Enhancing capacities for data collection for the national reporting under the Basel and Stockholm conventions, import responses under the Rotterdam Convention and Sustainable Development Goals in the Central and Eastern Europe region

Background

The reporting obligations are part of the obligations under the Basel and Stockholm conventions for countries upon them becoming parties to these conventions. Information to transmit import responses is also an obligation under the Rotterdam Convention. On the other hand, in 2016 the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators were adopted by the UN Statistical Commission. There is a need for supporting Member States to compile, disseminate and use national environment statistics for monitoring and review of SDGs through the Voluntary National Reviews mechanism, national development plans and sectoral plans. Furthermore, there is an SDG indicator framework where data is collected from Member States through the UN and other agencies. Developing countries often lack national environmental statistics, i.e. the use of data sources, the collection of data, environmental monitoring and SDGs indicator development, data sharing, reporting, and capacity in terms of data use. Consequently, policy makers at the national level have a limited evidence-base for informed and integrated sustainable development policy making, and underutilize the information that is currently available.

Project objectives

  • Developing a better understanding of existing requirements and requests for data collection at the national level and how the information flow can be improved for the benefit of the implementation of the BRS conventions and SDGs reporting;
  • Strengthening mechanisms for data collection so as to more efficiently and effectively meet the reporting obligations under the Basel and Stockholm Convention as well as other obligations related to transmitting information under the BRS conventions;
  • Integrating the issue of chemicals and waste management into the national development plans and compile, disseminate and use national statistics for monitoring and review of SDGs (Voluntary National Reviews);
  • Identifying where increased coherence is needed among existing data collection avenues to generate consistent information for meeting reporting requirements and monitoring of SDG targets and where new mechanisms may be needed;

Financial support

Financial support for the implementation of the project was kindly provided by the European Union.

Overall coordination

The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Implementing partners

Basel Convention Regional Centre for Central and Eastern Europe in Slovakia (BCRC Slovakia).

Activities

  • Multistakeholder consultation workshop on enhancing data collection under MEAs and SDG reporting. Click here for further information.
  • Mapping exercise outlining current reporting and information requirements related to the national reporting under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention and waste-related indicators for SDGs in Moldova
  • Measures for enhancing relevant data collection