Online segment of the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (BC COP-15, RC COP-10 and SC Cop-10, hereafter “the 2021 Triple COPs”) were held from July 26th to 30th. More than 160 parties and 1300 representatives attended the meeting online. The Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (BCRC China) and the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Capacity-building and the Transfer of Technology in Asia and the Pacific, established in Tsinghua University, joined the 2021 Triple COPs on the sound management of chemicals and waste. Zhao Nana, Chen Yuan and Duan Lizhe, representing Chinese government, Tan Quanyin, the assistant professor of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University representing Department of Solid Wastes and Chemicals of Ministry of Ecology and Environment attended the negotiation of the conference. Li Jinhui, Executive Director of BCRC China and professor of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, 4 undergraduate students from the Global Environment Program of the School of Environment as observers also attended the meeting, with 4 other students as non-official observers.
According to the Bureaux of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the Triple COPs would be held in Nairobi, Kenya. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the meetings would be held in two segments, an online segment held over 5 days tentatively from July 26th to 30th, 2021, and a face-to-face segment in 2022, themed on “Global Agreements for a Healthy Planet: Sound management of chemicals and waste”.
Key outcomes from the online segment included the adoption of interim programs of work and budgets for 2022 for the three conventions, the adoption of a decision agreeing to resume the meetings during a face-to-face segment in Geneva, from 6 to 17 June 2022. Other work during the session include consideration and adoption of strategic framework, technical guidelines, national reports, amendment of the Basel Convention, listing of chemicals to Annex III to the Basel Convention, implementation plan of Stockholm Convention, and other common issues such as international cooperation, work program and budgets. 11 side events were held during the online segment of the COPs to discuss the important issues regarding face-to-face conference, including Review of Annexes to the Basel Convention, E-waste Basel Convention Amendment Proposal by Ghana and Switzerland, Basel Convention Plastic Waste Partnership (PWP), Follow up Partnership to PACE (Catalyzing solutions for the ESM for waste mobile phones and computing equipment).
The Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions are the highest decisionmaking body of the three conventions and important platforms for UNEP to promote the synergetic progress of international chemicals and waste management. BCRC China is one of the fourteen regional and coordinating centers (BCRCs) globally since 1999. As the technical support institution of the Basel Convention for the Chinese government, BCRC China has attended the Conference of the Parties since 1999 and has played an important role in PWP, review of the annexes to the Convention, and revision of the technical guidelines.
