on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) Reginald Hernaus, EU Matt Cahill, Australia Felix Wertli, Switzerland Side Events Throughout the Day Side event titled 'Looking Back, Looking Forward - Programming for Impact' hosted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Side event titled 'Toxic toy or toxic waste? Recycling POPs into new products' hosted by the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Sam Adu-Kumi, Stockholm Convention COP8 President Chizuru Aoki, GEF Haendel Sebastián Rodríguez, Colombia Manoj Kumar Gangeya, India Jacob Duer, Principal Coordinator, Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention Jiří Hlaváček, UN Environment Alfredo José Perez Gonzalez, Venezuela Maryna Belavus, Belarus Fagamou Sy Diop, Senegal Obed Baloyi, South Africa, speaking on behalf of the African Group Evening Reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland Delegates attend the evening reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland Felix Wertli, Switzerland Bill Murray, Executive Secretary,  Rotterdam Convention - FAO Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Around the Venue Delegates gather for the start of plenary Delegates meet informally Delegates from Libya Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions, and Mohammed Khashashneh, Basel Convention COP 13 President Delegates speak between sessions A 'Toxic Toy Store' highlighting the range of childrens' toys that contain toxic substances

On Thursday, 6 April, the plenary of the third session of the Preparatory Committee on the elements of a draft text of an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (PrepCom 3) met throughout the day. Delegates continued discussions on environmental impact assessments, and then tackled capacity building and technology transfer, and cross-cutting issues, including institutional arrangements, monitoring, review, compliance and dispute settlement. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has providing daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the 3rd Session of the Preparatory Committee Established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 69/292 “Development of an International Legally Binding Instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.” Our summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Franz Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Cristóbal Hernández Castillo, Chile Maruthadu Sudhakar, India Duncan Currie, Greenpeace International Lydia Slobodian, IUCN Mamadou Diallo, Senegal L-R: Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Mexico; Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS; and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Rena Lee, Singapore, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology Juliette Babb-Riley, Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia Ismail Raushan Zahir, Maldives, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Marc Richir, EU Siai Taylor, Cook Islands Luke Roughton, New Zealand Dongmei Tang, China Paulo Chiarelli, Brazil Dilli Raj Ghimire, Nepal Tevita Suka Mangisi, Tonga Harriet Harden-Davies, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Aldo Alexandrow, Venezuela Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil Diedre Mills, Jamaica Carlos Garcia, Guatemala Alain Tellier, Canada Randy Bumbury, Guyana Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria Evan Bloom, US, in a conversation with Chair Carlos Sobral Duarte, Brazil Delegates from the African Group consulting L-R: Angel Horna, Peru; Derek Campbell, US; Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS; and Javier Gorostegui, Chile L-R: Maria Claudia Velez Crismatt, Colombia; Luis Orozco, Colombia; and Gina Guillén-Grillo, Costa Rica L-R: Anca Leroy, France, in conversation with Susan Whelan, the Holy See Delegates from the EU consulting