Invitation

2025 EE BRS RPM programme.pdf

BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS

Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

United Nations Environment Programme

Office Address: International Environment House 1

11–13, chemin des Anémones, 1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland

Postal Address: c/o Palais des Nations, 8-14, avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 8271 ¦ Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 8098 ¦ E-mail: [email protected]

Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy

Tel.: +39 06 5705 2061 ¦ Fax: +39 06 5705 3224 ¦ E-mail: [email protected]

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME

PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE 2025 MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCES OF THE PARTIES

TO THE BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS

FOR THE EASTERN EUROPE REGION

WARSAW, POLAND, 26‐28 MARCH 2025

WEDNESDAY, 26 MARCH 2025

8:30 – 9:00 Registration

9:00 – 9:30 Opening Overview of the programme

Host, bureaux members, and Secretariat

Item 1. Regional consultations: Basel Convention issues

09:30 – 11:00 • Strategic issues:

o Strategic framework

o Improving the functioning of the prior informed

consent procedure

• Scientific and technical matters:

o Technical guidelines

o Classification and hazard characterization of wastes

o National reporting

o Electronic approaches to the notification and

movement documents

o Further consideration of plastic waste

o Amendments to Annexes II, VIII and IX on e-waste

o Waste containing nanomaterials

• Legal, compliance and governance matters:

o Committee Administering the Mechanism for

Promoting Implementation and Compliance

Presentation by the Secretariat, followed by a discussion in plenary on each item

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee break

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 2

11:20-12:00 • Legal, compliance and governance matters (cont.):

o Providing further legal clarity

o National legislation, notifications, enforcement of

the Convention and efforts to combat illegal traffic

o Proposal by the Russian Federation to amend

paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the Convention

• Basel Convention Partnership Programme

• Work programme of the Open-ended Working Group

for the period 2026–2027

Presentation by the Secretariat, followed by a discussion in plenary on each item

12:00-12:30 Break out groups on Basel Convention issues (closed

session)

Secretariat, Parties to the Conventions only

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 – 15:30 Break out groups on Basel Convention issues (closed session) Secretariat, Parties to the Conventions only

15:30 – 15:50 Coffee break

15:50 – 16:20 Report from break out groups Parties, observers

Item 2. Regional consultations: Rotterdam Convention

16:20 – 18:00 • Listing of chemicals in Annex III to the Convention:

o Developments on the work of CRC

o Recommendations from the CRC to list in Annex III

to the Convention: chlorpyrifos, methyl bromide,

mercury, paraquat, acetochlor, carbosulfan,

chrysotile asbestos, fenthion formulations, iprodione

and paraquat dichloride formulations

Presentation by the Secretariat, as relevant, followed by a discussion in plenary on each item

THURSDAY, 27 MARCH 2025

9:00 – 9:30 • Enhancing the effectiveness of the Convention:

o Follow-up to decision RC-11/4

o Follow-up to decision RC-10/10

o Proposal to amend Article 16 of the Convention

submitted by some African Parties to COP-8

• Compliance • Status of implementation of the Convention

Presentation by the Secretariat followed by a discussion in plenary on each item

09:30 – 11:10 Break out groups on Rotterdam Convention issues (closed session)

Secretariat, Parties to the Conventions only

11:10 – 11:30 Coffee break

11:30-12:00 Report from break out groups Parties, observers

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 3

Item 3. Regional consultations: Stockholm Convention

12:00 – 12:30 • Listing of chemicals in Annex A, B or C to the

Convention:

o Developments on the work of POPRC

o Recommendations from the POPRC to list in Annex A

to the Convention: chlorpyrifos, chlorinated

paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range

C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45

per cent chlorine by weight and long-chain

perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), their salts and

related compounds

o Proposal by Ethiopia to amend Annex A regarding

UV-238

Presentation by the Secretariat followed, by a discussion in plenary on each item

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 • Listing of chemicals in Annex A, B or C to the

Convention (cont.)

• Compliance

• Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from

intentional production and use:

o Exemptions

o DDT

o PCB

o Brominated diphenyl ethers

Presentation by the Secretariat followed, by a discussion in plenary on each item

15:30 – 15:50 Coffee break

15:50 – 16:30 • Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from

unintentional production

• Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from wastes

• Implementation plans

• Reporting pursuant to Article 15

• Effectiveness evaluation, including the Global

Monitoring Programme

Presentation by the Secretariat followed, by a discussion in plenary on each item

16:30 – 18:00 Break out groups on Stockholm Convention issues (closed session)

Secretariat, Parties to the Conventions only

FRIDAY, 28 MARCH 2025

9:00 – 9:30 Report from break out groups Parties, observers

Item 4. Regional consultations: Joint issues

09:30 – 11:00 • International cooperation and coordination: Presentation by the secretariats, followed

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 4

o Cooperation and coordination with the Minamata

Convention on Mercury

o Cooperation and coordination with other

organizations

o Updates from the chemicals and waste cluster:

➢ Minamata Convention on Mercury

➢ Global Framework on Chemicals

➢ Resolutions adopted at the sixth session of the

United Nations Environment Assembly

➢ Special Programme on Institutional

Strengthening for Chemicals and Waste

➢ Ad hoc Open-Ended Working Group on the

Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to

the sound management of chemicals and

waste and to prevent pollution

➢ Intergovernmental negotiating committee to

develop an international legally binding

instrument on plastic pollution, including in the

marine environment

by a discussion in plenary on each item

11:00 – 11:20 Coffee break

11:20–12:30 • Technical assistance, including Basel and Stockholm

Conventions regional centres

• Financial resources and mechanisms

• Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the

Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions:

o Clearing-house mechanism for information

exchange

o Mainstreaming gender

o Synergies in preventing and combating illegal traffic

and trade in hazardous chemicals and wastes

o From science to action

• Programmes of work and budgets

• Venue and dates of the next meetings of the

conferences of the Parties

Presentation by the Secretariat followed, by a discussion in plenary on each item

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 Break out groups on joint issues (closed session) Secretariat, Parties to the Conventions only

15:30 – 15:50 Coffee break

15:50 – 16:20 Report from break out groups Parties, observers

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 5

Item 5. General information on the 2025 meetings of the conferences of the Parties (COPs)

16:20 – 16:50 Organization of work, high-level segment, practical arrangements, credentials and elections of officers and members of subsidiary bodies

Presentation by the Secretariat, followed by a discussion in plenary

Item 6. Closed session

16:50– 17:50 • Election of officers

• Preparation of regional statements

• Discussion on the opportunity to have technical

meetings during the 2025 BRS COPs between the EU and

non-EU countries from the Eastern European region to

increase understanding of the national provisions

implementing the Rotterdam Convention

Parties to the Conventions only

Item 7. Closure of the regional preparatory meeting

17:50 – 18:00 Conclusions and closure of the meeting Bureaux members and Secretariat

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ The regional preparatory meetings for the 2025 meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel,

Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are organized thanks to the generous financial support provided by the Governments of Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as the United Nations Environment Programme.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

2025 EE BRS RPM_Invitation_Parties.pdf

BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS

Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

United Nations Environment Programme

Office Address: International Environment House 1

11–13, chemin des Anémones, 1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland

Postal Address: c/o Palais des Nations, 8-14, avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 8271 ¦ Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 8098 ¦ E-mail: [email protected]

Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy

Tel.: +39 06 5705 2061 ¦ Fax: +39 06 5705 3224 ¦ E-mail: [email protected]

13 December 2024

Subject: Invitation to participate in the regional meeting for the Eastern Europe region in preparation for

the 2025 meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions,

26-28 March 2025, Warsaw, Poland

Dear Sir/Madam,

The regional preparatory meeting for the Eastern Europe region pertaining to the 2025 meetings of the

conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions will be held from 26 to

28 March 2025, in Warsaw, in cooperation with the Government of Poland.

The objectives of the meeting are to give Parties in the region the possibility to consult each other in

advance of the COPs taking place from 28 April to 9 May 2025 in Geneva, consider meeting documents, discuss

substantive matters, identify regional priorities and challenges and facilitate the preparation of regional positions

and forthcoming elections. The provisional programme for the meeting is attached to this letter and has been

developed in consultation with the members of the bureaux of the conferences of the Parties to the three

conventions from the Eastern Europe region. The working languages of the meeting will be English and Russian.

We have the honor to invite your Government to designate up to two representatives to participate in-

person in the above-mentioned meeting. Nominations for additional participants will be considered taking into

account any limitation in the meeting venue capacity.

Additionally, your Government is invited to nominate up to two additional representatives to receive

online viewer access to the plenary sessions of the meeting, if this is of interest to your Government. Online

viewer mode aims at enabling additional representatives to receive information on the organization of work and

items on the agendas of the COPs meetings, and hear exchanges among countries from the regions in order to

assist preparatory processes. Online viewers will not be able to intervene during the meeting and will not be

included in the list of participants.

The names and contact information of all the designated representative(s) participating in-person

meeting and seeking online viewer access should be communicated to the Secretariat, together with the enclosed

registration form, in an official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent

Mission of your country to the United Nations in Geneva. Registrations should be sent to the Secretariat as

soon as possible, but no later than 27 January 2025 to: [email protected].

In accordance with the applicable United Nations rules, subject to the availability of funding, financial

assistance to help defray the cost of attending the meeting will be made available to two representatives per

developing country or country with economy in transition that is Party to at least two of the Basel, Rotterdam and

Stockholm conventions. The official nomination letter or the note verbale from the Permanent Mission in

Geneva needs to indicate which representatives are to receive financial support.

To: Designated country contacts for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

cc: Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and Permanent Representatives to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 2

If financial support for the designated representatives of eligible country Parties is required, please

complete the relevant sections of the registration form and submit it to the above address no later than 27 January

2025, together with a scanned copy of the designated representatives’ passport. Nominations that are received

beyond this deadline may not be considered for financial assistance. Please note that requests for financial

assistance must be processed by the Secretariat at least four weeks prior to the meetings to ensure the timely

issuance of air tickets and to allow time for the participants to apply for visas. It will not be possible to process

travel for late nominations nor to modify travel arrangements once the air ticket is issued.

Confirmed participants to the meeting will be invited to check the visa requirements to enter Poland. The

Government of Poland will assist participants requiring a visa to enter Poland by providing a visa facilitation

letter to support their application in due course. The United Nations does not cover life, medical or travel

insurance for participants. Therefore, it is your responsibility or that of your Government to ensure that you

obtain comprehensive international medical and travel insurance prior to your travel to Poland.

The regional preparatory meeting is being organized thanks to the generous financial contributions

provided by the Governments of Germany, Sweden and Switzerland and the United Nations Environment

Programme, and the support of the Government of Poland and the Basel Convention Regional Centre for

Training and Technology Transfer for Central Europe in Slovakia.

As recalled in decisions BC-16/28, RC-11/15, and SC-11/27 on programmes of work and budgets for the

biennium 2024-2025, respectively adopted by the three conferences of the Parties, please note that, concerning

arrears, no representative of any Party whose contributions are in arrears for 4 (four) years or more, and

that has not agreed on or is not respecting a schedule of payments, shall be eligible to receive financial

support to attend intersessional workshops or other informal meetings. We take this opportunity to invite

you to check the status of the Party that you represent and find some guidance on how to settle arrears, under the

relevant Convention, by clicking on the following links:

https://www.basel.int/tabid/9815 (BC)

https://www.pic.int//tabid/9816 (RC)

https://www.pops.int//tabid/9812 (SC)

If in arrears, we encourage all relevant national authorities of your Government to settle all outstanding

arrears or to agree on a payment plan before 27 January 2025, the deadline for nomination of participants.

Any questions on the meeting can be addressed to: [email protected].

Yours sincerely,

Encl.

Rolph Payet

Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam

and Stockholm Conventions

Christine Fuell

Executive Secretary ad interim

of the Rotterdam Convention

2025 EE BRS RPM_Registration form_Parties.docx

REGISTRATION FORM FOR PARTIES
EASTERN EUROPE PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE 2025 MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCES OF THE PARTIES TO THE BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS

Warsaw, Poland, 26 to 28 March 2025

TO BE COMPLETED BY EACH MEETING PARTICIPANT

Please type or print clearly (do not use abbreviations) and return the completed form
by 27 January 2025 to: [email protected]

Country

PARTICIPANT DATA
Mr.
Ms.
First name:

Last name:

Functional title:

Section/Department:

Name of institution:

Complete mailing address, street address or P.O. box, City, Country:

E-mail address(es):
Telephone: (incl. country and city code)
mobile number:(including country code)

ONLINE VIEWER ACCESS
☐ I register to the meeting for online viewer access only.

To be filled by Government representatives eligible for funding attending the meeting in person:
Is your Government requesting financial support for you to participate in person in the regional preparatory meeting?
Yes No
City of departure (airport):

Please also provide a copy of the first page of your national passport (valid for more than 6 months).

Important notes:
• This form should be submitted by 27 January 2025 under cover of an official nomination letter by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations in Geneva. Nominations that are received beyond this deadline may not be considered for financial assistance.
• Financial assistance will be made available to support the participation of two representatives maximum per eligible country that is Party to at least two of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. It is essential that we receive completed registration dossier (registration form, official nomination and copy of passport identification page) by the deadline indicated above to process travel support, where applicable. We will not be in a position to process travel for late nominations.

E-kiri.eml

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear contact points for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions in the Eastern Europe region,

We are pleased to invite your Government to participate in the Eastern Europe regional meeting in preparation for the 2025 meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, which will be held from 26 to 28 March 2025 in Warsaw, Poland.

Please find attached the invitation letter, the registration form and the provisional programme of the regional preparatory meeting.

In accordance with the requirements set out in the attached invitation letter, please ensure that the official registration of the representatives designated by your Government to participate in the meeting is submitted to the Secretariat at: [email protected], no later than 27 January 2025.

Any questions regarding the meeting can be addressed to: [email protected].

Yours sincerely,

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions