Chemicals and Waste Briefing

A briefing focusing on the preparation for the fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) took place at the International Environment House on Tuesday 8 September. The event also highlighted the current work of the Lead Paint Alliance by building momentum towards Global lead paint elimination by 2020, and upcoming meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Background

ICCM4 will take place from 28 September to 2 October 2015, in Geneva, immediately following the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda. It will mark a major milestone as it is the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Strategic Approach. A high-level segment is scheduled for 1 and 2 October 2015, with participation of ministers, heads of United Nations agencies and organizations, Chief Executive Officers and high-level participants from major groups and stakeholders. With only 5 years remaining to reach the 2020 goal, stakeholders should make full use of the Conference to adopt strategic decisions to enable the international community to achieve the 2020 goal of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

The International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action, to be held from 25-31 October 2015, was initiated by the Lead Paint Alliance to raise awareness worldwide about lead poisoning and strengthen actions to eliminate the use of lead in paint.

Upcoming meetings in preparation by the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions secretariat include the Basel Convention Country Led Initiative (CLI) legal clarity meeting, to be held from 21 to 22 September 2015 in Geneva, the Stockholm Convention eleventh meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-11), to be held from 19 to 23 October 2015 in Rome, and the Rotterdam Convention eleventh meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC-11), to be held from 26 to 28 October 2015 in Rome.

During the briefing “The Minamata Convention on Mercury: Promoting environmental protection through early entry into force and effective implementation” event, scheduled to be held on Thursday 24 September 2015, from 1.15 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. in Conference Room 6 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on the margins of the seventieth session of the UN General Assembly, was also announced.

Agenda

10:00
Coffee & Tea

10:15
Welcome and Introduction
Achim HALPAAP, Head, UNEP Chemicals and Waste Branch

10:25
Preparations for ICCM4
Jacob DUER, Principal Coordinator, Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention and SAICM Secretariat
Brenda KOEKKOEK, Programme Officer, SAICM Secretariat

10:45
Sound Management of Nanotechnology and Manufactured Nanomaterials – progress since ICCM-3
Jorge OCANA, Manager, Chemicals and Waste Management. Programme, UNITAR

10:55
Environmentally Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutants (EPPP)
Agustina CAMILLI, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the United Nations

11:05
Update on the Lead Paint Alliance work and upcoming actions
Walker B. SMITH, Director, Office of Global Affairs and Policy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, & Chair, Lead Paint Alliance

11:15
Update on Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions work and upcoming meetings
Rolph PAYET, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat

11:30
Swiss perspective on ICCM4 and upcoming BRS Meetings
Gabriella EIGENMANN, Scientific Officer, Global Affairs Section, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment

11:40
Question-and-answer session

12:15
End