June in Motion: Delivering on Global Chemicals and Waste Governance

Geneva, Switzerland, 22 June 2026 — In an unprecedented step for international environmental governance, the compliance committees of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions convened their first ever joint session on 19 June to exchange on issues of joint interest in the management of hazardous chemicals and wastes.

Representatives from 140 governments convened in Geneva last week for the fifteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG-15) of the Basel Convention.

The PIC Circular is a key document in the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention, both for the operation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure and as a mechanism for the exchange of information on hazardous chemicals. It is published in June and December in English, French and Spanish.