Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution Prevention: Building the Linkages from Science to Action | Minamata COP-5 Online Event / Road to OEWG 2 Series

This online event to the Minamata COP-5 aims to provide an interactive platform to seek stakeholders’ input on relationships of the panel with relevant key stakeholders, particularly on how to build linkages from science to support action. It aims to elicit views from Member States, the secretariats of the Minamata Convention, World Health Organization, and other key stakeholders to learn from their experience within and beyond the mercury and health communities. This online event is also part of the Road to OEWG 2 Series, co-organized by the Secretariat of the OEWG and the Geneva Environment Network.

About this Event

Chemicals, including mercury, have played and continue to play a vital part in daily life. However, science has shown that inadequate and poor management of chemicals and waste has led to increasing pollution of land, water, and air, and harmful effects on human health. The new science-policy panel on chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention can help provide linkages between science and the actions needed to tackle mounting pollution issues. It is expected that this science-policy panel will join existing science-policy panels such as IPCC and IPBES in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution.

This online event of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Minamata COP-5) is an opportunity to further provide an interactive platform to seek stakeholders’ input on relationships of the new science-policy panel with relevant key stakeholders, particularly on the need to build linkages from science to support action.

It aims to elicit views from Member States, the secretariats of the Minamata Convention, World Health Organization, and other stakeholders to learn from their experience in bridging science to action, within and beyond the mercury and health communities.

Outcomes of the exchanges in this online event will inform the second meeting of the OEWG in December 2023.

Background

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly at its resumed fifth session (UNEA-5.2) countries agreed to establish an independent, intergovernmental science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution. An ad hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) process has been initiated to prepare proposals for the panel.

As set out in the resolution 5/8, the panel will support countries to take action on chemicals, waste and pollution, including to implement various international instruments such as multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), by providing policy-relevant scientific advice. The Panel will also further support relevant MEAs, other international instruments and intergovernmental bodies, and other relevant stakeholders in their work.

The OEWG concluded its first session on 30 January to 3 February 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, with a particular focus on the scope and functions of the panel and intersessional work. One key document to be prepared is on relationships of the panel with relevant key stakeholders, especially the chemicals and waste MEAs.

Road to OEWG 2 Series

In preparation for the second session, the Road to OEWG 2 | Science-Policy Panel to Contribute Further to the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste and to Prevent Pollution webinar and event series, co-organized by the OEWG Secretariat and Geneva Environment Network aims to build bridges between and among stakeholders, and promote collaboration and knowledge sharing in preparation for OEWG 2 in December 2023.

Previous webinars and events in the series have focused on the process for establishing a science-policy panel, its scope and possible structure (24 January 2023); lessons learned the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), International Resource Panel (IRP), Montreal Protocol, and World Health Organization (WHO) (5 October 2022); the scope of the panel (25 July 2022), operating principles of existing science-policy interfaces mentioned above, (26 April 2023); building bridges between and among stakeholders and raising awareness about the OEWG process (2 May 2023 as a side event to the 2023 BRS COPs); and how members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) can contribute their scientific expertise throughout the process (1 May 2023, during the European Special Session of SETAC Annual Meeting).

Minamata COP-5 Online Events

This event is part of the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Minamata COP-5), taking place in Geneva from 30 October to 3 November 2023. Minamata COP-5 Online Events will take place during the week of 9 to 13 October 2023. → Find more information on the official website.

Speakers

Additional speakers to be confirmed.

Gudi ALKEMADE

Chair, OEWG | Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Environment Programme, Netherlands

Monika STANKIEWICZ

Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury

Marianne BAILEY

Senior Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention Secretariat

Registration

This event will take place online. To participate online, please register using Webex.

Video

Live on Webex