đ± Why did the parties meet?
The Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions are multilateral environmental treaties, which aim to protect the environment and human health from hazardous chemicals and wastes. The parties met in Geneva from May 1st to 12th, 2023 to discuss revisions and improvements to the three treaties.
đ± Why are the COP meetings of these treaties significant?
Hazardous chemicals and wastes cause a significant number of deaths each year. The WHO estimates that alone in 2019 two million deaths were caused by the âsmall number of chemicalsâ for which there is data available. The number of deaths caused by all hazardous chemicals and wastes globally each year is expected to be considerably larger.
đ± What does the Basel Convention set out, and what changes were proposed?
The Basel Convention intends to âprotect people and the environment from the negative effects of the improper management of hazardous wastes worldwideâ. It allows countries to regulate movements of waste streams to and from their territories. The global waste streams for e-waste and plastic are growing rapidly. As they are subject to the Basel Convention, it is possible for countries to regulate âmovements of [these] waste[s] to and from their territoriesâ. At the 16th meeting of the COP to the Basel Convention, the parties planned to work on technical guidelines on the âenvironmentally-sound managementâ of e-waste, plastic, persistent organic pollutants, and other hazardous wastes.
đ± How did the Basel Convention change?
At the COP meeting, the Basel Convention was amended to âinclude plastic waste in a legally-binding framework, which will make global trade in plastic waste more transparent and better regulated, whilst also ensuring that its management is safer for human health and the environmentâ. Moreover, âa new partnership on plastic waste was established to mobilise business, government, academic and civil society resourcesâ. The partnership aims âto assist in implementing the new measures, [and] to provide a set of practical supports â including tools, best practices, technical and financial assistanceâ.
đ± What does the Rotterdam Convention set out, and what changes were proposed?
The Rotterdam Convention permits countries to regulate imports of hazardous chemicals and pesticides. At the 11th meeting of the COP to the Rotterdam Convention, the parties planned to look for âways to further regulate the use of chemicals and pesticidesâ. The parties also planned deliberate on whether to regulate imports and exports for 7 chemicals more strictly, by âsubjecting them to the âPrior Informed Consentâ procedureâ.
đ± How did the Rotterdam Convention change?
At the COP meeting, â[t]wo chemicals [âŠ] were added to Annex III of the conventionâ. The chemicals added were the pesticide phorate and the industrial chemical hexabromocyclododecane. They are now âsubject to the Prior Informed Consent Procedure, through which countries can decide on future importsâ. Moreover, a set of âprocedures and mechanisms on compliance with the Rotterdam Conventionâ were approved. This is considered a âcrucial stepâ towards advancing the implementation of the convention.
đ± What does the Stockholm Convention set out, and what changes were proposed?
The Stockholm Convention intends to reduce and later eliminate âthe production, use, trade, release, and storage of highly dangerous and long-lasting chemicalsâ. Of the three conventions, it is the only one âthat eliminates or restricts the production and use of chemicalsâ. At the 11th meeting of the COP to the Stockholm Convention, the parties hoped âto make progress on adding new so-called âforever chemicalsâ to the list of toxic substances to be banned or restrictedâ under the treaty. If these were to be listed, the parties would âhave to eliminate production and use of these chemicalsâ, subject only to a few specific exceptions. The parties also planned to evaluate the use of the toxic organic chemical group of PCBs. Moreover, they planned work on âthe development of compliance procedures and mechanismsâ for the treaty.
đ± How did the Stockholm Convention change?
At the COP meeting, approximately 180 countries âagreed to add two toxic plastic chemicals and a pesticideâ to Annex A â which is the conventionâs list of banned POPs. These were the plastic additive UV-328, the flame retardant Dechlorane Plus, and the pesticide methoxychlor. UV-328 âis widely used in transparent plastics productsâ. Dechlorane Plus is âa flame retardant [which is] added to plastic coatings and electrical wiresâ. The three listed chemicals âhave [all] been linked to health concerns ranging from neurodevelopmental damage to endocrine disruptionâ. Workers âin recycling workshops, where plastics are exposed to high heat and other processes that encourage chemical leachingâ are particularly at risk. The amendment is therefore considered âan important step [âŠ] toward protecting human health and the environmentâ. Due to several exemptions, the chemicals will however not vanish entirely. For example, the use of UV-328 and Dechlorane Plus will still be permitted âin spare parts for motor vehicles and agricultural equipmentâ until 2044. Moreover, the use of Dechlorane Plus âin medical imaging devices and aerospace productsâ will be permitted indefinitely.
Read more about the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions here:
-http://www.basel.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/1271/Default.aspx
- https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=XXVII-3&chapter=27&clang=_en- http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/Overview
- https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVII-14&chapter=27
- http://www.pops.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/3351/Default.aspx
- https://enb.iisd.org/organisations/stockholm-convention
- https://www.informea.org/en/treaties/stockholm-convention
- https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=XXVII-15&chapter=27&clang=_en
Read more about what was planned for the COP here:
- https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136242
- https://www.who.int/tools/compendium-on-health-and-environment/chemicals
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1750841
Read more about the outcomes of the COP here:
- https://www.ciel.org/news/brs-cops-2023/
- https://grist.org/regulation/more-than-150-countries-agree-to-ban-3-toxic-chemicals/
- https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/epa-releases-draft-of-national-strategy-3730288/
- https://gulfbusiness.com/uae-issues-decree-regulating-use-of-hfcs/
- https://asianews.network/cambodia-reaffirms-toxic-waste-vows/