Rotterdam Convention

Beyond addressing resource mobilization and the illegal traffic of hazardous chemicals and wastes, delegates tried to effectiveness challenges under the Rotterdam Convention, listed new persistent organic pollutants and adopted a compliance mechanism under the Stockholm Convention, and tackled guidelines on different categories of hazardous wastes under the Basel Convention.

The Chemical Review Committee faced a lengthy agenda as it reviewed a dozen hazardous chemicals and pesticides to determine if they should be listed under the Rotterdam Convention’s prior informed consent procedure, which could limit their trade, if deemed necessary to protect human health and the environment.

After a meeting dominated by questions about what constitutes a risk evaluation under the Rotterdam Convention, the Committee decided that two of the four chemicals considered met the criteria for listing banned or severely restricted chemicals. The others will be considered at the next meeting in 2022.