Latin American and Caribbean Group

Highlights for Monday, 29 April 2019 Delegates gather for the start of the BRS COPs The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel Convention (BC COP14), the ninth meeting of the COP to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP9), and the ninth meeting of the COP to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP9) opened in Geneva, Switzerland. Meeting jointly in plenary in the morning and early afternoon, the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) COPs adopted the agendas and organization of work for each COP, and initiated discussions on technical assistance and financial resources under the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions, and financial resources and mechanisms under the Stockholm Convention.Regional groups used their opening statements to call for urgent action on emerging issues, such as marine plastic litter and microplastics, as well as longstanding challenges ranging from management of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the establishment of compliance mechanisms under the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. In the discussion of technical assistance, many delegates underscored the importance of regional centres in supporting parties’ implementation of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions through capacity building. Several called for additional resources to deal with issues such as existing and new POPs, marine litter, and plastic waste, and noted that technical assistance is closely linked to compliance.In the afternoon, the Stockholm Convention COP convened to begin discussions of listing of chemicals in Annex A (elimination), B (reduction) and/or C (unintentional releases). After brief discussions, delegates decided to list the pesticide dicofol in Annex A of the Convention with no exemptions for continued production or use. Delegates then considered the POPs Review Committee’s recommendation to list perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Annex A or B, and agreed to establish a contact group for further work on this issue.As the first day of the Triple COPs drew to a close, delegates celebrated what many characterized as an unexpectedly quick decision on dicofol, but also noted issues that were likely to be more challenging. Several pointed to the Rotterdam Convention's compliance mechanism and listing PFOA in the Stockholm Convention as particularly tricky, with several highlighting the need for technical assistance and financial resources to support parties’ work to implement the Conventions.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 2019 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Plenary The BRS COPs opened with a traditional Swiss performance Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Morning Plenary Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President; Osvaldo Álvarez-Pérez, Rotterdam Convention COP9 President; and Abraham Zivayi Matiza, Basel Convention COP14 President, open the discussions Natalia Rodriguez Pacheco, Bolivia, speaking on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) Serge Molly Allo'o Allo'o, Gabon, speaking on behalf of the African Group Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran, speaking on behalf of Asia-Pacific Flavius Ardelean Motoc, EU Rolando Pinzon, Panama Pralong Dumrongthai, Thailand Elham Refaat Abdel Aziz, Egypt Keima Gardiner, Trinidad and Tobago Ana Berejiani, Georgia Zaigham Abbas, Pakistan Chizuru Aoki, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Afternoon Plenary View of the dais during the afternoon plenary Roxanne Blesam, Palau Luis Vayas, Ecuador Yaser Khalil Abu Shanab, Palestine S L Dhammika Wijayasinghe, Sri Lanka Charles Ikeah, Nigeria Nazem Thlaj, Syria Xuezhi Xiao, China María Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Obed Baloyi, South Africa Mariann Lloyd-Smith, International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) Siqiniq Maupin, speaking on behalf of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, International Indian Treaty Council, and Native Movement Mick Tisbury, speaking on behalf of Australian, New Zealand, and North American firefighters Delegates applaud the decision to list dicofol in Annex A of the SC without exemption Evening Reception hosted by Switzerland View of the dais during the opening session Felix Wertli, Switzerland Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, FAO Around the Venue (L-R): Hans Dreyer, Executive Secretary, Rotterdam Convention, FAO; Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions; Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President; Marc Chardonnens, Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland; Felix Wertli, Switzerland; and Carlos Martin-Novella, BRS Deputy Executive Secretary Delegates from Uganda Delegates from Costa Rica Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions, speaks with Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President Delegates from the Pacific region David Ogden, BRS Secretariat Delegates speak informally Delegates between sessions Materials on display

Highlights for Thursday, 4 April 2019 Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat, ICCM 5 President Gertrude Sahler, and Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) entered its final day of work at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Thursday, 4 April 2019. Plenary met briefly in the morning to hear reports back from the contact group considering recommendations to the fifth ICCM (ICCM5) scheduled for 2020 and the "Friends of the President" Group informally discussing the need for an enabling framework beyond 2020 and identifying gaps not filled by SAICM. It also considered a report on preparations for ICCM5, with Germany formally announcing it will host ICCM5 in Bonn 5-9 October 2020. Most of the day was devoted to two meetings of the contact group and a brief meeting of the Friends Group. The former focused on an initial discussion of competing proposals on financial aspects and preparation of a report for consideration by the third intersessional process (IP) meeting in October 2019. The latter reviewed a draft co-facilitators' summary of their discussions to present to plenary. When plenary reconvened in late afternoon, it heard reports back from the two groups, and decided to annex the report of contact group to the OEWG3 meeting report and to outline the Friend's oral summary in the meeting report. The delegates then reviewed and approved the meeting report and provided closing statements. ICCM5 President Sahler thanked all participants for their hard work and closed the meeting at 6:29 pm. Highlights of the day included: Discussions of competing ideas on financing the sound management of chemicals and waste, including mainstreaming the issue in national budgets and development plans, possible cost recovery options involving the private sector, and a possible new international fund on chemicals and waste; An announcement by the UK that it will host an expert meeting in August or September 2019 to prepare indicators on the sound management of chemicals and waste for consideration at ICCM5; Romania offered to host the fourth IP meeting in early 2020. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, will provide daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler; Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat; Szymon Domagalski, Poland; and Menoosh Azodi, SAICM Secretariat Said Ali Thaoubane, Comoros Sam Adu-Kumi, Ghana Chinese delegation Paula Barrios, UN report writer Brice Lalonde, French Water Academy Jules Christian Ndomo Tsala, Cameroon, and Laska Sophal, Cambodia Aiita Sarr Seck, Senegal Silvani Mng’anya, Agenda for Environment and Responsible Development Ihsan Wicaksono Nugroho, Indonesia, and Aditya Narayan Singh, India Mamed Alinejad, Mehdi Aligol, and Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran A view of the plenary during morning plenary Sulaiman Al-Shukaili, Oman John Mambo, Kenya Cesar Manuel Llanos Puga, Peru, and Ovidio Perez Espinoza, Paraguay Janá Tatum, and Karissa Taylor Kovner, United States Nana Janashia, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) Ram Charitra Sah, Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED), Nepal, and Sanjeev Baghat, Lok Kalyan Seva Kendra, India Halshka Graczyk and Manal Azzi, International Labour Organization (ILO) Delegates consulting Contact Group Sam Adu-Kumi, Ghana Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat Delegates during contact group Laura Nazef, Karissa Taylor Kovner, and Keri Holland, United States Delegates from Argentina Closing Plenary Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler and Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler Szymon Domagalski, Poland Georgiana Dumitru, and Claudia Dumitru, Romania View of the plenary during the closing Anastasia Swaeringen, and Willem Van Lanschot, International Chemical Trade Association Jonathas De Mello, SAICM Secretariat Around the Venue SAICM Secretariat Management and Staff with ICCM 5 President Gertrude Sahler Stakeholders of the Group of Latin America and Carribean Countries (GRULAC) SAICM Secretariat with IISD RS Team

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