2023 UN convention meetings held on chemicals and waste

Geneva, Switzerland is hosting a number of back-to-back meetings related to a number of UN conventions between 1-12 May. The European Union participates in the meeting to promote its Zero Pollution Agenda.
Marton Kottmayer,
EuChemS

The theme of the meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions is set to be “Accelerating Action: Targets for the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste”. According to a press release put forward by the conventions, three key areas will be addressed. New Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are proposed to be listed, and hazardous pesticides are scrutinized in context of the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions respectively, and related to the the Basel Convention, technical guidelines for the sound management of wastes are to be considered. The press release provides additional background information on each convention as well.

The European Union highlights that the aims of the conferences are in line with the ambitions of the Green Deal and Zero Pollution. Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius praised “decisive multilateral action” for “for tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution”. Representatives form the European Chemicals Agency were also attending the meeting, presenting about the European Implementation of the Rotterdam Convention. In addition, the Directorate-General for environment emphasizes a number of overlaps between EU policies and the convention – including the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, in which EuChemS is involved in, as an invited member High Level Roundtable on the implementation of the Chemicals Strategy.

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