Press Release
June 21, 2022
- Health & Chemicals
- Waste & Recycling
Outcomes on the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Stockholm, Basel, and Rotterdam Conventions
1. Meetings of the conferences of the parties to three Conventions related to chemical substances and waste, namely the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Stockholm Convention), the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention), and the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade , were jointly held from June 1 to June 17, 2022, in Stockholm (Sweden) and Geneva (Switzerland). From Japan, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of the Environment attended the meetings, and SHODA Yutaka, the Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Ministry of the Environment (MOE), attended the High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (held on June 1).
2. During the period, participants discussed technical and operational topics related to each convention, and also discussed how to strengthen cooperation on the technologies shared by the three conventions and enhance collaboration between them in order to implement effective measures.
3. Outline of the outcomes
◇Stockholm Convention:
The parties adopted the addition of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention. They also deliberated whether specific exemptions were still necessary for decabromodiphenyl ether and short-chain chlorinated paraffins.
◇Basel Convention:
The parties revised the annexes of the Basel Convention and made decisions that included addition of nonhazardous electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) to controlled items under the convention. In addition, the parties adopted the guidelines on mercury and on the incineration of hazardous wastes, for which Japan served as the lead country.
◇Rotterdam Convention:
The parties decided to add decabromodiphenyl ether and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and PFOA-related compounds to the substances subject to the convention.
2. During the period, participants discussed technical and operational topics related to each convention, and also discussed how to strengthen cooperation on the technologies shared by the three conventions and enhance collaboration between them in order to implement effective measures.
3. Outline of the outcomes
◇Stockholm Convention:
The parties adopted the addition of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention. They also deliberated whether specific exemptions were still necessary for decabromodiphenyl ether and short-chain chlorinated paraffins.
◇Basel Convention:
The parties revised the annexes of the Basel Convention and made decisions that included addition of nonhazardous electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) to controlled items under the convention. In addition, the parties adopted the guidelines on mercury and on the incineration of hazardous wastes, for which Japan served as the lead country.
◇Rotterdam Convention:
The parties decided to add decabromodiphenyl ether and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and PFOA-related compounds to the substances subject to the convention.
Background
With the aim of effectively achieving the objectives common to the Stockholm, Basel, and Rotterdam Conventions to control hazardous chemical substances and waste and prevent their influence on the environment and human health, meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to these three conventions were also held jointly this year, following those in 2017 and 2019.
Outline of the meetings
(1) Venues and date and period
Venues:
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: Stockholm, Sweden
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: Geneva, Switzerland
Date and period:
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: June 1
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: June 6 to June 17
Main schedules of meetings
(2) Main agenda items
< High-level Segment >
- Sustainable development toward 2030
- Strengthening efforts through partnerships
- Reducing waste and pollutants in balance with economic and social prosperity
< Stockholm Convention > (For more information, see Attachment 1.)
- Adding new POPs to Annex A of the convention
・Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds
- Reviewing specific exemptions
・Decabromodiphenyl ether
・Short-chain chlorinated paraffins
- Evaluating the convention's effectiveness
< Basel Convention > (For more information, see Attachment 2.)
- Revising the annexes of the Basel Convention, including addition of nonhazardous electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) to controlled items under the convention
- Adopting the Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes Consisting of Elemental Mercury and Wastes Containing or Contaminated with Mercury and the Technical Guidelines on the Incineration of Hazardous Wastes, for which Japan served as the lead country
- Discussing various technical guidelines and other items
< Rotterdam Convention >
- Adding subject chemical substances to Annex III (Decabromodiphenyl ether, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds)
< Joint session of the Conferences of the Parties > (For more information, see Attachment 3.)
- Technological support
- Project plans and budgets
- International cooperation
(3) Meeting documents, etc.
Agenda items and meeting documents, etc. are available from the following website of the Secretariats:
http://www.brsmeas.org/20212022COPs/MeetingDocuments/tabid/8810/language/en-US/Default.aspx
(4) Participants from Japan
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties:
SHODA Yutaka, the Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Ministry of the Environment
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties:
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of the Environment
(5) Next meetings
The next meetings will be held in the Bahamas from May 8 to 19, 2023. The meetings of the three Conferences of the Parties will once again be held in succession with the issues common to all three conventions discussed in a joint session.
(6) Related information
Past press releases (in Japanese)
April 26, 2019: https://www.env.go.jp/press/106750.html
May 14, 2019: https://www.env.go.jp/press/106784.html
< Webpages related to the conventions > (in Japanese)
Venues:
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: Stockholm, Sweden
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: Geneva, Switzerland
Date and period:
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: June 1
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties: June 6 to June 17
Main schedules of meetings
| 10th meeting of the Conferences of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention | June 6 to June 10 |
| 15th meeting of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel Convention | June 6 to June 15 |
| 10th meeting of the Conferences of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention | June 13 to June 17 |
| Joint session of the Conferences of the Parties | June 6 to June 17 |
(2) Main agenda items
< High-level Segment >
- Sustainable development toward 2030
- Strengthening efforts through partnerships
- Reducing waste and pollutants in balance with economic and social prosperity
< Stockholm Convention > (For more information, see Attachment 1.)
- Adding new POPs to Annex A of the convention
・Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds
- Reviewing specific exemptions
・Decabromodiphenyl ether
・Short-chain chlorinated paraffins
- Evaluating the convention's effectiveness
< Basel Convention > (For more information, see Attachment 2.)
- Revising the annexes of the Basel Convention, including addition of nonhazardous electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) to controlled items under the convention
- Adopting the Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes Consisting of Elemental Mercury and Wastes Containing or Contaminated with Mercury and the Technical Guidelines on the Incineration of Hazardous Wastes, for which Japan served as the lead country
- Discussing various technical guidelines and other items
< Rotterdam Convention >
- Adding subject chemical substances to Annex III (Decabromodiphenyl ether, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds)
< Joint session of the Conferences of the Parties > (For more information, see Attachment 3.)
- Technological support
- Project plans and budgets
- International cooperation
(3) Meeting documents, etc.
Agenda items and meeting documents, etc. are available from the following website of the Secretariats:
http://www.brsmeas.org/20212022COPs/MeetingDocuments/tabid/8810/language/en-US/Default.aspx
(4) Participants from Japan
High-level Segment of the Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties:
SHODA Yutaka, the Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Ministry of the Environment
Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties:
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of the Environment
(5) Next meetings
The next meetings will be held in the Bahamas from May 8 to 19, 2023. The meetings of the three Conferences of the Parties will once again be held in succession with the issues common to all three conventions discussed in a joint session.
(6) Related information
Past press releases (in Japanese)
April 26, 2019: https://www.env.go.jp/press/106750.html
May 14, 2019: https://www.env.go.jp/press/106784.html
< Webpages related to the conventions > (in Japanese)
- Information related to the Stockholm Convention:
- Information related to the Basel Convention:
- Information related to the Rotterdam Convention:
Attached materials
- Attachment 1: Outline of the outcomes of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention
- Attachment 2: Outline of the outcomes of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
- Attachment 3: Outline of the outcomes of the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Stockholm, Basel, and Rotterdam Conventions (joint session)
See the attached materials (Japanese) from the following URL:
https://www.env.go.jp/press/111174.html
- Attachment 2: Outline of the outcomes of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
- Attachment 3: Outline of the outcomes of the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Stockholm, Basel, and Rotterdam Conventions (joint session)
See the attached materials (Japanese) from the following URL:
https://www.env.go.jp/press/111174.html
Please download Adobe Reader (for free) to view PDF file.
