Enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention

Parties discussed efforts and proposals to enhance the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention, including the process for listing chemicals in Annex III to the Convention.

In an attempt to improve the effectiveness of the Convention, the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties mandated an intersessional working group to carry out intersessional work on the process of listing chemicals in Annex III to the Convention and to develop options for improving the effectiveness of the listing process and information flows. Further information on the work carried out, between the seventh and eighth meetings of the Conference of the Parties pursuant to decision RC-7/5 is provided here.

At its eighth meeting, the Conference of the Parties took note of the various options for enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention, including by improving the prior informed consent procedure, improving the listing process and considering cross-cutting issues such as the provision of technical and financial assistance, and agreed on further work in the intersessional period (RC-8/8).

As requested by decision RC-8/8, Parties have provided information on priority actions to enhance the effectiveness of the Convention and key information gaps related to such actions. An online survey was available between 30 June 2017 and 31 October 2017 to gather this information. The results of the survey have been compiled by the Secretariat and are available here.

The Secretariat prepared a report analyzing the legal and operational implications of the priority actions received through the online survey. The report was made available by 15 January 2018 and Parties and others were invited to comment on the report by 31 March 2018. The report and comments received thereon are available here.

The Conference of the Parties further established a working group to identify, on the basis of the report and comments received thereon, a set of prioritized recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of the Convention and to prepare a report identifying further steps for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting. The working group was composed of representatives of Parties, who were invited to provide nominations by 30 September 2017. The group was furthermore open to participation by non-Party States and held face-to-face meetings subject to the availability of resources.

A first meeting of the working group was held from 4-6 June 2018 in Riga, Latvia. The working group considered Parties’ priority actions to enhance the effectiveness of the Convention, as well as comments by Parties and observers on the Secretariat’s report on the legal and operational implications of these priority actions. The working group identified recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the Convention and further steps for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its ninth meeting in the areas of the process of listing chemicals in Annex III of the Convention; information exchange, including through the clearing-house mechanism; capacity-building and technical assistance including development of guidance and awareness raising; and other processes.

Financial support for the intersessional work has been provided by the Governments of Australia, Germany, Norway and the European Commission.

At its ninth meeting, in decision RC-9/6 on enhancing the effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention, as well as decision RC-9/2 on the operation of the Chemical Review Committee, the Conference of the Parties agreed on a number of activities to be conducted in the areas of information exchange; dissemination of existing information, tools and guidance; designation of exclusive Harmonized System customs codes for chemicals listed under the Rotterdam Convention, the sharing of collected information on the measurable impacts of listing and not listing chemicals in Annex III; and activities to support the effective participation of members and observers in the work of the Chemical Review Committee. These activities are implemented accordingly in the 2020-2021 biennium and progress was reported to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in July 2021. At its tenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties took note of the activities undertaken and welcomed the dissemination strategy for obtaining and using information and its use in capacity-building and technical assistance activities.