European Union

Highlights for Wednesday, 3 April 2019 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) awards certificate of recognition to countries committed to eliminating lead paint through joining the SAICM GEF Project. The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) entered its second day of work at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Wednesday, 3 April 2019. Plenary was held throughout the day, addressing: progress reports on achieving the 2020 goal of the sound management of chemicals; updates concerning SAICM's emerging policy issues (EPIs) and other issues of concern, which include: lead in paint; chemicals in products; hazardous substances within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products; nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants; perfluorinated chemicals; and highly hazardous pesticides; the implementation of the strategy to engage the health sector; issues regarding the financing of the Strategic Approach; and planned activities and draft budget of the SAICM Secretariat for the period 2019-2020.  Meeting in parallel were a Contact Group and an informal "Friends of the President" Group.  The Contact Group is considering the paper by the Co-Chairs of the Intersessional Process on SAICM beyond 2020, as well as views expressed during plenary, to develop recommendations towards the fifth ICCM (ICCM5) scheduled for 2020. The President's Group is holding informal, closed discussions on the need for an enabling framework beyond 2020, and identifying gaps not filled by SAICM. Both groups are to report on their work to plenary on Thursday.Highlights of the day included: the indication by many that the Secretariat should not spend resources on a traditional progress report for the 2017-2019 period to present to ICCM5, but instead suggest to the third Intersessional Process meeting later this year options for alternative ways of reporting progress; the presentation of an EU discussion paper on the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, providing some concrete recommendations that build on the Co-Chairs' Paper; the submission of a discussion paper by the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), supported by the African Group and many individual governments, on financial considerations, which includes a proposal to create an International Fund to implement the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste; praise for the World Health Organization's Chemicals Road Map and Global Chemicals and Health Network, with many calling for other organizations in the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) to follow WHO's example in their sectors. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat Suzanne Leppinen, and Tracey Spack, Canada Ram Charitra Sah, CEPHED, Nepal Javier Souza Casadinho, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Latin America Participants during plenary Dais during plenary Juergen Helbig, European Union (EU) Judith Torres, Uruguay Bob Diderich, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nana Janashia, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) Mariana Mihalcea, and Claudia Dumitru, Romania Ana Boischio, World Health Organization (WHO) Felix Wertli, Switzerland Djatougbe Aziaka, Association WELFARE Halshka Graczyk, International Labor Organization (ILO) Cheryl Eugene St Romain, Saint Lucia Tim Kasten, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Patricia Cameron, and Ralph Ahrens, Friends of the Earth, Germany Jan Janiga, Slovakia, Ivan Djurickovic, Serbia, Aita Sarr Seck, Senegal Paula Barrios, UN report writer Carmen Ciganda, Uruguay Christine Fuell, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Bikash Chetry, Toxics Link Olubunmi Olusanya, Nigeria, and Ali Seydou Moussa, Niger Jordi Pon, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Contact Group Side Event Around the Venue

Highlights for Wednesday, 3 April 2019 Delegates from the Federated States of Micronesia and Nauru in conversation with the US Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) finalized discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT) and began discussions on cross-cutting issues. Under the latter, they considered institutional arrangements, outlining positions on: •    the decision-making body/forum; •    scientific and/or technical bodies; •    other subsidiary bodies; and •    a secretariat.During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on: strengthening stewardship of the Sargasso Sea, presented by Canada and the Sargasso Sea Commission; BBNJ negotiations, intellectual property issues, and ongoing work at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), presented by WIPO; and the application of area-based management tools under the Regional Seas Programmes, presented by the UN Environment Programme.What comes first, form or function? This is the persistent question that plagues the BBNJ process, and it reared its head again on Wednesday during discussions on funding for CB&TT and institutional arrangements. One delegate strenuously asserted that function (deciding on institutional arrangements, including whether they operate on a global or regional level) follows form (deciding on what the institutions will do). For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); and Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS Amavaz Ghobadi Largroudi, Iran Chen Xin Yao, China Lorraine Faure, Seychelles Ramona Sladic, Canada Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States Estrella Tulay, the Philippines Sunan Rustam, Indonesia Natthakit Singto, Thailand Photos depicting ocean and coastal habitats Sylvain Kalsakau, Vanuatu Khurshed Alam, Bangladesh René Figueredo Corrales, Paraguay Parinda Ranasinghe, Sri Lanka Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo James Ndirangu Waweru, Kenya Carl Grainger, EU Informal Working Group on Cross-Cutting Issues Plenary session on the informal working group on cross-cutting issues Diedre Mills, Jamaica Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Margo Deiye, Nauru, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority L-R: Diedre Mills and Stephanie Forte, Jamaica L-R: Norhasalinda Mohd Salleh, Brunei; Jiraporn Wattanasophorn, Thailand; and Dhisadee Chamlongrasdr, Thailand Delegates from New Zealand

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019 Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister, Foreign Affairs, Uruguay; Jorge Basso, Minister, Public Health, Uruguay; Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning and Environment, Uruguay; Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat, and Tineka Smith, UN Environment The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) opened at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Tuesday, 2 April 2019. Delegates heard high-level addresses from Uruguay, Romania on behalf of European Union, and UN Environment Programme (UNEP), followed by opening statements by regional groupings, government delegates and other stakeholders. Most of the day was focused on the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020, starting with a brief recorded presentation by consultant Robert Nurick summarizing key points from the independent evaluation of SAICM for the period 2006-2015. Since the full evaluation will not be available until the end of April, the OEWG decided to defer detailed discussion until the third intersessional process (IP) meeting slated for October 2019. The OEWG then heard a presentation by IP Co-Chair David Morin on the paper on beyond 2020 prepared by the IP Co-Chairs,with an emphasis on areas of agreement involving possible principles, objectives, and targets for a SAICM 2.0 and/or post-2020 complementary framework, but also noting some disagreement about scope.The OEWG agreed to create a contact group to meet on Tuesday evening and Wednesday to discuss possible recommendations to ICCM5 scheduled for 2020, and a Friends of the President group to discuss possible elements of a post-2020 framework. Noting the departure of IP Co-Chair Letícia Reis de Carvalho (Brazil), the OEWG appointed Judith Torres (Uruguay) as the new IP Co-Chair.In the late afternoon the Secretariat presented its progress report on SAICM for the 2014-2016 period as well as its analysis of 20 indicators of progress toward the 2020 goal of sound management of chemicals and waste. Then some members of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) presented updates on recent activities in support of SAICM and its objectives. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Session Dais during Opening Session ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler Eneida de León, Minister of Housing, Land Planning, and Environment of Uruguay Delegates during the opening sessionn Ariel Bergamino, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay Jorge Basso, Minister of Public Health, Uruguay Tim Kasten, UN Environment (UNEP) Laurentiu Adrian Neculaescu, State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Romania, on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its Member States Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler; Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat; Szymon Domagalski, Poland; and Menoosh Azodi, SAICM Secretariat Rory O'Neill, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Maria Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Vladimir Lenev, Russian Federation, speaking on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Babajide Alo, Africa Institute Sarojeni V. Rengan, PAN International Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran David Morin, Canada, Co-Chair of the Intersessional Process David Kapindula, Zambia Jutta Emig, Germany Karissa Taylor Kovner, United States Manal Azzi, International Labour Organization (ILO) Brice Lalonde, French Water Academy Keiko Segawa, Japan A view of the room Participants between sessions Side Event: Lessons Learned from the SAICM Quick Start Programme (QSP) and Its Closure

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 April 2019 Participants from Fiji and the International Seabed Authority Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) finalized discussions on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in an informal working group, and opened discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT), facilitated by Olai Uludong, Palau. Under CB&TT, they considered the types and modalities, including a clearinghouse mechanism; and issues related to funding, including the funding mechanism and whether funding would be mandatory of voluntary.During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on: • implementation of indigenous and traditional knowledge in the high seas treaty, presented by South Africa; • twenty-five years of ISA’s contribution to deep-sea marine scientific research and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), presented by the International Seabed Authority and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; and • cooperation between regional seas programmes and regional fisheries bodies, presented by the UN Environment Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).In the corridors, it was difficult to ignore the fact that positions were still poles apart, with the usual lines drawn between a cohort preferring only voluntary funding options, and those on the receiving end, holding out for a mix of voluntary and mandatory financing. When some called for aspects of the funding discussion to be brought up under cross-cutting issues, others resolved that, clearly, “the real negotiations are going to come down to the wire,” with three days left and counting.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS) René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments Cymie Payne, International Union for Conservation of Nature Lisa Speer, High Seas Alliance Jessica Battle, World Wide Fund for Nature Dorota Lost-Sieminska, International Maritime Organization Kent Bressie, International Cable Protection Committee Tetsuya Yoshimoto, Japan L-R: Susan Whelan and Tomasz Grysa, Holy See Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Jean Kenfack, Cameroon Amavaz Ghobadi Largroudi, Iran Nivaashni Devi Dharmalingam, Malaysia Darius Campbell, North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission Kahlil Hassanali, Trinidad and Tobago, on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM ) Janice Mose, Solomon Islands, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States (P-SIDS) Kukhyun Ahn, Republic of Korea L-R: Indira Guardia and Teresa Cruz Sardiñas, Cuba Informal Working Group on Capacity Building and Transfer of Marine Technology L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; and Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Marc Richir, EU Fakasoa Tealei, Tuvalu, on behalf of P-SIDS L-R: Alice Hicuburundi, Jessica Howley, Lika Doehl Diouf, Vita Onwuasoanya, UNDOALOS Arianne Etuk, Bahamas Yolannie Cerrato, Honduras Ariel Cayanan, the Philippines John Fintakpa Lamega, Togo L-R: Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and transfer of marine technology; Landisang Kotaro, Palau; and Joan Yang, Nauru Delegates from CARICOM Delegates from Nigeria Crocheted mascots, distributed by the High Seas Alliance

Highlights for Monday, 1 April 2019 L-R: Keleni Seruvatu and Semi Bolalailai, Fiji, receiving a Best in Opening Statement award from Jessica Battle, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) continued discussions on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in an informal working group facilitated by René Lefeber (the Netherlands).  Under EIAs, they considered the process for these assessments, as well as details related to the: content of an EIA; monitoring, reporting, and review; strategic environmental assessments (SEAs); and activities for which EIAs are required. During the lunch break, delegates attended side-events on: the role of science and a scientific body under the new instrument, presented by the Government of Canada, the High Seas Alliance, and Pew Charitable Trusts; and “Connectivity: a critical consideration in global ocean governance,” presented by UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. In the corridors, while EIA discussions made clear progress on activities, process, and content, conceptual murkiness and conflict remained regarding monitoring, reporting, and review, and strategic environmental assessments. There was a general acceptance of the utility of SEAs, but views diverged on how they would apply to areas beyond the control of states and who would conduct them.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC 2. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessments L-R: René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); and Michele Ameri, UNDOALOS Fran Humphries, International Council of Environmental Law Cymie Payne, International Union for Conservation of Nature Alice de Juvigny, International Cable Protection Committee Tilani Silva, Sri Lanka View of the plenary session on the informal working group on environmental impact assessments Wini Broadbelt, EU Yordanka Stoimenova, Canada Lowri Mai Griffiths, UK Alice Revell, New Zealand Stephanie Forte, Jamaica Regina Paula Eugenio, the Philippines Leonito Bacalando Jr., Federated States of Micronesia Deborah Manase, Marshall Islands Babajide Alo, Nigeria Mohamed Atlassi, Morocco Carlos Mata, Uruguay, on behalf of the Like-Minded Latin American Countries Neil Hughes, Australia Gou Haibo, China Saravanane Narayanane, India L-R: Maria Teresa Infante, Chile, with IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore Evan Bloom, US Sergey Leonidchenko, Russian Federation Sora Lokita, Indonesia Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Duncan Currie, High Seas Alliance Peni Suveinakama, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Essam Yassin Mohammed, Eritrea Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland L-R: Ralph Sontag and Julian Jackson, Pew Charitable Trusts L-R: Hector Bachigalupo, Maria Teresa Infante, Cristian Laborde, and Cristóbal Hernández Castillo, Chile Delegates from the US IGC-2 participants from the Strong High Seas project WWF award made from a recycled bottle for Best Opening Statement