In the spotlight

Electronic Reporting System makes reporting ‘a snap’

Electronic Reporting System makes reporting ‘a snap’

Parties can now submit their third national reports using the updated Electronic Reporting System.

Each Party is requested to submit its third national report to the Secretariat by 31 August 2014.

Electronic Reporting System makes reporting ‘a snap’

Electronic Reporting System makes reporting ‘a snap’
 
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Announcements

Development of visual identity of modules for training and capacity building – Consultancy Announcement

Call for Applications by 15 August 2014.

Development of visual identity of modules for training and capacity building – Consultancy Announcement

Call for Applications by 15 August 2014.

The July issue of the BRS Technical Assistance Newsletter is now available

The Technical Assistance Newsletter provides information on the past, current and upcoming technical assistance activities.

The July issue of the BRS Technical Assistance Newsletter is now available

The July issue of the BRS Technical Assistance Newsletter is now available
 

Stockholm Convention questionnaire on technical assistance needs assessment for 2014

The deadline for submissions is extended until 30 June 2014.

Stockholm Convention questionnaire on technical assistance needs assessment for 2014

The deadline for submissions is extended until 30 June 2014.


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Highlights

New Parties to the Convention

Transmission of National Implementation Plans

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POPs In the news

“The Month of Reporting” opens with special series of webinars on National Reporting

“The Month of Reporting” opens with special series of webinars on National Reporting

A series of webinars aim to provide in-depth guidance to Parties to the Stockholm Convention on how to submit their national reports.
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“The Month of Reporting” opens with special series of webinars on National Reporting

“The Month of Reporting” opens with special series of webinars on National Reporting

A series of webinars aim to provide in-depth guidance to Parties to the Stockholm Convention on how to submit their national reports.

Resource mobilization for the 2014-15 biennium takes off with concept notes for voluntary financial contributions

Resource mobilization for the 2014-15 biennium takes off with concept notes for voluntary financial contributions

A list of concept notes for voluntary financial contributions for the biennium 2014/15 is now available.  
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Resource mobilization for the 2014-15 biennium takes off with concept notes for voluntary financial contributions

Resource mobilization for the 2014-15 biennium takes off with concept notes for voluntary financial contributions

A list of concept notes for voluntary financial contributions for the biennium 2014/15 is now available.

 

Tenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to be held in Rome in October 2014

Tenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to be held in Rome in October 2014

The tenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-10) will be held from 27 to 30 October 2014 in Rome, Italy.

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Tenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to be held in Rome in October 2014

Tenth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to be held in Rome in October 2014
 

Clock starts ticking towards entry into force of HBCD amendment

The amendment for the listing of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention will enter into force on 26 November 2014 for most Parties.  
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Clock starts ticking towards entry into force of HBCD amendment

The official notification of HBCD has been communicated, by the Depositary/Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs in New York, to all Parties on 26 November 2013.

The notification is now available in English and in French

The HBCD amendment will enter into force for Parties on 26 November 2014, except for those Parties which might opt out, or for those Parties which had submitted the declaration for opting-in to any amendments, at the time they submitted their instruments of ratification of the Convention.

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Activities

Syndicate
Updating National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention: priority setting for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs

Updating National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention: priority setting for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs

The objective of this webinar is to provide an overview of the methodology for priority assessment and objective setting in the NIP updating process, share and exchange of information on the available guidance to develop and update NIPs, and provide information on training and capacity building activities.

Updating National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention: priority setting for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs

Updating National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention: priority setting for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs

Schedule and registration

Date and Time
(Geneva time: UTC/GMT+2 hour) 		Please register a few days in advance of the webinar.
To register, please use the following link:
Tuesday, 2 September,  at 10 am
 Register
Thursday,  4 September  at 4 pm
 Register

Objectives

  • Provide an overview of the methodology for priority assessment and objective setting in the NIP updating process.
  • Share and exchange of information on the available guidance to develop and update NIPs.
  • Provide information on training and capacity building activities.

Contents

  1. Introduction – 5 min
  2. Presentation:
    • NIP updating phase III: priority and objective setting - 30 min
                 Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
  3. Questions and answers - 25 min

Background

At its fourth, fifth and sixth meetings, the Conference of the Parties agreed to amend the Stockholm Convention to list 11 new POPs in Annex A, B and C of the Convention. Following the adoption of amendments, the last one on Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) enters into force on 26 November 2014, Parties have the obligation to update their NIP and to transmit it to the COP within two years from the date on which the amendments entered into force for them. When updating their NIPs, Parties are also encouraged to take into account the chemicals that POPRC is evaluating and in particular those for which the COP will need to take a decision.

This webinar will explore the priority assessment and the objective setting phase of the NIP updating process. While during the first and second phase of the NIP updating process countries establish a coordination mechanism and develop their inventories of new POPs, during the third phase countries are guided to develop country specific criteria to make priorities among the health and environmental impacts of new POPs. The proposed methodology is instrumental to formulating the objectives of the national implementation for the environmentally sound management of POPs and new POPs.

Several documents were developed to provide guidance to countries and assist them in the process of developing and implementing a NIP for the initial 12 POPs. The revision and update of the NIPs include among other issues, action plans development, sampling and monitoring, disposal technologies, BAT and BEP related to the whole lifecycle of these substances. The documents are available in all six official languages of the United Nations and are open for comments.

Target group

Official Contact Points of the Stockholm Convention, National Focal Points and national experts involved in the review and update of the NIPs at the national level.
 

Kerstin Stendahl calls for increased awareness & safer alternatives to unsound chemicals

Kerstin Stendahl calls for increased awareness & safer alternatives to unsound chemicals

Collective global action agreed to in our multilateral environmental agreements coupled with implementation supported by the Global Environment Facility is helping to reduce threats posed by the use of chemicals.


Kerstin Stendahl calls for increased awareness & safer alternatives to unsound chemicals

Kerstin Stendahl calls for increased awareness & safer alternatives to unsound chemicals

Collective global action agreed to in our multilateral environmental agreements coupled with implementation supported by the Global Environment Facility is helping to reduce threats posed by the use of chemicals.

Stockholm Convention Bureau discussed preparation for the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Stockholm Convention Bureau discussed preparation for the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties

The report of the meeting which took place on 14-15 May 2014, in Geneva, Switzerland is now available.

Stockholm Convention Bureau discussed preparation for the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Stockholm Convention Bureau discussed preparation for the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties
 
Record Funding for the Global Environment

Record Funding for the Global Environment

US$ 4.43 billion pledged for the Global Environment Facility.

Record Funding for the Global Environment

Record Funding for the Global Environment
 
First e-learning tool launched to prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and waste

First e-learning tool launched to prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and waste

INTERPOL and the BRS Secretariat launch e-learning module to help law enforcement officers identify and prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and wastes.

First e-learning tool launched to prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and waste

First e-learning tool launched to prevent illegal trade in hazardous chemicals and waste
 
17 participants strengthened their skills at the training session on chairing meetings of all conventions

17 participants strengthened their skills at the training session on chairing meetings of all conventions

Training contributes to gender and regional diversity in conventions’ corps of highly qualified chairpersons

17 participants strengthened their skills at the training session on chairing meetings of all conventions

17 participants strengthened their skills at the training session on chairing meetings of all conventions

Training contributes to gender and regional diversity in conventions’ corps of highly qualified chairpersons

The Pilot training session on chairing meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) conventions took place in Glion, Switzerland, from 3 to 5 March 2014. The training was conducted by the Institute of Advanced Studies of the United Nations University in cooperation with the Secretariat. It brought together 17 participants from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Cook Islands, Ecuador, Egypt, Georgia, Indonesia, Japan, Malawi, Poland, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, and Switzerland.

The participants benefited from experience of former chairs who led various BRS processes, including the conferences of the parties, meetings of subsidiary bodies, contact groups and informal consultations. Through the combination of lectures, case studies, videos and simulation exercises the participants learned firsthand how to effectively chair intergovernmental meetings and guide them toward consensual outcomes.

“The pilot raining extends the conventions’ corps of highly qualified chairpersons, ensuring that we can call upon experienced chairs from all regions, while maintaining gender and regional diversity among them,” said Kerstin Stendahl, BRS Deputy Executive Secretary.

The training session was held through the generous support of the Government of Switzerland.
Final report of POPRC-9 meeting released

Final report of POPRC-9 meeting released

The final report of the ninth meeting of the POPs Review Committee has been published in the six official UN languages.

Final report of POPRC-9 meeting released

Final report of POPRC-9 meeting released
 
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Upcoming meetings

Alternatives Identification and Assessment Training
Barcelona, Spain, on 13 December 2011

Alternatives Identification and Assessment Training

Barcelona, Spain, on 13 December 2011


As part of the Programme of Work of the CPRAC in its activity 5.1.13 “Promotion and diffusion of Alternative Products and Processes to reduce the use of POPs and other chemicals” the CP/RAC is organizing the “Alternatives Identification and Assessment Training” which will be held on 13th December in Barcelona.

The training is organized under the EU Life Project SUBSPORT and intends to provide authorities, industry, trade unions, NGOs and other interested parties with information and tools to facilitate the substitution of hazardous chemicals in products and processes with safer alternatives.

Draft Agenda
Invitation Letter
Registration Form
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Upcoming webinars

August 2014
OEWG9 preparatory briefing
Webinar, 26 August 2014

OEWG9 preparatory briefing

Webinar, 26 August 2014


The objective of this webinar is to inform Parties to the Basel Convention and observers to enable them to fully participate in the discussions at the ninth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group.

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OEWG9 preparatory briefing
Webinar, 28 August 2014

OEWG9 preparatory briefing

Webinar, 28 August 2014


The objective of this webinar is to inform Parties to the Basel Convention and observers to enable them to fully participate in the discussions at the ninth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group.

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Recent meetings

July 2014
Sub-regional workshop on reporting obligations under the Basel and Stockholm Conventions
Dakar, Senegal, 6 - 8 July 2014

Sub-regional workshop on reporting obligations under the Basel and Stockholm Conventions

Dakar, Senegal, 6 - 8 July 2014


Background: Parties to the Basel Convention are required to transmit to the Secretariat, at the end of each calendar year, their respective national reports pursuant to Article 13, paragraph 3. The national report questionnaire contains qualitative and quantitative information. This is a mechanism that allows Parties to share information with each other and it also indicates the level of the implementation of the Basel Convention.  The focal points of the Basel Convention, at the national level, are responsible for receiving and submitting information as provided for in Articles 13 and 16.

Parties to the Stockholm Convention are to transmit national reports to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention every four years. The reports contain qualitative information on the measures taken to implement the Convention and on the effectiveness of such measures. Additionally, Parties are required to report quantitative information which includes statistical data on the production, import and export of the chemicals listed in Annexes A and B, among others.

Based on these obligations, the Secretariat has developed electronic reporting systems, one for each convention, where Parties can report directly online.

Organized by: The training is organized by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in cooperation with the Basel and Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in Dakar. The Government of Norway and the European Union have kindly provided the funding for the training course.

Working language(s): French is the working language of the training.

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May 2014
Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention
Geneva, Switzerland, 14 - 15 May 2014

Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention

Geneva, Switzerland, 14 - 15 May 2014


Venue: International Environment House 1 (IEH-1), Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland

Highlights: The Bureau of the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention, among other things, reviewed progress made in implementation of the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting and discussed the preparation of the seventh meeting of the Conference to be held back to back with the meetings of the conferences of the parties to the Basel and Rotterdam conventions in 2015.

Working language: The working language of the meeting will be English.

Meeting participants

Ms. Johanna Lissinger Peitz, President of the Conference of the Parties, chaired the meeting. Nine members of the Bureau (or replacement of members) participated in the meeting. The Chair of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee attended the meeting as an ex-officio member. Ms. Kerstin Stendahl, Executive Secretary ad interim of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, and Mr. David Ogden, Chief, Conventions Operations Branch, along with other members of the Secretariat participated in the meeting.

List of participants

Next Meeting

The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention will meet again on 11-12 November 2014, together with the bureaux of the conferences of the parties to the Basel and Rotterdam conventions. During their joint meeting in November the three bureaux will further discuss and agree on, among other things, the organization of work of the meetings of the conferences of the parties in May 2015.

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