New York, USA, 2-13 May 2011

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 to ensure effective follow-up to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), is responsible for reviewing the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development as well as providing policy guidance to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) at the local, national, regional and international levels. 

In its 2010-2011 cycle, the CSD considered five thematic clusters: chemicals, waste management, transportation, mining and sustainable consumption & production patterns. The cycle commenced with the review of thematic issues (18th session of the CSD in 2010; CSD-18) and concludes with the adoption of policy recommendations (19th session of the CSD in 2011; CSD-19). 

Building on CSD-18’s review, CSD-19 was a “policy” session, during which delegates considered policy recommendations to expedite implementation in the five thematic clusters under consideration and the 10-year framework of programmes (10YFP) on sustainable consumption and production (SCP). In the area of chemicals, the work of the Commission specifically focused on reviewing progress and identifying policy actions in achieving the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) 2020 goal on sound management of chemicals. 

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions were actively involved in the work of the 19th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development which took place in New York from 2-13 May 2011.

UN DESA CSD-19 website
IISD-ENB CSD-19 daily coverage

Learning centre on chemicals management 

Tuesday, 3 May 2011 at 10 am-1 pm, Room B, North Lawn Building (NLB), UN headquarters 

The learning session, which was organised by UNEP Chemicals, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, aimed at providing concrete information on three important policy areas for the thematic area on Chemicals: future trends in the production and use of chemicals, chemical management and linkages with human health and the environment, and case studies on international agreements and partnerships as a tool for achieving sound management of chemicals. 

Listing of new chemicals under the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

Learning centre on chemicals, wastes and sustainable development: Overcoming new challenges 

Friday, 6 May 2011 at 3-6 pm, Room B, NLB, UN headquarters 

The learning session, which was organised by the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and UNEP Chemicals, aimed at interacting with participants on some of the main challenges currently facing the sound management of chemicals and wastes. Emphasis was placed on industrial chemicals, electrical and electronic wastes and measures to prevent the illegal traffic in hazardous wastes. Recent developments regarding the listing of new chemicals under the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions were also highlighted. 

Learning session programme
Ice-breaker
Overview of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions
Listing of new chemicals under the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions: Endosulfan by FAO
Chemicals in products by UNEP Chemicals
Industrial chemicals: challenges by UNEP Chemicals
Rotterdam Convention's programme on industrial chemicals
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) by US EPA
E-waste and PACE by conventions secretariats
Illegal traffic in hazardous waste by conventions secretariats

Side-event on integrating sound management: Engaging civil society in sustainability

Monday, 9 May 2011 at 1:15-2:45 pm, Room 4, NLB, UN headquarters 

Organised by the UN CSD Education Working Group, this interactive policy forum on "Integrating Sound Management: Engaging Civil Society in Sustainability" aimed at identifying opportunities for innovation, implementation, and learning leading to advance the thematic topics considered by this Agenda 21 CSD 19 Policy Session. 

Side event programme

High level side-event launching the Publication on Synergies Success Stories: Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions 

Wednesday, 11 May 2011 at 1:15-2:45 pm, Room B, NLB, UN headquarters 

Over the past years, the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions have set up a unique process to enhance collaboration and coordination among the conventions. The so-called synergies process among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions demonstrates that international environmental governance can be enhanced with the aim of fostering the implementation of a cluster of related MEAs. 

Developed jointly by the secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and the Division for Sustainable Development of UNDESA, the publication on “Synergies Success Stories” aims at presenting the ongoing synergistic work in the areas of chemicals and wastes and show casing practical ways of implementing the conventions in a coordinated way. The publication “Synergies Success Stories” was officially launched at the side-event. 

Side event programme
Publication on Success Stories on Synergies
Success Stories and Lessons learned
Green Customs Initiative by UNEP DTIE
Probo Koala Programme by conventions secretariats
GENASIS by the Czech Republic

Safe Planet Body Burden Forum

Thursday, 12 May 2011 at 1:15-2:45 pm, Room 4, NLB, UN headquarters 

Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes invite high-profile personages and international experts to engage in a dialogue on how human bio-monitoring information can support the Millennium Development Goals and World Summit on Sustainable Development 2020 target to achieve sound management of chemicals and wastes. 

The Forum discussed the results of human milk monitoring survey on POPs and WHO review of global burden of chemical exposure and initiatives of the chemical cluster conventions to raise awareness and motivate public action to reduce the risks to public health and the environment. During the Forum, the short documentary film, Body Burden was screened.

Stine Hattestad Bratsberg, Co-chair of the Safe Planet Campaign, LPGA pro golfer Suzann Pettersen, Werner Obermeyer (Executive Director, WHO Office at the United Nations in New York), Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, and an International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) representative were invited to participate in a roundtable discussion chaired by Jan-Gustav Strandenaes. 

Side event programme
Burden of disease related to chemicals by WHO

• Safe Planet: the United Nations Campaign for Responsibility on Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes background note - PDF document)
• Safe Planet on Facebook

Full Fathom Five Revue exhibition