Interlinkages between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements and processes

Interlinkages

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are three MEAs that share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

Over the years, the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions have adopted decisions recognizing the interlinkages between the conventions with other MEAs or processes under other intergovernmental bodies. In a number of cases, this has been supported by exploratory studies developed by the Secretariat.

The linkages and areas of common concern relate to the MEAs and ongoing processes within the chemicals and waste agenda and also expand to broader environmental issues beyond pollution such as biodiversity and climate change.

Pursuant to that mandate, the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions has enhanced its international cooperation activities with other MEAs and processes to explore and highlight the interlinkages and potential areas of integrated actions, thereby demonstrating that environmental issues need to be approached from a holistic standpoint, if they are to be addressed successfully.

Publications

Study on the interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity
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Study on the interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity

Study on the interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) governments agreed to “achieve, by 2020, that chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment […].”.

The Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata conventions contribute to this goal through their specific and individual legal mandates. In addition, the non-binding Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), has also aimed at the 2020 goal by focusing on important chemicals and waste issues not covered by the above multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and is currently in the process of considering its beyond-2020 objectives, structure and targets. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), which is the governing body of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also provides leadership on chemicals issues and the interlinkages with other areas of UNEA and UNEP endeavours, such as biological diversity.

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Interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity: Key insights
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Interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity: Key insights

Interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity: Key insights

The 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the 1998 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury all aim at protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and waste.

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Chemicals, wastes and climate change - Interlinkages and potential for coordinated action
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Chemicals, wastes and climate change - Interlinkages and potential for coordinated action

Chemicals, wastes and climate change - Interlinkages and potential for coordinated action

Climate change and management of hazardous chemicals and wastes are two of the many challenges facing policy and decision makers committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A number of global agreements have been established to address these issues. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change seeks to both stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere and adapt to the eventual inevitable impacts of climate change. Falling within the scope of this study, hazardous chemicals related agreements include the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Finally, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal focuses specifically on waste-related issues.

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