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Event Conference

Outcomes on the Strengthened Action on Chemicals and Wastes

28 May 2025
10:00 – 11:30

Venue: International Environment House I & Online | Webex

Organization: Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Geneva Environment Network

Chemicals and Pollution | Health and Environment

SDG3 | SDG12

This briefing, organized within the framework of the Geneva Environment Network, presented the outcomes of the 2025 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (2025 BRS COPs) that convened in Geneva, from 28 April to 9 May 2025.

About this Event

The 2025 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions took place from 28 April to 9 May. Governments from 180 countries adopted a series of bold decisions to advance the sound management of chemicals and wastes, protect human health, safeguard the environment and biodiversity and contribute to tackling climate change.

After two weeks of intensive negotiations, the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17) advanced environmentally sound waste management, the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-12) strengthened international trade governance and chemical safety and the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-12) took decisive action to eliminate and restrict POPs. The Conference of the Parties also reinforced international cooperation and support to advance chemicals and waste management, committing to stronger collaboration with other environmental agreements and initiatives, including the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC), the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC), the Open-ended Working Group on the Science-Policy Panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention, and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and related biodiversity conventions.

Taking place in the run-up to the resumed third session of the ad hoc open-ended working group on a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution (SPP OEWG 3.2) and of the first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) for the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) taking place back-to-back in June in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and other major negotiations aiming at beating pollution, this event presented outcomes of the recently concluded 2025 meetings of the BRS COPs.

Speakers

Rolph PAYET

Executive Secretary, Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Juliette VOINOV KOHLER

Senior Legal Officer and Chief, Governance Branch, Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Maria Cristina CARDENAS

Head of Unit & Senior Policy Advisor, Policy and Strategy Unit, BRS Secretariat

Highlights

Video

Live on Webex.

Documents

Documents

Links