Chemicals and hazardous waste: three conventions convene in Geneva
Bern, 10.04.2013 - The three conventions that govern chemicals and hazardous waste at international level will convene in Geneva from 28 April to 10 May 2013. In continuation of their synergies process, they will convene jointly for two days with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of their activities on the ground. Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard will participate in the ministerial segment of the conference to be held on 9 and 10 May. The Federal Council approved the mandate of the Swiss delegation to the conference on 10 April 2013.
Chemicals contribute many advantages to today's world, however their use can also pose risks to human health and the environment. Some hazardous substances not only cause serious pollution in the regions in which they are released, because they are transported over long distances they can also cause serious health and environmental problems in regions located very far from their sources.
To reduce this harmful global impact, three conventions have been established that regulate chemicals and hazardous waste at global level (see factsheet):
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) currently regulates 22 toxic substances that accumulate in organisms, e.g. PCBs.
- Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade regulates the export/import of 43 hazardous chemicals and product categories, mainly pesticides.
- The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal regulates the export/import of hazardous waste and waste containing hazardous chemicals.
In continuation of their synergies process, the three conventions will convene jointly in Geneva for two days and review their shared activities (in particular the provision of technical and financial support). Each convention will then deal with its own specific topics. A ministerial segment will be opened by Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard on 9 May, and Achim Steiner, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will close the conference on 10 May (see link to detailed programme).
Better implementation and reduction of administrative costs
The main focus of the conference will be the synergy process between the three conventions and its possible development. The states will decide whether the joint organisation shall be maintained and intensified. In accordance with the mandate approved by the Federal Council on 10 April 2013, the Swiss delegation will support the new organisational structure, which has improved governance in the area of chemicals and hazardous waste. The merger of the three secretariats enabled savings of almost CHF 3 million in administrative costs, the proceeds of which could be invested in the area of implementation. Switzerland, which instigated the synergies process, will support the extension of the process to other areas (see Box 1). It will also advocate the integration of the new Minamata Convention on Mercury into the competence centre for chemicals and hazardous waste (see Box 2).
DDT, asbestos, chrysotile and electronic waste
Among the decisions that will be taken under each convention, in the context of the Stockholm Convention, Switzerland shall support, in particular, the development of alternative solutions to the use of DDT for combating malaria.
In the context of the Rotterdam Convention, Switzerland will support the recommendations of the technical group on new products to be subject to the prior consent procedure. These include, in particular, chrysotile asbestos or white asbestos. The use of all types of asbestos has been prohibited in Switzerland since 1989.
In the context of the Basel Convention, the current President of which is Franz Perrez, Head of the International Affairs Division of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland will support the continued development of international standards to enable the labelling of toxic waste treatment plants throughout the world. It will also commit to the development of public-private partnerships aimed at establishing safe recovery channels for hazardous waste on the basis of existing partnerships for mobile telephones and electronic waste.
Press conference 27 April in Geneva
The UNEP and FOEN are organising a press conference at the International Conference Centre of Geneva (ICCG) on Saturday 27 April 2013 at 11 am. Switzerland will be represented there by Ambassador Franz Perrez, President of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention and head of the Swiss negotiating delegation. Journalists may notify of their intention to attend the press conference by emailing elisabeth.maret@bafu.admin.ch.
Box 1
Pioneering synergies process between chemicals and hazardous waste
Since 2010, at the instigation of Switzerland in particular, the three conventions have benefited from shared management and secretariat. This merger, which is aimed at intensifying coordination and cooperation in relation to chemicals and toxic waste, represents a pioneering development in the field of environmental governance.
Further steps shall be taken in Geneva to extend the process to other areas. A joint working programme shall be adopted for 2014/15 and allocated a joint budget. Other coordination measures should be decided regarding, in particular, national reporting on the implementation of the conventions and the technical committees responsible for proposing new products to be subject to the conventions. Switzerland welcomes all of these attempts to establish further synergies. It will support the establishment of a joint process for financing and technical support in developing countries under the three conventions. It will also support the creation of a mechanism for identifying cases of failure to respect the provisions of the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions based on the model of the recently established Mercury Convention.
BOX 2
Switzerland, a centre of competence for chemicals and toxic waste
The three conventions which govern chemicals and hazardous waste at international level are based in Geneva. Hence, Switzerland has become the centre of competence for environmental policy in the area of chemicals and hazardous waste. The new Minamata Convention on Mercury was also finalised in Geneva in January 2013. Therefore, in Switzerland's view, the new convention should be incorporated into the centre of competence in Geneva.
BOX 3
Swiss policy on chemicals and hazardous waste
The three conventions were ratified some years ago by Switzerland (see factsheet). The commitments entered into under the Stockholm Convention have mostly been incorporated into the Ordinance on Chemical Risk Reduction (ORRChim). With the exception of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), the manufacture, placing on the market and use of all of the substances subject to the POP convention are prohibited in Switzerland. Moreover, a strategy has been developed for eliminating the emissions from pollutants subject to the convention which persist in the environment.
The PIC convention is implemented through the Swiss PIC Ordinance (ChemPICO), which entered into force on 1 January 2005. Exports of hazardous waste are mostly regulated at national level by the Waste Movements Ordinance (OMW).Address for enquiries
Elisabeth Maret, Information Officer, FOEN, +41 79 371 62 82
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en
