All activities

Follow-up to the Basel Convention COP-16 kick-started
Check out the various calls for information and nominations set out in decisions of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention.

Follow-up to the Basel Convention COP-16 kick-started

Follow-up to the Basel Convention COP-16 kick-started
 
The global governance of plastics and associated chemicals report is now available
The recently launched report on the Global governance of plastics and associated chemicals provides the first comprehensive mapping of the existing global governance landscape for plastics and associated chemicals. The mapping includes both binding and voluntary measures adopted at the global level that explicitly refer to plastics and chemicals known to be found in plastics, as well as those measures that may encompass plastics and associated chemicals by inference.

The global governance of plastics and associated chemicals report is now available

The global governance of plastics and associated chemicals report is now available
 
Representatives for the Eastern European Region met in Zagreb, Croatia in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs
The Eastern Europe regional preparatory meeting for the 2023 meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions took place from 28 to 30 March 2023 in Zagreb, Croatia. The meeting which was hosted by the Government of Croatia and organized in cooperation with the Basel Convention Regional Centre located in Slovakia, provided an opportunity for Parties in the region to consult each other in advance of the COPs and facilitate the preparation of regional po...

Representatives for the Eastern European Region met in Zagreb, Croatia in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs

Representatives for the Eastern European Region met in Zagreb, Croatia in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs
 
Latin American and Caribbean delegates meet in Panama-City in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs
On Tuesday 28 March 2023 participants attending the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Preparatory meeting for the 2023 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions were welcomed to Panama-City by Dr. Luis Francisco Sucre, Minister of Health of Panama and Dr. Eduardo Flores Castro, Rector of the University of Panama. The meeting which was organized in cooperation with the Basel and Stockholm Conventions Regional Centre in Panama, provided an oppo...

Latin American and Caribbean delegates meet in Panama-City in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs

Latin American and Caribbean delegates meet in Panama-City in the lead to the 2023 BRS COPs
 
Regional preparations for the 2023 BRS COPs continue to move ahead
Delegates from the Africa region met from 21 to 23 March 2023 in Dakar, Senegal during the regional preparatory meeting for the 2023 BRS COPs. The meeting provided an opportunity for Parties in the region to consult each other in advance of the COPs and facilitate the preparation of regional positions amongst others.

Regional preparations for the 2023 BRS COPs continue to move ahead

Regional preparations for the 2023 BRS COPs continue to move ahead
 
Delegates from the Asia-Pacific region met in the lead-up to the 2023 BRS COPs
The Asia-Pacific regional preparatory meeting for the 2023 BRS COPS was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 14 to 16 March 2023. The meeting provided an opportunity for Parties in the region to consult each other in advance of the COPs and facilitate the preparation of regional positions amongst others.

Delegates from the Asia-Pacific region met in the lead-up to the 2023 BRS COPs

Delegates from the Asia-Pacific region met in the lead-up to the 2023 BRS COPs
 
International support for the Ban Amendment continues to increase
International efforts to control unwanted imports of waste continues to strengthen, with Thailand becoming the 102nd Party to ratify the Basel Convention Ban Amendment.

International support for the Ban Amendment continues to increase

International support for the Ban Amendment continues to increase
 
Regional preparations in the lead-up the 2023 BRS Conventions COPs
Regional preparatory meetings for the upcoming meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions are taking place in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and GRULAC regions during March 2023.

Regional preparations in the lead-up the 2023 BRS Conventions COPs

Regional preparations in the lead-up the 2023 BRS Conventions COPs
 
Briefing on the 2023 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Briefing on the 2023 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Briefing on the 2023 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
 
13th  meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention meets in Geneva
The thirteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (OEWG-13) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21 to 23 February 2023, as a prelude to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-16), to be held in Geneva on 1-12 May 2023. 

13th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention meets in Geneva

13th  meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention meets in Geneva

The thirteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (OEWG-13) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21 to 23 February 2023, as a prelude to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-16), to be held in Geneva on 1-12 May 2023. 

Book now your booth and participate in the PCB Fair during the 2023 BRS COPs!
The Fair on Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) will be held during the 2023 COPs, from 3 to 5 May 2023, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG). The the objective of Fair is to raise awareness on the urgency to accelerate action to meet the upcoming 2025 and 2028 PCB deadlines under the Stockholm Convention, as well as, to raise awareness on other deadlines under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The deadline for booking a booth is 01 March 2023.

Book now your booth and participate in the PCB Fair during the 2023 BRS COPs!

Book now your booth and participate in the PCB Fair during the 2023 BRS COPs!
 
Outcomes of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee and the Rotterdam Convention Compliance Committee meetings
The objective of this online briefing is to inform Parties to the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions, observers and other stakeholders on the outcomes of the fifteenth meeting of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee (BC ICC-15) and the first meeting of the Rotterdam Convention’s Compliance Committee (RC CC-1).

Outcomes of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee and the Rotterdam Convention Compliance Committee meetings

Outcomes of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee and the Rotterdam Convention Compliance Committee meetings
 
Natural packaging to fight plastic pollution: pilot project launched in Ghana
The pilot on natural packaging is part of an ongoing project on plastic waste, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and implemented by Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, in cooperation with the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for the Africa Region. The food and water packaging solutions are manufactured by Notpla.

Natural packaging to fight plastic pollution: pilot project launched in Ghana

Natural packaging to fight plastic pollution: pilot project launched in Ghana

A pilot to introduce natural packaging and reduce the use of single-use plastic has been successfully launched in Accra, Ghana. Over the next months, seaweed-based takeaway boxes and edible water sachets will be offered at five canteens and shops on the University of Ghana campus. This initiative aims to demonstrate the potential of plastic-free packaging as a sustainable alternative to single-use packaging, and pave the way for a more widespread use of natural packaging, not only in Ghana, but also in other countries.

The two plastic-free packaging solutions being tested are:

  • an edible water sachet called ‘Ooho’ for hydration on the go, which seeks to reduce the widespread use of plastic sachets; and
  • a takeaway food container that has many of the same grease and water-resistant qualities as traditional coatings.

Produced by the sustainable packaging start-up Notpla, which was recently awarded an Earthshot Prize, both seaweed-based packaging solutions are rendered completely compostable and biodegradable within six to eight weeks.

“This initiative is a real-world illustration of the waste hierarchy: it is less costly, more efficient and more sustainable to prevent waste in the first place, instead of generating and subsequently managing it,” remarked Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions.

As revealed by the national plastic waste inventory developed under the project, Ghana generates an estimated 900,000 tonnes of municipal plastic waste per year, almost half of which is not collected, but instead is typically burnt, dumped or buried. Therefore, it is clear that solutions focusing on the prevention and minimization of plastic waste serve as a critical pillar in the reduction of plastic waste in Ghana, which needs to be managed in an environmentally sound manner.

The pilot on natural packaging is part of an ongoing project on plastic waste, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and implemented by Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and the BRS Secretariat, in cooperation with the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for the Africa Region. Other activities implemented under the project include a pilot on reusable bags, a collection and recycling scheme for plastic fishing nets, a beach cleanup and citizen science survey, the training of plastic waste recyclers to minimize releases of microplastics, and the development of recommendations on legal matters and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is the only global legally binding instrument that currently and specifically addresses plastic waste. In 2019, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention adopted the Plastic Waste Amendments. Effective as of 1 January 2021, the Amendments aim to ensure that transboundary movements of plastic waste are more transparent and better regulated. In addition, the Basel Convention Parties are legally bound under the Amendments to take steps to ensure that plastic waste is managed in environmentally sound ways within their territories, and that plastic waste generation is prevented and minimized.

NOTES for EDITORS

The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions brings together the three leading multilateral environmental agreements that share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal aims to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the environmentally unsound management of hazardous wastes and other wastes worldwide.

Marine litter and microplastics: promoting the environmentally sound management of plastic waste and achieving the prevention and minimization of the generation of plastic waste (BRS-Norad-1) is financed by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The programme seeks to prevent and significantly reduce marine litter and microplastics by strengthening capacity in Ghana and Sri Lanka, at the regional and global levels.

Contacts:

For technical questions on the natural packaging pilot: Jost Dittkrist, BRS Programme Officer jost.dittkrist@un.org.
For media inquiries: Marisofi Giannouli, BRS Associate Public Information officer, marisofi.giannouli@un.org.

Photo album

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Apply for a side event at the 2023 BRS COPs!
All side events will be held during lunch breaks and in the evenings. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2023.

Apply for a side event at the 2023 BRS COPs!

Apply for a side event at the 2023 BRS COPs!
 
Winners of our e-waste storytelling competition announced!
Participants were invited to share anecdotes of cherished electric and electronic devices they should have disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

Winners of our e-waste storytelling competition announced!

Winners of our e-waste storytelling competition announced!
 
Happy holidays and a prosperous 2023!

Happy holidays and a prosperous 2023!

Happy holidays and a prosperous 2023!
 
Operation DEMETER VIII successfully completed
Enforced by the Basel Convention and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the DEMETER operations have been taking place since 2009, with the aim of tackling transboundary trafficking in waste and ozone depleting substances, through the enhanced cooperation between customs and environmental authorities.

Operation DEMETER VIII successfully completed

Operation DEMETER VIII successfully completed
 
5th meeting of the Expert Working Group on the review of Annexes to the Basel Convention
Convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 to 7 December 2022, the hybrid meeting marked the completion of a set of revised recommendations pertaining to the review of hazardous wastes under the Basel Convention.

5th meeting of the Expert Working Group on the review of Annexes to the Basel Convention

5th meeting of the Expert Working Group on the review of Annexes to the Basel Convention
 
International Mountain Day 2022: do you know how much plastic is on our mountain peaks?
The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions launches the Plastic Waste on the Peak storymap to raise awareness of plastic pollution in remote and mountainous areas.

International Mountain Day 2022: do you know how much plastic is on our mountain peaks?

International Mountain Day 2022: do you know how much plastic is on our mountain peaks?
 
Read it - Play it - Own it
The #PlasticIsForever social media challenge has been launched on Tik Tok. Share your score with us to win a hard copy of the Plastic is Forever photography book.

Read it - Play it - Own it

Read it - Play it - Own it
 
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