National reporting
In 2011 the secretariats of the Basel and Stockholm conventions developed a questionnaire and undertook consultations during two national reporting workshops in collaboration with the Basel Convention regional centres located in Slovakia and in South Africa, and in two teleconferences. The consultations aimed at gathering views on opportunities for streamlining information collection and reporting under the Basel and Stockholm conventions. Results of the consultations were presented at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention in document UNEP/CHW.10/INF/48.
The conferences of the Parties of the three conventions further invited the secretariats to undertake, in 2012-2013, cross-cutting and joint activities relating to reporting, in particular to revise the reporting systems of the Basel and Stockholm conventions and identify possible areas for streamlining (S15).
Compliance/non-compliance mechanisms
Due to the absence of compliance/non-compliance procedures and mechanisms under the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the three secretariats have only undertaken information exchange on experiences and lessons learned in the framework of the Basel Convention’s Implementation and Compliance Committee (ICC). For instance, the Secretariats of the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions attended the eight session of the ICC.
Cooperation on technical and scientific issues
The secretariats of the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions organized three regional workshops in Egypt, Mexico and Ski Lanka and global webinars to support the participation of experts, national authorities and relevant stakeholders in the work of the Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee (CRC) and the Stockholm Convention POPs Review Committee (POPRC). These have aimed at enhancing the understanding of experts and stakeholders on the processes of the CRC and POPRC and to develop competencies to implement risk management.
The conferences of the Parties of the three conventions further invited the secretariats to undertake in 2012-2013 cross-cutting and joint technical and scientific activities, in particular to:
- Support work and coordination between scientific bodies (S6); and
- Support Parties’ lifecycle approach and update technical guidelines (S7).