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UN Secretary General calls for increased investment in waste management
With waste the theme of this year’s World Habitat Day, Antonio Guterres highlights the role of frontier technologies to transform waste into wealth, and stresses the need to reduce waste in the first place.

UN Secretary General calls for increased investment in waste management

UN Secretary General calls for increased investment in waste management
 
UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on chemicals and wastes management
Resolution urges implementation of 15 key principles on human rights and the protection of workers from exposure to toxic substances.

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on chemicals and wastes management

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on chemicals and wastes management

Resolution urges implementation of 15 key principles on human rights and the protection of workers from exposure to toxic substances.

In closing its 42nd session, the Human Rights Council has just adopted a key resolution for chemicals & wastes management and human rights, calling upon all States, business enterprises and other stakeholders to implement the 15 "Principles on human rights and the protection of workers from exposure to toxic substances" as set out in the 2019 report developed under the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on “the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes” (the Special Rapporteur on ‘Human Rights and Toxics’), Mr. Baskut Tuncak, who had presented such report earlier this month to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/42/41, available in the 6 UN languages at:

https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/42/41; see also:
https://www.srtoxics.org/2019-hrc-report-worker-principles/).

This resolution on the "protection of the rights of workers exposed to hazardous substances and wastes" recognises, among other things and in connection with the 2030 Agenda on sustainable development as well as with other fundamental UN human rights instruments or international labour standards, the human rights duty of States - and the corresponding responsibility of businesses - to prevent "unsafe" workers exposures to toxic substances, and calls for the:
  • Strengthening of the coherence between human rights and occupational health and safety standards,
  • Safeguarding of reproductive health in efforts to eliminate discrimination against women in employment, and
  • Strengthening of the global regime for chemicals & wastes management to promote human rights.

More information:

At present, the text of the adopted resolution may be found on the webpage here.

Click here to read more information on the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Toxics.

The UN takes further steps towards sustainability and is on course to be climate neutral by 2020
The BRS Secretariat is a proud member of the UN’s Greening the Blue initiative and has been climate neutral for 6 years in a row.

The UN takes further steps towards sustainability and is on course to be climate neutral by 2020

The UN takes further steps towards sustainability and is on course to be climate neutral by 2020

The BRS Secretariat is a proud member of the UN’s Greening the Blue (GtB) initiative and has been climate neutral for 6 years in a row. As the newly-published this year’s GtB Annual Report shows, the BRS Secretariat measures and monitors its overall consumption of water, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions and puts in place mitigation measures to ensure that its footprint is ever lower.

Executive Secretary, Rolph Payet commented that “since 2011 the Secretariat has put in place practical measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, in 2017 we reduced our global air travel footprint by 15% on average compared to previous COP years (2015, 2013, 2011) and overall, since 2011, the Secretariat has reduced its carbon footprint by 21%, most notably due to promoting teleconferencing and back-to-back meetings”.

The Secretariat has been carbon-neutral since 2013. Reducing the Secretariat’s water consumption and generation of waste, including plastic waste, is also a priority. During the 2019 Triple COPs, special measures were taken to reduce the use of single-use plastics making the two-week long meetings not only paperless, but plastic-free.

For more on how the BRS Secretariat promotes sustainability across its operations, see: https://www.brsmeas.org/Secretariat/ManagementReports/Sustainability/tabid/2756/language/en-US/Default.aspx or contact Ana-Maria Witt at ana.witt@brsmeas.org.

For the new Greening the Blue Report, including the latest data on the BRS Secretariat and other UN organisations, see:
https://www.greeningtheblue.org/what-the-un-is-doing/secretariat-basel-rotterdam-stockholm-conventions-brs.

New plastic waste project underway in Bangladesh
Building on the recent Basel Convention plastic waste amendment, a new Norwegian-funded initiative has begun, with inception meetings in Dhaka for experts and stakeholders, 18 to 19 September, 2019.

New plastic waste project underway in Bangladesh

New plastic waste project underway in Bangladesh
 
More than 100 participants attend regional meeting to boost implementation of the Basel and Rotterdam conventions in Africa
Dakar, Senegal, hosts a capacity-building workshop for governments and other stakeholders working towards the sound management of chemicals and waste, including plastic waste. Funding support kindly provided by the Government of France.

More than 100 participants attend regional meeting to boost implementation of the Basel and Rotterdam conventions in Africa

More than 100 participants attend regional meeting to boost implementation of the Basel and Rotterdam conventions in Africa
 
Read the BRS Executive Secretary’s contribution to the Universal Health Coverage new report “Health: A Political Choice”
“Pollution 5.0” is the title of Rolph Payet’s latest article, on why sound management of chemicals and waste is a prerequisite for achieving universal health coverage.

Read the BRS Executive Secretary’s contribution to the Universal Health Coverage new report “Health: A Political Choice”

Read the BRS Executive Secretary’s contribution to the Universal Health Coverage new report “Health: A Political Choice”

With deaths arising from pollution outstripping deaths caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, the need for sound management of chemicals and waste is pre-eminent from a health perspective, as well as from environmental and economic perspectives, writes BRS Executive Secretary Rolph Payet in the special report “Health: A Political Choice,” published by the Universal Health Coverage 2030 network in June 2019.

For more info on UHC2030 see: https://www.uhc2030.org/, and to read the article.

Basel Convention’s Ban Amendment to enter-into-force
With Croatia’s recent ratification of the @UN Basel Convention’s Ban Amendment, the threshold has now been reached, strengthening the prohibition of unwanted shipments of hazardous waste from developed to developing countries. Entry-into-force is 5 December 2019. Official Press Release t...

Basel Convention’s Ban Amendment to enter-into-force

Basel Convention’s Ban Amendment to enter-into-force
 
Household waste challenge takes centre stage as Basel Convention stakeholders meet in Trinidad
The second meeting of the Household Waste Partnership takes place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 4 to 6 September.

Household waste challenge takes centre stage as Basel Convention stakeholders meet in Trinidad

Household waste challenge takes centre stage as Basel Convention stakeholders meet in Trinidad
 
The Basel Convention’s new Plastic Waste Partnership seeks members
The BRS Secretariat is now seeking partners to mobilise business, government, international organisation, academic and civil society interests and expertise on the environmentally sound management – including prevention and minimisation – of plastic waste. The deadline for expressing int...

The Basel Convention’s new Plastic Waste Partnership seeks members

The Basel Convention’s new Plastic Waste Partnership seeks members
 
Meeting reports from the 2019 BRS Triple COPs now available
Online: meeting reports from the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions (advance English versions).

Meeting reports from the 2019 BRS Triple COPs now available

Meeting reports from the 2019 BRS Triple COPs now available
 
Funding support available for sound management of chemicals and waste
The French government’s new fund supports activities in support of the global chemicals conventions in developing countries, and has a deadline for project proposals of 4 October 2019.

Funding support available for sound management of chemicals and waste

Funding support available for sound management of chemicals and waste
 
Behind the Scenes at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 2019 COPs - video
Watch the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions “Behind the Scenes” video for a better understanding of how the Triple COPs work.

Behind the Scenes at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 2019 COPs - video

Behind the Scenes at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 2019 COPs - video
 
Highlights of the 2019 BRS COPs captured on video
Watch key parts of the Triple COPs, including the moment Parties decided, by consensus, to amend the Basel Convention to tackle plastic wastes.

Highlights of the 2019 BRS COPs captured on video

Highlights of the 2019 BRS COPs captured on video

Click below for video coverage of the meetings of the Conferences of Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions, held in Geneva from 29 April to 10 May 2019.

- Film of the moments that the 19th Basel Convention COP adopted decisions relating to plastic waste, via the Geneva Environment Network facebook account;
- Film of the BRS Triple COPs Closing Press Conference, via the UN TV (Geneva) network;
- Films of each day of the Triple COPs (by the BRS video consultant, Jenni Hamilton);
- Radio interview with Explorer/Broadcaster Paul Rose, reflecting on the COPs, via the UN Radio (Geneva) service.

Commercial TV channels also broadcasted newspieces on the Triple COPs including Al Jazeera (Qatar); ARD (Germany); CCTV (China); and CNN (USA) to mention just a few.


Global experts on marine litter meet at BRS Secretariat in Geneva
First plastics meeting since the COP decision to amend the Basel Convention sees GESAMP experts assess risks associated with plastics in the marine environment.

Global experts on marine litter meet at BRS Secretariat in Geneva

Global experts on marine litter meet at BRS Secretariat in Geneva
 
Plastic Wastes: A World Problem
Plastic waste and especially marine plastic litter is an environmental problem occurring on a global scale today. The ubiquitous transboundary movement of plastic wastes and microplastics is becoming a major concern as their property of durability makes their particles remain for long period of time...

Plastic Wastes: A World Problem

Plastic Wastes: A World Problem
 
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