Workshop on “From Science to Action” for the implementation of the BRS Conventions and guidance on industrial chemicals (GRULAC)

Buenos Aires, Argentina from 12 April to 14 April 2023

Highlights: The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are science-based, legally binding global treaties aimed at the protection of human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. Policy decisions taken by their governing bodies, the Conferences of the Parties (COPs), are based on various scientific assessments.

During the 2022 face-to-face segments of their meetings, the BRS COPs encouraged Parties and others to continue to undertake action that promotes the implementation of the road map for further engaging Parties and other stakeholders in informed dialogue for enhanced science-based action in the implementation of the conventions (UNEP/CHW.14/INF/40–UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.9/INF/35–UNEP/POPS/COP.9/INF/44).

To support Parties in science-based decision-making and action in the implementation of the BRS Conventions, the BRS COPs respectively requested the Secretariat to undertake, subject to the availability of resources, capacity building and training activities to support Parties in taking science-based action in the implementation of the BRS Conventions. The need for such capacity building activities was expressed by the contracting parties at the BRS COPs, where the importance of the science-policy interface for the effectiveness of the conventions and the need for greater access to scientific understanding in developing countries to enhance informed decision-making on the implementation of the conventions was raised.

In order to implement the BRS Conventions, in particular for the environmentally sound management of industrial chemicals and their wastes, Parties have expressed the need for assistance in collecting information on those chemicals and wastes; identifying the needs for exemptions under the Stockholm Convention; developing and implementing strategies for the elimination and environmentally sound management. Furthermore, those industrial chemicals may be used as plastic additives. Enhanced science-policy and industry interaction would help strengthen scientifically sound decision making for the management of those chemicals.

The workshop gathered national focal points of the BRS Conventions, stakeholders and convention committee members, to promote the understanding of the scientific and technical aspects of the BRS Conventions among all stakeholders and to strengthen the science-policy cooperation to facilitate science-based decision-making on new chemicals.

Organizer: This workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the BRS Conventions, with the support of the Basel Convention Regional Centre in Argentina, thanks to the financial support by the European Union and the Government of Norway.

Working Language: Spanish, English

Meeting objectives: The objectives of the three-day workshop were the following:

  1. To explore how to improve the accessibility to and availability of scientific and technical information relevant to the BRS conventions and national capacity to review and assess scientific and technical information for decision-making and implementation of the conventions;
  2. To support Parties in science-based decision-making for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions through enhanced science-policy-industry interactions;
  3. 3. To guide Parties in identifying sectors using industrial POPs, collecting information on POPs including those contained in products and on labelling, and identifying alternatives to the chemicals listed in Annexes A and B to the Stockholm Convention, as concrete examples of science-policy-industry interactions.

Target audience: Official contact points, national focal points, designated national authorities from the Latin American and the Caribbean region.

Workshop documents

 

TitleEnglishSpanish
Items: 5  
Provisional Agenda324.45 K 337.98 K
Information for participants381.93 K 404.72 K
Presentations - Day 117.27 MB 
Presentations - Day 223.43 MB 
Presentations - Day 312.75 MB 

Contact Information

For questions regarding the workshop please contact Kei Ohno (kei.ohno@un.org) / Agustin Harte (agustin.harte@un.org).

Photo album

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