Public Awareness and Outreach Activities

The importance of public awareness and outreach has been stressed in the context of the ongoing synergies process amongst the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions  and considering the need to promote the sound management of chemicals throughout their lifecycles for sustainable development as well as for the protection of human health and the environment.

Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Rotterdam Convention’s Entry into Force and the International Year of Small Island Developing States 2014

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade joins in celebrating the International Year of Small Island Developing States 2014.

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The right to know

For the Rotterdam Convention, public awareness and outreach activities are focused on the ‘Right to Know’, a legal principle that supports right of individuals to know about the risks to human health and the environment from exposure to certain hazardous chemicals.

Public awareness and outreach activities conducted by the Secretariat support the need for information exchange between Parties of the Convention, which is the building block of the Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC procedure) of the Convention, reflected, in particular, in articles 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the Convention.

Additional information about chemicals listed under the Convention can be found on this website under the section on Chemicals.

Partnerships

In addition to collaborating with the Secretariats of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions, the Secretariat also conducts its public awareness activities in liaison with partner organizations such as:

  • WHO (occupational health and exposure)
  • UNITAR (training on chemicals management)
  • ILO  (occupational health, hazardous work)
  • IOMC (management of industrial chemicals)
  • Regional offices and centers

Information materials

Since 2004, the Secretariat has developed a variety of comprehensive information materials intended to support stakeholders in the various aspects of the implementation of the Convention as well as in the broader area of chemical management at the national level. Electronic versions of these materials can be found on the Convention’s website under the section: Resource Kit / Publications.

Safe Planet Campaign

Safe Planet is an innovative mechanism for public awareness and outreach of the Rotterdam, Basel and Stockholm Conventions. It involves collaboration with external partners to promote the objectives of the three conventions. More information on the safe Planet campaign can be found here.