BRS NEWSLETTER

Assisting parties to protect human health and the environment

September / October 2018 - No. 21

Welcome

Dear Readers,

This bumper autumn edition has much to offer including BRS subsidiary body recommendations for new chemical listings and for action to tackle marine plastics pollution; details of upcoming BRS information sessions around the world during October; and updates on preparations for the next Triple COPs in April/May next year, including the COPs Theme. Happy reading and #Detox!

News
	New era for waste management heralded as waste experts agree a raft of decisions including on marine plastic litter and microplastics The Press Release of the 11th Meeting of the Basel Convention’s Open-ended Working Group is now online. Share:
	Susan Wingfield: Minimising Marine Plastic Litter through utilizing the Basel Convention If marine plastic litter is currently top of the environmental agenda, then waste management should surely be the most pressing of tasks amongst the multitude of actions required to tackle this problem. With an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic in our seas, 80-90% of which has come from land-based sources... Share:
	Basel Convention partnerships take action to minimise solid waste generation The BRS press release on Basel Convention partnerships is online, marking World Habitat Day 2018 and its focus on solid waste. Share:
	Preparations for Basel Convention COP-14 underway The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention met from 19 to 20 June 2018 in Geneva, to discuss preparations for the BC COP-14 in 2019. The meeting report is now online. Share:
	4 hazardous chemicals recommended to be listed in Rotterdam Convention annex The Press Release of the 14th Meeting of the Chemical Review Committee, which closed on 13 September in Rome, is available online. Share:
	Enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention The report of the meeting of the intersessional working group that met in Riga, Latvia, on 4-6 June 2018, is now available online. Share:
	Preparations for Rotterdam Convention COP-9 underway The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention met from 26 to 27 June 2018 in Geneva, to discuss preparations for the RC COP-9 in 2019. The meeting report is now online. Share:
	Stockholm Convention’s scientific committee recommends listing PFOA in Annex A The press release of the 14th meeting of the POPs Review Committee is available online. Share:
	Lithuania transmits updated national plan for implementing the Stockholm Convention To rid the world of POPs and beat pollution, Lithuania has transmitted its updated national plan reflecting amendments made at COP-4, COP-5 and COP-6. Share:
	Preparations for Stockholm Convention COP-9 underway The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention met from 3 to 4 July 2018 in Geneva, to discuss preparations for the SC COP-9 in 2019. The meeting report is now online. Share:
	Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste The BRS Secretariat is pleased to announce the theme for the 2019 Triple COPs. Share:

Technical Assistance

Upcoming webinars

Upcoming workshops

Outcomes of the fourteenth meetings of the Chemical Review Committee and the POPs Review Committee

The online briefings will provide an overview of the outcomes of the fourteenth meetings of the Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee (CRC) and the Stockholm Convention POPs Review Committee (POPRC), held, respectively, on 11-13 September 2018 and 17-21 September 2018, in Rome, Italy.

Forthcoming meeting

BRS Regional information sessions series kicks-off in Africa

Regional information sessions, throughout October, are staged back-to-back with Minamata Convention COP-2 preparatory meetings.

Emerging issues

M-Cube launched to raise awareness on marine litter and microplastics

Thanks to funding from the UK, an art installation in the heart of international Geneva became the focus of public awareness activity as part of the Basel Convention High Level Event on 4 September.

Synergies in the spotlight

Workers dying as a result of toxic exposure, says UN Special Rapporteur

A new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Toxics states that one worker dies every 30 seconds from toxic exposure in the workplace.

Postcard from Norway

Norwegian event on POPs and Body Burden re-affirms need to take action on chemicals and waste

Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment, and Rolph Payet, BRS Executive Secretary, shared a platform in Arendal, Norway on 15 August 2018 to raise awareness on toxic chemicals and their impacts on human health.