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A list of concept notes for voluntary financial contributions for the biennium 2018/19 is now available on the BRS websites
Concept notes for voluntary financial contributions 2018-19 now available
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During an intensive period at UN Environment HQ in Nairobi, the BRS Secretariat has organised a side event together with the governments of Germany, Mauritius and Uruguay.
BRS Secretariat participates at the third U.N. Environment Assembly as observer
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The BRS Secretariat is proud to be a founder member of the Steering Committee for the UN Global Science-Policy-Business Forum on the Environment, meeting for the first time at UNEA-3 in Nairobi, 2-3 December.
BRS Secretariat joins steering committee of UN global body on environment
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Together with IUCN, the BRS Secretariat publishes new research showing progress on mainstreaming gender into the work of the 3 chemical conventions.
New report shows progress on gender in chemical conventions’ decision-making and planning
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Parties can now make use of a new electronic reporting system, including new questions, on the Basel Convention website, for 2016 national reports (deadline December 31).
New improved electronic reporting system for Basel Convention is now live
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The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management - SAICM - invites all stakeholders to share their views through an online survey on information needs.
Stakeholders invited to share opinions on knowledge management needs
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UNITAR, the UN’s training and research institute, and the BRS Secretariat, together offer a range of online training modules of relevance for implementing the conventions.
Online training available on sound management of chemicals and waste
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BRS is contributing to GESAMP – the UN-wide, global scientific initiative on protecting the marine environment – reflecting the mandate to work on marine litter given at the last COPs.
Science for Sustainable Oceans meeting held in Geneva
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Read about the BRS regional centre for South-East Asia, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Regional focus switches to Indonesia
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The Advance English version of the report of the thirteenth meeting of the COP to the Basel Convention is now available online.
Basel Convention COP-13 meeting report now available
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The BRS Secretariat contributed to the recent consultation on human rights and the environment, organised alongside the June session of the Human Rights Council.
Connecting the sound management of chemicals and waste, children’s rights, and the environment
On 22nd -23rd June 2017, in parallel to the June session of the Human Rights Council, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, Prof. John Knox, held consultations on children’s rights and the environment, in view of his next report to the Human Rights Council, at which the BRS Secretariat contributed. These consultations were co-organised by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), UNICEF and Terre des Hommes.
Whereas human rights law imposes specific duties on States with respect to those particularly vulnerable to environmental harm, children being among the most vulnerable; the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions aim at “protecting human health and the environment” against harmful effects of hazardous chemicals and wastes. These objectives are crucial as the World Health Organization estimates, in its recent 2017 reports, that of the 5.9 million deaths of children under five each year, 26% are attributable to environmental causes, including due to unsound management of hazardous chemicals and wastes. Air pollution alone kills 570,000 children under five every year. Unhealthy environments interfere with the enjoyment of many fundamental rights enshrined in essential long-standing UN legal instruments – e.g. the UN Charter, the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the 1966 Covenants on civil and political rights and on economic and social rights, the 1992 Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc.: these rights include right to life, health and development, as well as many other rights, such as rights to housing, food, and clean water, etc. Climate change, as well as the unsound management of hazardous chemicals and wastes, poses a threat to the realization of many if not all of the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Negotiated well after the rise of the environmental movement, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, now with 191 Parties, is one of the few human rights instruments that explicitly require States to take steps to protect the environment for children. The threat of environmental harm indeed affects children today and future generations.
For more information:
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/SREnvironment/Pages/SRenvironmentIndex.aspx
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Ten women and one man were honoured at the recent 2017 Triple COPs, recognising their outstanding contributions towards mainstreaming gender into the sound management of chemicals and wastes
11 individuals honoured recently as #Detox Gender Pioneers
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Various calls for information and comments, and nominations for experts, are now required from Parties and others, with deadlines ranging from July through to August 2017
Nominations required for experts to contribute to intersessional work of the Basel Convention
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Part of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) process, the recent Geneva meeting highlighted challenges to data collection on electronic waste, a key focus area of the Basel Convention
BRS Secretariat contributes to system-wide approach on e-waste
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Browse and download the BRS photos of the chemical conventions Triple COPs, including side events, plenary, and high-level segment
Now online: all photos of the 2017 Triple COPs
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Read about actions to put shipbreaking on course for sustainability in a new article by BRS’ Susan Wingfield.
New article sheds light on shipbreaking
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Countries make important progress towards goal of a safer planet.
#DETOX Outcomes: Additional chemicals listed, new partnership on household waste established, mandate given to tackle marine plastics
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An online infographic describes the work of the Expert Working Group on the ESM Toolkit which includes practical manuals, fact sheets and other tools to support Parties work on environmentally sound management (ESM).
New BRS infographic explains all about Basel Convention work on ESM
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Ahead of the 2017 Triple COPs, recent meetings in Geneva have emphasised that freedom from a polluted environment is a human right
The sound management of chemicals and waste as a human right
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All the latest information, including the schedule for Bureaux and Regional meetings for Sunday 23rd April, for the 2017 Triple COPs is available online
Latest information on the 2017 Triple COPs
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Capacity building is an integral part of the support to parties provided by the BRS Secretariat, read about it here ahead of the Triple COPs.
How does technical assistance support implementation of the three chemicals conventions?
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Browse the newly published list of planned side events, including two film screenings, for the forthcoming 2017 Triple COPs.
More than 40 side events scheduled for chemical conventions’ COPs
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Discover the information, tools and communities that make the joint clearing house mechanism a reality to support the conventions.
Keep well informed with the BRS clearing house mechanism, now with new, user-friendly, web section
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Guinea’s deposit of its instrument of ratification of the Ban Amendment on 6 February 2017 was made possible with assistance from the BRS Secretariat and UNITAR.
Guinea ratifies the Ban Amendment to bring the total number of ratifications to 89 Parties
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Nominations are sought for outstanding women and men who have pioneered the integration of gender into the sound management of chemicals and wastes
Ten Gender Pioneers to be honoured at the 2017 Triple COPs
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