UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Press Conference: Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat

Good afternoon to those joining us here in Switzerland, Geneva and online from regions around the world.

My name is Farai Manwar from the public awareness and outreach team within the Executive Secretary of within the Executive Office of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention Secretariat.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this press conference which presents the outcomes of the 2025 meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

These Cops have been taking place at the Geneva International Conference Centre from the 28th of April and will conclude at the end of today, 9 Meg 2025.

As you may know, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Cops are convened every two years to drive forward collective action on the sound management of chemicals and weight.

Every four years, a high level segment is held, providing an important platform for ministers and senior officials to reflect, renew political commitment and provide strategic direction advance to advance the conventions implementation.

Today's press conference will share the key highlights.

The key outcomes of these high level activities highlight the new commitment from parties and present the strategic direction agreed upon to strengthen global efforts to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of hazardous chemicals and waste.

Our senior leadership will also present key decisions taken during the two weeks from the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and perhaps highlight one or two light hearted initiatives launched at these Cops.

Joining us in person to my right is Mr.

David Ogden, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

We are also pleased to welcome to my left Miss Christine Fuell, Executive Secretary at interim of the Rotterdam Convention from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United of the United Nations.

[Other language spoken]

We'll begin with remarks from the Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention's Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr Ogden, followed by Miss Fuel.

After that, we'll open the floor to your questions.

Deputy Deputy Executive Secretary Ogden, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Farai, and thank you members of the press and colleagues both here in Geneva and online.

It's a real honour to address you today as we approach the closing of the 2025 meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention conventions.

Since 28 April, more than 2200 participants, including one 1284 representatives from governments from 191 countries and 500 observer organisations have come together.

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At the Internet Geneva International Conference Centre across the street, we convened under the theme Make Visible the Invisible, a timely call to shed light on the often overlooked threats posed by hazardous chemicals and waste and to inspire transformative collective action.

[Other language spoken]

Well, first, I'll focus on the high level segment.

Ministers and high level representatives reaffirmed the pivotal role of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in addressing the interconnected challenges of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.

The discussions emphasise the integrated discussions emphasise integrated solutions focused on pollution reduction, circularity and means to enhance implementation.

Strong support was expressed for multilateralism and to continue alignment of chemicals and waste management with the global environmental and sustainable development agenda, including climate and biodiversity frameworks.

Governments were encouraged to create enabling environments for sustainable investment by strengthening institutions, ensuring transparent and coherent regulatory frameworks, and introducing targeted economic incentives.

Financing was identified as a crucial enabler of implementation of implementation.

Ministers called for a substantial scale up in resources, highlighting the more than $18 billion required for over the next five years to fulfil obligations under the Stockholm Conventions Convention.

Ministers also welcome the global Elimination programme for PCBS as a polychlorinated biphenyls, which are used in electrical Transformers, as well as contributions from the Global Environment Facility.

Legal frameworks, including extended producer responsibility, were recognised as instrumental in promoting circularity and reducing pollution across product life cycles.

The private sector was urged to to serve as a strategic partner in delivering innovation, investment and sustainable business practises aligned with the goals under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Ministers understood the importance of robust and transparent data systems, as well as the use of digital tools like E permitting systems to support compliance monitoring and evidence based policy making.

cross-border cooperation was encouraged to help countries manage complex waste streams, harmonise standards and promote environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals and waste.

Turning to the Basel Convention Conference of the parties first were the new guidelines to tackle hazardous waste.

Parties update updated technical guidelines, including specific guidance on managing UV328 waste.

It's a chemical that's that's used in plastics.

They will this this will help countries strengthen hazardous waste management and national policies with a particular focus on persistent organic pollutants as we call them Pops for short and safer practises on the ground.

Further technical work was launched on waste tyres, batteries and mercury, reinforcing the conventions role in addressing high risk waste types through science based solutions.

Basel Convention COP 17 parties enhanced legal definitions on and waste classifications, endorse key partnerships on plastics like the like on like the household waste and e-waste, and agreed on forward-looking, a forward forward-looking road map to sustain innovation and implementation in the waste management between meetings.

So in in terms of the Basel Convention, the Basel Convention, I mean, sorry, in terms of the Rotterdam Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, COP 12 achieved important progress in, in strengthening in strengthening chemical safety in international trade by listing new pesticides in Annex 3 to the Convention.

These and these additions include penthione, which is used within the quila bird control and carbosulfan, another pesticide used in agriculture to control various insects.

These are now subject to the prior informed consent procedure under the Rotterdam Convention, which enables parties to make informed decisions regarding whether they want to accept future, further future import of these chemicals.

The inclusion of these substances under the PICK procedure reinforces the Convention's role in promoting transparency and safeguarding guarding human health and the environment.

Turning to the Stockholm Convention, in landmark decisions, parties agreed to add 3 chemicals.

The first is on chlorpyrifos.

Chlorpyrifos which is a broad spectrum chlorinated organophosphate insecticide used mostly in agriculture and as a biocide for non agricultural insects like mosquitoes, fire ants and ticks.

Second chemical was chlorinated paraffins, which is an industrial chemical used in additives, sealants, paints, coatings, waterproofing agents for coatings and textiles.

And it's also used as a flame retardant in Poly vinyl chloride, BVC solvent.

So it's got many, many industrial units uses.

And then the the third chemical which was actually just added this morning before we just before we came over here, that was the the one I just mentioned the, the medium chain chlorinated paraffins, I think.

Yeah, that's I'm sorry.

Now moving on to the last one, which is on long chain perflorocarbox carbolic acids.

This LCPFCA as we call for short, even though even the acronym is, is long, it's an industrial chemical used in coatings and products, fabrics, carpets, firefighting foams, that sort of thing.

So those are the three chemicals that were added to the to the Stockholm Convention over the last two weeks and the most recent one was just this morning and then we talked then we move on to while while pushing for elimination, parties approved time bound exemptions for limited essential uses, ensuring A practical and, and just transition away from toxic substances.

Parties recognise that over 18 billion of funding is needed to implement the Stockholm Convention for from 2026 to 2030.

In addition, the the 2025 and 2028 PCB elimination goals use is supposed to end this year and the actual stockpiles of PCBS are be to be eliminated by 2028.

These are prioritised within the Global Environment Facility for its replenishment process, which is ongoing at the moment.

A major new report was was launched shedding light on the presence of Pops and stockpiles, wastes and products, moving on to more international cooperation.

So it involves all three of the conventions.

The 2025 Cops welcome strong commitments to boost technical assistance and financial support, helping countries meet their obligations under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions.

Parties further welcome enhanced cooperation with key global processes, including plastics treaty negotiations, which are going to be continuing in August here in Geneva, the Global Framework on chemicals and the biodiversity and climate change clusters reflecting united action on environmental health.

Then in terms of another important activity was the launch of the BRS Conventions Advocate and to Make Invisible the Invisible Fair that took place this year's Make Visible.

The Invisible Fair was also a resounding success, bringing together real world solutions for artificial intelligence and hazardous waste mapping to lead youth LED recycling models and remind us that transformation is both possible and already underway.

We're proud to announce that.

We're also proud to announce our new BRS conventions, Advocate for Clean Mountains and Glaciers, welcoming former World Champion skier Felix new numerator to help it amplify awareness and engage and engagement.

We look forward to his work and messaging on pollution prevention and fragile ecosystems, supporting clean up efforts and engaging youth and grassroots communities to make visible the invisible for a healthier planet.

Finally, the 2025 BRS Cops have shown that our shared ambition is strong.

The decisions that we have adopted are not just technical milestones.

They are life lines for communities impacted by pollution, for generations exposed to invisible threats, and for the planet we call home.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, David.

We now hand over the floor to Executive Secretary, Admin Miss Feel, the floor is yours.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, David, and thank you members of the press and colleagues joining us here in presence and online.

The Rotterdam Convention is jointly administered by FAO and UNIP, so it is benefiting from the strengths of both organisations.

The conventions allow The Convention allows for a prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade, but it works in synergies with the Basel and the Stockholm Convention, and together the three conventions offer a comprehensive legal framework for managing chemicals and pesticides and wastes across their entire life cycle.

At this COP, COP 12, the Rotterdam Convention parties took meaningful steps to strengthen the governance in international trade in hazardous chemicals, reinforcing global efforts to protect human health, the environment and the right to inform decision making.

These outcomes complement actions under the Basel and Stockholm Conventions and reflect the priorities expressed at the 2025 BRS High Level segment that concluded last week.

The Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention unanimously agreed to list one more pesticide and 1 so-called severely hazardous pesticide formulation in its Annex 3 of the Convention.

And as David already mentioned, these are the broad spectrum carbon made insecticide and nematicide carbosulfan, which is used widely in agriculture to control various insects, mites and nematodes.

These little worms in the earth, the so-called severely hazardous pesticide formulation that was listed is a ultra low volume formulation of Fencian at or above 640 gramme active ingredient per litre and it is used as an AV side against carnivorous birds.

Kila Kila that was already mentioned to reduce the damage two grains that these tiny little birds good.

They they look very pretty, but they are very harmful to the harvest of farmers and they are in many that is a pest in many African countries.

So adding substances to the annex of the convention makes them subject to the so-called prior informed consent procedure and it empowers parties to take informed decisions regarding their future import based on scientific evidence based risk information.

These decisions help prevent unwanted imports of hazardous substances, especially in developing countries and countries with limited regulatory capacity, and they are directly supporting the high level segment call for environmental justice and solidarity.

The Conference of Parties discussed this pesticide formulation from sign already in previous meetings and could not agree on its listing until this week.

So this is really a considerable success of this meeting.

But the Secretariat has since then, since we started to discuss that pesticide formulation, has been closely working with parties, addressing their requests, facilitating exchange of experiences and supporting the identification of less hazardous but viable alternatives.

We all know that listing does not constitute a ban, but alternatives with a reduced risk are vital to protect human health and the environment and at the same time ensure food security.

The Rotterdam Convention's PICK procedure remains a cornerstone of chemical transparency and accountability in international trade.

Parties reaffirmed that access to scientific and evidence based information is essential for sound decision making and for national sovereignty in chemical safety.

The 12th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention also approved the programme of work for the Conventions Compliance Committee and it discussed several proposals to enhance the effectiveness of the convention.

In essence, parties are now tasked was implementing new listings nationally, nationally and raising awareness across customs, agriculture and the health sector.

The secretariat for the three conventions stands ready to support implementation through face to face interventions, online trainings, information exchange and with a strong support of regional centres, FAO, country offices, UNIP and other agencies.

[Other language spoken]

Sorry, I'd left the mic off.

Thank you very much Christine and David for your comprehensive summaries of the two weeks work.

We now open the floor to questions from from the media.

That is both in the room and online.

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I think your explanations were either really complex or really clear or a mixture of both.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for your time and we'll end the press conference here.

Thanks a million.

Press Conference: Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat - 09 May 2025