BRS NEWSLETTER

Assisting parties to protect human health and the environment

March 2017 - No. 11

Welcome

Dear Readers, the “Countdown to the COPs” is now well underway and you can find below many relevant pieces of news which will help you prepare for, and follow, the forthcoming Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, which will be staged from 24 April to 5 May in Geneva, Switzerland. This year, there will also be a Technology Fair from 27 – 29 April, and a High-Level Segment, from 4 – 5 May.

News
	Angola accedes to the Basel Convention, becoming the 186th Party Angola deposited its instrument of accession, meaning that the Convention will enter into force for Angola on 7 May 2017, immediately following the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Share:
	Chemicals emergency response preparedness capacity built during first-of-its-kind workshop in Latin America A simulated chemical emergency in a Sao Paolo park was among the highlights of a workshop organised by BRS and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) recently, hosted by the Brazilian Regional Centre CETESB. Share:
	Watch the new BRS video on children and pesticides Using empty pesticide bottles to take drinking water to school is just one of the ways children are exposed to toxic chemicals, says FAO’s Elisabetta Tagliati in the latest in the BRS video series. Share:
	New online tool assists Rotterdam Convention Parties' decision-making on hazardous chemicals The newly available, interactive tool on Final Regulatory Actions helps Parties, especially developing countries, take scientifically-sound decisions. Share:
	Monitoring shows regulations are reducing environmental & human exposure to toxic chemicals Highlights of the first Stockholm Convention Effectiveness Evaluation Report, including factsheets on 5 key POPs, now available online. Share:
	New joint information profiles now online for 193 countries The BRS clearing-house mechanism takes another step forward with joint country profiles now bringing all national information on chemicals governance into one place. Share:
	Online briefings on the upcoming meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions The online briefings will provide Parties representatives, observers and other stakeholders with an overview of the issues that will be considered by the next meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions to promote the “Sound Management of Chemicals and Wastes” for a “Detoxified Future”. Ministers will gather during the high-level segment to provide overall policy guidance and political leadership for renewed commitment to the implementation of the conventions. Share:
	Now online: pre-session documents, including budget documents for consideration by the COPs Pre-session documents for the three COPs, including the proposed programmes of work and budgets for the conventions for 2018-2019, are now available. Share:

Technical Assistance

Upcoming webinars

Upcoming workshops

Emerging issues

Technology Fair to showcase solutions at 2017 Triple COPs

Parties and observers, including from the private sector are invited to exhibit solutions at the BRS Technology Fair, which will be held on the margins of the COPs from 27 to 29 April 2017.

Forthcoming meetings

Regional BRS Preparatory Meetings scheduled to ensure efficient COPs

With financial support from Switzerland, parties will consult regionally at preparatory meetings organised in March in Bangkok, Dakar, Riga and Sao Paolo.

Postcard from Ottawa, Canada

How effective is the Stockholm Convention?

Anne Daniel, Chair of the Stockholm Convention’s Effectiveness Evaluation Committee, shares her thoughts.

Synergies in the spotlight

Christine Fuell: Sustainable development in action – achieving the goals through synergies

With the Meetings of the conferences of the parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (COPs) coming up in just around three months in Geneva, Switzerland (24 April to 05 May 2017), parties and observers are for sure very busy to prepare for these important events. Their Governments...

Our Regional Centres

Latest regional focus takes us to Pretoria, South Africa

The Director of the Basel and Stockholm Regional Centre for anglophone Africa, Taeolo Letsela, shares his thoughts ahead of the 2017 Triple COPs.