Delegates from more than 180 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland from 28 April to 9 May to discuss restricting several toxic chemicals, including a widely used pesticide and a common stain repellent.
The negotiations will be part of a series of biennial meetings known as Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. They come amid mounting concerns that hazardous chemicals are flooding the Earth. Experts say the proliferation of these compounds is one of the most troubling markers of a planet-wide pollution crisis.
“Chemicals are an integral part of the modern world,” said Jacqueline Alvarez, Chief of the Chemicals and Health Branch at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “But too often, exposure to harmful chemicals through food, consumer products, and the environment can have severe consequences for people and the planet.”
Adopted between 1989 and 2001, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are three closely related international agreements designed to protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals and waste. Every two years, the countries that have ratified or otherwise accepted the agreements meet; this year’s negotiations will take place in Geneva.
Delegates are slated to debate a recommendation from a scientific review panel that calls for parties under the Stockholm Convention to eliminate the use of three long-lasting chemicals that can build up in humans and other living things. They are chlorpyrifos, an insecticide, some chlorinated paraffins, which are used in adhesives and sealants, and long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, often found in stain repellents.
Interactive timeline of long-lastic chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants listed under the Stockholm Convention
The letter(s) in brackets indicate in which annex(es) the POP is listed [A = Elimination, B = Restriction, C = Unintentional production].
Country representatives are also expected to discuss placing guardrails on the cross-border trade of 10 chemicals, including mercury and asbestos, under the Rotterdam Convention. If adopted, the move would prevent countries from exporting those chemicals to other nations without their prior informed consent, a procedure originally designed to stop toxic dumping in the developing world.
There will also be a high-level segment in which government ministers are expected to discuss how to improve the management of chemicals and waste. The talks will happen under the theme “Make Visible the Invisible”. A series of side events, several of which will be hosted by UNEP, will take place alongside the negotiations.
Between 40,000 and 60,000 chemical compounds are regularly used in commercial products, from fertilizers to electronics, according to a UNEP study.
Observers are hopeful the Geneva talks will help raise awareness about the safe and sustainable need for sound management of chemicals and the risks of chemical pollution from exposure to harmful chemicals amidst an expected growth of the chemicals industry, which is projected to reach US$10 trillion in value by 2030.
The Geneva gathering will also feature discussions on how to push forward the implementation of the Global Framework on Chemicals, an overarching 2023 agreement designed to protect the planet from chemicals and waste. The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions contribute to many of the agreement’s targets.
Ahead of the Geneva talks, Alvarez said she was hopeful country representatives would push for systemic changes to the use of chemicals, including by reducing or eliminating hazardous substances in compounds through what’s known as green and sustainable chemistry. She’d also like to see countries address chemical pollution through a sector-wide approach instead of compound by compound, as has long been the case.
“Governments have had trouble keeping up with the frenetic pace of chemicals development, which has led to gaps in regulation and challenges in monitoring the effects of chemicals on the environment,” said Alvarez. “The discussions in Geneva will be an important moment to highlight the need for a more holistic approach to the safe management of chemicals and waste.”
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UNEP’s work on chemicals
UNEP provides sustained support for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions through targeted technical assistance and institutional strengthening under the Special Programme. It also tackles chemicals and waste challenges in high-impact sectors, such as electronics, textiles, construction, and transport by promoting a holistic, lifecycle-based approach under the Global Framework on Chemicals.
