UNITED
NATIONS
UNEP/CHW.16/1
Distr.: General
27 October 2022
Original: English
Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
on the Control of Transboundary Movements
of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Sixteenth meeting
Geneva, 1–12 May 2023
Provisional agenda
1. Opening of the meeting.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organizational matters:
(a) Election of officers;
(b) Organization of work;
(c) Report on the credentials of representatives to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference
of the Parties.
4. Matters related to the implementation of the Convention:
(a) Strategic issues:
(i) Strategic framework;
(ii) Improving the functioning of the prior informed consent procedure;
(iii) Development of guidelines for environmentally sound management;
(b) Scientific and technical matters:
(i) Technical guidelines;
(ii) Classification and hazard characterization of wastes;
(iii) National reporting;
(iv) Electronic approaches to the notification and movement documents;
(v) Further consideration of plastic waste;
(vi) Amendments to Annexes II, VIII and IX on e-waste;
(vii) Waste containing nanomaterials;
(c) Legal, compliance and governance matters:
(i) Committee Administering the Mechanism for Promoting Implementation and
Compliance;
(ii) Providing further legal clarity;
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UNEP/CHW.16/1
(iii) National legislation, notifications, enforcement of the Convention and efforts
to combat illegal traffic;
(iv) Proposal by the Russian Federation to amend paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the
Convention;
(d) Technical assistance;
(e) Basel Convention Partnership Programme;
(f) Financial resources;
(g) Work programme of the Open-ended Working Group for the period 2024–2025.
5. International cooperation and coordination:
(a) Cooperation and coordination with the Minamata Convention on Mercury;
(b) Cooperation and coordination with other organizations.
6. Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions:
(a) Clearing-house mechanism for information exchange;
(b) Mainstreaming gender;
(c) Synergies in preventing and combating illegal traffic and trade in hazardous chemicals
and wastes;
(d) From science to action.
7. Programme of work and budget.
8. Implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations
Environment Programme and the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention.
9. Venue and dates of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
10. Other matters.
11. Adoption of the report of the meeting.
12. Closure of the meeting.
2
Saatja: BRS Secretariat (No-Reply) <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 17.11.2022 18:30
Adressaat: <
[email protected]>; <
[email protected]>; <
[email protected]>; info
keskkonnaamet ee <
[email protected]>; info keskkonnaamet ee
<
[email protected]>; Katrin Kaare <
[email protected]>;
Aive Telling <
[email protected]>; SM Info <
[email protected]>;
<
[email protected]>; <
[email protected]>; <
[email protected]>
Koopia: <
[email protected]>
Teema: ESTONIA / PARTY (NF) – EN. GB | 2023 BRS COPs - Invitation Letter.
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the BRS conventions (BC
COP-16, RC COP-11, SC COP-11), Geneva, 1-12 May 2023
Dear Madam/Sir,
Please find attached the invitation letter and attachments regarding the
sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention, the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Rotterdam Convention and the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Stockholm Convention to be held back to back from 1 to
12 May 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The names and contact information of the designated representatives must
be communicated to the Secretariat by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or
the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations in Geneva,
using the attached registration form, together with an official
nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale
from the Permanent Mission in Geneva. The required information must be
sent to the Secretariat at the latest by Friday, 20 January 2023.
Please note that registration forms will not be processed by the
Secretariat if they are not accompanied by an official nomination letter
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the Permanent
Mission of your country to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Yours sincerely,
Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS
Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention
United Nations Environment Programme Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Office Address: International Environment House 1 Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
11–13, chemin des Anémones, 1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +39 06 5705 2061 ¦ Fax: +39 06 5705 3224 ¦ E-mail:
[email protected]
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]
7 November 2022
Subject: Invitation to the meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm conventions, Geneva, Switzerland, 1-12 May 2023
Excellency,
We have the honour to refer to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements
of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent
Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, the eleventh
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention and the eleventh meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention will be held back to back from 1 to 12 May
2023, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), 17, rue de Varembé, Geneva, Switzerland.
Preparatory meetings, including regional and bureaux meetings, will be held on Sunday, 30 April 2023.
As decided by the conferences of the Parties at their previous meetings, the meetings will include
joint sessions covering matters of relevance to at least two of the three conventions and separate sessions
of the meetings of each of the three conferences of the Parties. The meetings will not feature a high-level
segment.
The working languages of the meetings of the conferences of the Parties will be Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish. The provisional agendas for the meetings are enclosed. Other
working documents, the tentative schedule of the meetings and additional information on the
arrangements for the meetings will be made available online on the conventions’ website:
http://www.brsmeas.org/2023COPs.
Addressee by e-mail only (to be disseminated Addressees by e-mail:
by the respective Permanent Mission to the
United Nations Office at Geneva): Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office
at Geneva
H.E. Mr. Urmas Reinsalu Basel Convention Focal Points
Minister for Foreign Affairs Rotterdam Convention Official Contact Points
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Stockholm Convention Official Contact Points
Tallinn
Estonia
Cc: Contact points for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions
Permanent Representatives to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in
Rome and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Environment Programme.
Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 2
Registration of representatives
We have the honour to invite your Government to designate one or more representative(s) to
participate in the meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions. The names and contact information of the designated representatives must be
communicated to the Secretariat by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent Mission of your
country to the United Nations in Geneva, using the attached registration form, together with an
official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the
Permanent Mission in Geneva. The required information must be sent to the Secretariat at the email
address provided below at the latest by Friday, 20 January 2023. The Secretariat highly encourages
early registration.
Pursuant to its Gender Action Plan, the Secretariat promotes active gender-balanced participation
in meetings of the bodies of the conventions. Accordingly, the Secretariat encourages a balanced gender
representation within your delegation.
Subject to the availability of resources, regional preparatory meetings for the 2023 meetings of the
conferences of the Parties will be held for the African, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European and Latin
American and the Caribbean regions. Parties are invited to consider ensuring continuity among the
delegates attending these preparatory meetings and the meetings of the conferences of the Parties.
Parties are furthermore invited to consider ensuring nominating current members of the bureaux of the
three conferences of the Parties to the meetings.
Credentials of representatives of Parties to the conventions
In accordance with rule 18 of the rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention, rule 19 of the rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam
Convention and rule 19 of the rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm
Convention, the Secretariat invites Parties to submit the credentials of the representatives, as well as the
names of the alternate representatives and advisers, who will constitute the delegation for your State or
regional economic integration organization to the meetings of those of the three conventions to which
your State or regional economic integration organization is a Party. A model form of credentials is
attached for your convenience and is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
on the conventions’ website.
Please note that, in accordance with the respective rules of procedure, credentials must be issued
by the head of State or Government, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs or, in the case of a
regional economic integration organization, by the competent authority of that organization.
Information regarding any change in the composition of the delegation should be submitted using the
same procedure. Moreover, credentials shall be submitted if possible, no later than 24 hours after
the opening of the meetings (therefore by 10 am on Tuesday, 2 May 2023).
The Secretariat invites Parties to submit any electronic copy of credentials in advance of the
meetings preferably by Friday, 7 April 2023, as doing so will greatly facilitate the clearance
process. The Secretariat also invites Parties to hand over the original credentials of their
representatives at the meeting venue itself, at the time of the opening of the meetings.
Please also note that the bureaux of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm conventions agreed on the approach they will follow when preparing the reports on
credentials for the meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions in 2023. The bureaux agreed that when examining credentials received, they would
accept original credentials in good order as well as copies of credentials in good order with the
understanding that the original will be submitted as soon as possible.
Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 3
Assistance to developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition
Depending on the availability of funds, financial assistance to help defray the cost of attending the
meetings will be made available to developing-country Parties and Parties that are countries with
economies in transition for one representative per State per convention to which the State is a Party,
to a maximum of three representatives per State, for up to the full two-week duration of the meetings.
Requests for financial assistance should be communicated to the Secretariat at the address below
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations
Office at Geneva, using the attached registration form, and should be received no later than Friday, 20
January 2023. Since funds may be limited, countries that are eligible to receive such support should list
designated representatives for whom assistance is being requested in order of priority. Please note that
registration forms will not be processed by the Secretariat if they are not accompanied by an
official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the
Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Please also note that requests for financial assistance must be processed by the Secretariat with
sufficient time in advance of the meetings to ensure the timely issuance of air tickets and to allow time
for representatives to apply for visas. For this reason, it will not be possible for the Secretariat to
consider requests for financial assistance or replacements of designated representatives after the
Friday, 20 January 2023 deadline.
When allocating funding to facilitate the participation of Parties in the meetings, the Secretariat
will apply the procedure adopted by the conferences of the Parties for that purpose (decisions BC-10/28,
RC-5/1 and SC-5/2, respectively), taking into account decisions BC-15/30, RC-10/19 and SC-10/26 on
programmes of work and budgets for the conventions for the biennium 2022-2023, and act in accordance
with United Nations rules and procedures.
Address for submission of credentials and registrations, including requests for financial assistance
Please submit your nominations, no later than Friday, 20 January 2023, through the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations Office
at Geneva, including registration forms, together with an official nomination letter from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the Permanent Mission in Geneva as well as any
request for financial assistance.
As mentioned above, please submit a copy of the credentials in advance of the meetings,
preferably by Friday, 7 April 2023.
All submissions should be sent to:
Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Ms. Stéphanie Cadet
E-mail:
[email protected];
[email protected]
It is the responsibility of each participant to familiarize themself with travel restrictions related to
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country of origin, including for transit and re-entry.
The following websites provide information on entry requirements to Switzerland:
• https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-
pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-
reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html (Entry restrictions from the Federal Office of Public
Health’s website)
• https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home (Travelcheck)
Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Page | 4
Appropriate precautionary and hygiene measures will be put in place at the meeting venue, in
accordance with the requirements of the United Nations and the Government of Switzerland. The
COVID-19 situation will be kept under review in the lead-up and during the meetings. The Secretariat
strongly recommends that all participants in the meetings of the conferences of the Parties be fully
vaccinated against COVID-19. Further information will be provided to registered participants.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Rolph Payet Rémi Nono Womdim
Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam Executive Secretary of the Rotterdam
and Stockholm Conventions Convention
Encl.
CREDENTIALS (Model) [Name of P arty] THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF [PARTY] , Considering that it is desirable that [ P arty ] be represented at : [ P lease tick the box(es) to which the credentials pertain] FORMCHECKBOX T he sixteenth me eting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, FORMCHECKBOX T he eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention , FORMCHECKBOX T he eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention , to be convened in Geneva (Switzerland) from 1 to 12 May 2023 , HAS DECIDED: To appoint a delegation which shall be entitled to take part in the above-mentioned meeting ( s ) and to designate as: Head of delegation [Name] - [ P osition] Other r epresentative(s): [Name] - [ P osition] Alternate representative(s): [Name] - [ P osition] Adviser(s): [Name] - [ P osition] … Signed and sealed at [place and date] THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
UNITED
NATIONS
UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.11/1
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Distr.: General
27 October 2022
Informed Consent Procedure for
Original: English
Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade
Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention
on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
Eleventh meeting
Geneva, 1–12 May 2023
Provisional agenda
1. Opening of the meeting.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organizational matters:
(a) Election of officers;
(b) Organization of work;
(c) Report on the credentials of representatives to the eleventh meeting of the Conference
of the Parties.
4. Rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties.
5. Matters related to the implementation of the Convention:
(a) Status of implementation;
(b) Listing of chemicals in Annex III to the Convention;
(c) Enhancing the effectiveness of the Convention;
(d) Compliance;
(e) Technical assistance;
(f) Financial resources.
6. International cooperation and coordination:
(a) Cooperation and coordination with the Minamata Convention on Mercury;
(b) Cooperation and coordination with other organizations.
7. Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions:
(a) Clearing-house mechanism for information exchange;
(b) Mainstreaming gender;
(c) Synergies in preventing and combating illegal traffic and trade in hazardous chemicals
and wastes;
(d) From science to action.
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UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.11/1
8. Programme of work and budget.
9. Implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and the
Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention.
10. Venue and dates of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
11. Other matters.
12. Adoption of the report of the meeting.
13. Closure of the meeting.
2
REGISTRATION FORM MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCES OF THE PARTIES TO THE BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS GENEVA, SWITZERLAND , 1-12 MAY 202 3 TO BE COMPLETED BY EACH MEETING PARTICIPANT Please type or print clearly (do not use abbreviations ) and return the completed form by Friday, 20 January 2023 to: Ms. Stéphanie Cadet , Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions , e -mail:
[email protected] ;
[email protected] COUNTRY / ORGANIZATION TYPE OF ORGANIZATION (please check one): GOVERNMENT FORMCHECKBOX REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ORGANIZATION FORMCHECKBOX PARTICIPANT DATA: MR FORMCHECKBOX MS FORMCHECKBOX FIRST NAME LAST NAME FUNCTIONAL TITLE SECTION / DEPARTMENT NAME OF ORGANIZATION / INSTITUTION COMPLETE MAILING: ADDRESS, STREET ADDRESS or P.O. BOX, CITY, COUNTRY TELEPHONE: (including country and city code) MOBILE TELEPHONE: (including country code) FAX: (including country and city code) E-MAIL ADDRESS(ES): Please note that registration forms will not be processed by the Secretariat if they are not accompanied by an official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations Office at Geneva . SECTION TO BE FILLED ONLY BY GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTIES OR PARTIES WITH ECONOMIES IN TRANSITION FOR WHOM SUPPORT FOR TRAVEL /DSA IS BEING REQUESTED : Depending on the availability of funds, financial support will be considered for one representative per State per convention to which the State is a Party, to a maximum of three representatives per State , for the full two-week duration of the meetings . City of departure (airport): Please also provide a copy of the first page of your national passport. Please submit the request for financial assistance through an official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a note verbale from the Permanent Mission of your country to the United Nations in Geneva no later than 20 January 2023 , together with this form . Important note s : It is essential that we receive your registration form by the deadline indicated above to process travel support, where applicable. We will not be able to process incomplete forms . Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
UNITED
NATIONS
UNEP/POPS/COP.11/1
Stockholm Convention Distr.: General
27 October 2022
on Persistent Organic
Original: English
Pollutants
Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Eleventh meeting
Geneva, 1–12 May 2023
Provisional agenda
1. Opening of the meeting.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organizational matters:
(a) Election of officers;
(b) Organization of work;
(c) Report on the credentials of representatives to the eleventh meeting of the Conference
of the Parties.
4. Rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties.
5. Matters related to the implementation of the Convention:
(a) Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from intentional production and use:
(i) Exemptions;
(ii) DDT;
(iii) Polychlorinated biphenyls;
(iv) Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride;
(b) Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from unintentional production;
(c) Measures to reduce or eliminate releases from wastes;
(d) Implementation plans;
(e) Listing of chemicals in Annex A, B or C to the Convention;
(f) Technical assistance;
(g) Financial resources and mechanisms;
(h) Reporting pursuant to Article 15;
(i) Effectiveness evaluation;
(j) Compliance.
6. International cooperation and coordination:
(a) Cooperation and coordination with the Minamata Convention on Mercury;
(b) Cooperation and coordination with other organizations.
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UNEP/POPS/COP.11/1
7. Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions:
(a) Clearing-house mechanism for information exchange;
(b) Mainstreaming gender;
(c) Synergies in preventing and combating illegal traffic and trade in hazardous chemicals
and wastes;
(d) From science to action.
8. Programme of work and budget.
9. Implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United Nations
Environment Programme and the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention.
10. Venue and dates of the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
11. Other matters.
12. Adoption of the report of the meeting.
13. Closure of the meeting.
2