With the historic resolution 5/8, the United Nations Environment Assembly at its resumed fifth session in 2022 (UNEA-5.2) decided that a science-policy panel should be established to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution.
The panel aims to provide policymakers with robust, independent scientific information on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention and is expected to work strategically with the recently adopted Global Framework on Chemicals and Multilateral Environmental Agreements. It will sit alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) to ensure that all pillars of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste have a dedicated global science-policy interface.
By the same resolution 5/8, the Environment Assembly decided to convene an ad hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) to prepare proposals for the science-policy panel, including its scope, objective, functions and operating principles, institutional arrangements, rules of procedure, and relationships with key stakeholders.
The OEWG has convened for three sessions:
- The first part of the third session (OEWG 3.1) took place from 17-21 June 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland, preceded by informal, regional and stakeholder consultations on 16 June 2024. OEWG 3.1 documentation, written statements and practical information are available here.
- The second session (OEWG 2) took place from 11-15 December 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, preceded by informal, regional and stakeholder consultations from 9-10 December 2023. OEWG 2 documentation, written statements and practical information are available here.
- The resumed first session (OEWG 1.2) was held from 30 January-3 February 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. OEWG 1.2 documentation, written statements and information on Deep Dive Dialogues are available here.
- The first part of the first session (OEWG 1.1) was held on 6 October 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya, in a hybrid format. OEWG 1.1 documentation and practical information is available here.
The resumed third session (OEWG 3.2) will take place from 15 to 18 June 2025 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, at the Convention and Exhibition Center at the Punta del Este Convention & Exhibition Center, preceded by Regional Meetings on 14 June 2025.
OEWG 3.2 will be held back to back with the Intergovernmental Meeting convened by the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme for the purpose of considering the establishment of the science-policy panel.
Regional meetings were organised to allow for briefings and preparations in advance of OEWG 2 and OEWG 3.1. Regional meeting summaries are available here.
A webinar series has been organised in collaboration with the Geneva Environment Network (GEN) to inform stakeholders, scientists and civil society about the OEWG process and progress towards the establishment of the new panel. The webinar series can be accessed here.
For any additional information, please contact the secretariat of the ad hoc open-ended working group on a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution at spp-cwp@un.org.
