Geneva, Switzerland 29 June 2026 - 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. Over four days of intensive dialogue and negotiations, Parties adopted 19 decisions to advance work on the management of hazardous and other wastes, with e-waste, plastic waste, used textiles and textile wastes, technical guidelines, legal clarity and international cooperation high on the agenda.

Meeting at the midpoint between the Convention’s biennial Conference of the Parties (COP), the Working Group charted the intersessional roadmap towards COP-18 in Panama in 2027. Parties advanced work to improve the functioning of the prior informed consent procedure, progressed technical guidelines on key waste streams, invited further submissions on plastic waste activities as well as on options available under the Convention to address used textiles and textile wastes, and agreed next steps on national reporting, electronic approaches, legal clarity and cooperation with other international bodies, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Customs Organization.

The OEWG, once again demonstrated its role as vital engine of the Basel Convention, bringing together governments, international organizations, industry representatives and NGOs united by a shared mission to strengthen the environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes worldwide.

Action on Plastic Waste as well as Used Textiles and Textile Wastes

Plastic waste remained a central focus. Delegates took note of comments submitted on the implementation, challenges and impacts of the plastic waste amendments, as well as an update on the ongoing negotiations towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The Working Group requested a compilation of existing activities on hazardous and other plastic waste carried out in accordance with the Convention for consideration by COP-18.

Used textiles and textile wastes also featured prominently, with many delegates underscoring the environmental, social and economic dimensions of this waste stream. The Working Group took note of the report on possible options available under the Convention and invited comments on those options and other relevant options, for compilation ahead of COP-18.

Strengthening agreement on management of priority waste streams

How to improve the management of several types of wastes including those arising from the use of batteries, pneumatic tyres, electronic and electrical equipment and forever chemicals (PFAS) were at the heart of the discussions. A series of key decisions focused on technical guidelines essential for Parties to manage waste in an environmentally sound manner. The Working Group took note of draft or updated technical guidelines on persistent organic pollutants, waste lead-acid batteries and other waste batteries, used and waste pneumatic tyres, and draft guidance on the identification of electrical and electronic waste under the e-waste amendments adopted by COP-15 in 2022. It recommended that COP-18 agree to the updated technical guidelines on wastes containing or contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds, agreed to updates to technical guidelines to reflect adjustments consequential to the e-waste amendments, and recommended that COP-18 agree to updates reflecting the plastic waste amendments.

To support practical implementation, countries were encouraged to continue using and testing the technical guidelines on transboundary movements of e-waste and used electrical and electronic equipment. Delegates also examined draft fact sheets on electronic approaches to the notification and movement documents for controlling waste transboundary movements and reiterated the invitation for pilot projects.

Advancing Legal Clarity and International Coordination

The Working Group welcomed progress on the review of Annexes I and III to the Convention, and invited comments to help prioritize recommendations for further discussion. It also invited further comments on the implications of the amendment to Annex IV and on any need for explanations, technical guidelines or guidance in relation to the disposal operations in Annex IV. The meeting welcomed the inclusion of Basel Convention-related amendments in the World Customs Organization eighth edition of the Harmonized System nomenclature – covering plastic waste, waste oils containing PCBs and waste pneumatic tyres- marking an important step towards improved customs identification of wastes covered by the Convention. Comments were invited on strengthening legal clarity and coordination between the Basel Convention and the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and the Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.

Partnerships and Future Work

Delegates reviewed progress under the Partnership for Action on Challenges relating to E-waste, the Household Waste Partnership and the Partnership on Plastic Waste, requesting revised draft work programmes for 2028–2029 for consideration by COP-18.

A Platform for Ambition Ahead of COP-18

“As we look ahead to the Basel Convention COP-18, to be held next year in Panama, the work accomplished here in Geneva provides a strong platform for ambitious decision-making,” said Executive Secretary Rolph Payet. “Building on the outcomes of the OEWG-15, Parties will now refine proposals and finalize technical work in the lead-up to COP-18, where governments are expected to take forward measures that strengthen global waste governance and address emerging pollution challenges.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992, is the most comprehensive international environment treaty on hazardous and other wastes and is almost universal, with 191 Parties. With an overarching objective of protecting human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes, its scope covers a wide range of wastes subject to transboundary movements defined as hazardous based on their origin and/or composition and characteristics, as well as four types of wastes defined as “other wastes”, namely household waste, residues arising from the incineration of household wastes ash, certain plastic wastes and certain electrical and electronic wastes requiring special consideration.

The Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) is a universal subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. It assists the Conference of the Parties in reviewing and advancing the implementation of the Convention’s work programme, advising on policy, technical, scientific, legal, institutional and administrative matters.

The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Secretariat) supports Parties in implementing the three multilateral environmental agreements governing chemicals and waste management, in order to protect human health and the environment.

For information on the Open-ended Working Group, contact:

Susan Wingfield, Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions susan.wingfield@un.org

For media enquiries, contact:

Maria Cristina Cardenas-Fischer, Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor and Head of the Policy and Strategy Unit, Executive Office, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, maria-cristina.cardenas@un.org and mea-brs-communications@un.org

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.

Key takeaways from the 63^rd PIC Circular:

• 12 Parties have submitted import responses for carbosulfan and 10 Parties have submitted import responses for fenthion (ultra-low-volume formulations at or above 640 g active ingredient/L). These are the chemicals most recently listed in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention. Parties are requested to provide import responses for these chemicals by 21 July 2026.
• Since the issuance of the last PIC Circular 62 in December 2025, the Secretariat received and verified 95 import responses for 32 chemicals, submitted by 19 Parties.
• 58 Parties have submitted all import responses for the 55 chemicals listed in Annex III to the Convention for which the import responses were due by 21 July 2024. 109 Parties have not yet provided import responses for one or more of the chemicals listed in Annex III. 10 Parties have not yet provided any import responses.
• 4 new notifications of final regulatory action submitted by 2 Parties are published in Part A, Appendix I of the PIC Circular 63.

Among others, the PIC Circular contains information on:

• Notifications of final regulatory action (FRA) received since the last PIC Circular
• Proposals for inclusion of severely hazardous pesticide formulations (SHPFs) in the PIC procedure
• Chemicals subject to the PIC procedure
• Import responses received since the last PIC Circular
• Information exchange on chemicals recommended for listing in Annex III

Protecting the ozone layer is one of the world’s greatest environmental achievements but sustaining this progress requires a new, more integrated approach. Through the Montreal Protocol, nearly 99% of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) have been phased out, placing the ozone layer on a path to recovery. However, many of these substances remain in products, equipment, and waste streams, where they can still be released if not properly managed, posing ongoing risks to the environment and human health.

This study examines how these challenges can be addressed through stronger interlinkages between the Montreal Protocol and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Together, these agreements regulate different stages of the lifecycle of hazardous chemicals from production and use to trade and disposal but are not yet fully coordinated in practice. The report analyses areas of overlap and cooperation, highlighting key issues such as the management of refrigerants and e-waste, enforcement challenges including illegal trade, and emerging risks linked to hazardous substances.

By identifying practical opportunities for enhanced cooperation such as integrated policy approaches, strengthened enforcement, and improved capacity-building the study provides a forward-looking framework for more effective implementation at the national and global levels. It underscores a central message: protecting the ozone layer today depends not only on eliminating harmful substances, but on managing them safely throughout their entire lifecycle through coordinated global action.

You may also be interested in:

• Interlinkages between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements and processes
• Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow: How chemical governance and high‑altitude science shape our climate future

World Meteorological Day 2026, celebrated under the theme Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow, highlights the essential role of robust environmental monitoring in safeguarding the planet’s future. It’s an opportunity to highlight how international chemical governance contributes to protecting the atmosphere and climate system - not only through regulation, but through the science and monitoring frameworks that identify trends, detect unexplained emissions, and guide global action.

While the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) conventions address hazardous chemicals - including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), whose long-range environmental transport links chemical pollution with atmospheric processes and global environmental change - the atmospheric monitoring networks established under Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer stand alongside the BRS conventions addressing ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and other controlled chemicals affecting the ozone layer and climate. This coordinated global action - spanning global monitoring networks - protects the atmosphere and human health.

The BRS conventions protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes across their life cycles. Their mandates increasingly intersect with broader environmental challenges, including biodiversity loss and climate change. At the 2025 meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Parties to the Stockholm Convention took further steps to strengthen global protection against POPs, including the listing of long‑chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC‑PFCAs), a subgroup of PFAS often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their extreme environmental persistence. This decision represents the fourth group of PFAS to be listed under the Convention, reflecting growing global efforts to address this class of highly persistent substances.

Through its atmospheric networks and expert panels, the Montreal Protocol has repeatedly demonstrated its unique ability to identify discrepancies between reported and observed emissions - such as unexpected emissions of CFC11 and HFC23 that are not aligned with emissions to be derived from national reporting. These discoveries reinforce not only the importance of monitoring, but the critical role of science in ensuring the achievement of the objectives of the Protocol and spurring corrective action. This “measure-and-respond” model is one of the most successful examples of environmental monitoring driving real-world policy outcomes.

The BRS Secretariat and the Ozone Secretariat also continue to strengthen collaboration in their efforts to address hazardous and illegally traded substances. Through this cooperation, the Secretariats exchange information and coordinate actions to combat, an international partnership aimed at enhancing the capacity of customs and border officers to identify, control and intercept illicit shipments of hazardous chemicals, ODS and other regulated materials. The Basel Convention also provides comprehensive technical guidelines that apply to the destruction methods commonly used for substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol. Green Customs Initiative, an international partnership aimed at enhancing the capacity of customs and border officers to identify, control and intercept illicit shipments of hazardous chemicals, ODS and other regulated materials. The Basel Convention also provides comprehensive technical guidelines that apply to the destruction methods commonly used for substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol.

While customs-based enforcement may address illegal shipments, the Montreal Protocol’s system of atmospheric monitoring acts as an independent check - detecting unusual or rising emissions that may indicate illegal production, or under-reporting or non-reporting. This dual system of on-the-ground enforcement and atmospheric surveillance strengthens global compliance and integrity.

Through shared training programmes, information tools, and coordinated enforcement efforts, the initiative supports countries in implementing and enforcing their obligations under multilateral environmental agreements. Recent work by the Secretariats has also highlighted these connections. An exploratory study on the interlinkages between the Montreal Protocol and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (UNEP/CHW.17/INF/59) underscores opportunities for enhanced cooperation in areas such as hazardous chemicals management, environmentally sound waste management, and enforcement against illegal trade.

The partnership between the BRS Conventions and the Montreal Protocol also highlights the importance of linking sound chemical management with atmospheric monitoring. By supporting the detection of pollutants transported through the atmosphere — including POPs monitored under the Stockholm Convention’s Global Monitoring Plan and controlled substances monitored under the Montreal Protocol’s atmospheric networks — these efforts strengthen the scientific basis for evaluating the effectiveness of global environmental agreements and for informing policies that protect air quality, ecosystems and climate stability.

As we mark World Meteorological Day 2026, the message is clear: Protecting tomorrow depends on what we observe and how we act today.