Green Days by the EPPD: Meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Conferences of the Parties, 2019

Monday 26 August 2019

Meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Conferences of the Parties, 2019

The protection of human health and the environment, through the environmentally sound management (ESM) of hazardous materials is the common objective of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, commonly known as the BRS Conventions. The 2019 Meetings of the COPs to the BRS Conventions were held in Geneva, Switzerland from April 29^th - May 10^th, 2019. Trinidad and Tobago participated as a Party to these three (3) multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in the chemicals and waste cluster and was represented by Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist, Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD), Ministry of Planning and Development; Head of Delegation, Mr Hasmath Ali, Ministry of Health; and Mr. Wayne Rajkumar, of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

Approximately 1,400 delegates from 180 countries spent two (2) tedious weeks negotiating towards the adoption of several decisions. These decisions included the topical issue of plastic pollution as exhibited through the landmark decision to increase the cross-border control of low-quality plastic waste, and the establishment of a global Partnership on Plastic Waste under the Basel Convention, the global treaty that deals with the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal. Locally, this decision would be effected through the EMA, the National Competent Authority under the Basel Convention.

There was also the listing of two (2) new toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention: Dicofol, a pesticide (production of which is primarily in India and is expected to cease soon) and perflorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and related compounds. PFOA is used for non-stick kitchenware, surface treatments in textiles, paper and paints and in fire-fighting foams. Annex A listing means that all Parties are to take all measures to eliminate the production and use of these POPs. Once endorsed, Trinidad and Tobago's National Implementation Plan on POPs will work towards achieving this.

Under the Rotterdam Convention, there was the historic adoption of a Compliance Mechanism, 15 years after the Convention's entry into force, via a majority vote of 120-6. Trinidad and Tobago was one (1) of twenty (20) countries in the ‘Friends of the President’ group established to initially resolve this issue by consensus. There was also the listing of two (2) new chemicals: phorate, a toxic pesticide and the industrial chemical hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), which means these would now be subject to the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure to promote information exchange between countries engaged in its trade. Locally, the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Inspectorate and the Environmental Policy and Planning Division would be responsible for this process.

On the invitation of the BCRC Caribbean, Ms. Keima Gardiner presented on behalf of the Caribbean SIDS at a side event on ‘Bringing the Benefits of BRS Conventions to SIDS’. The delegation also took the opportunity to pay a visit to Her Excellency, Permanent Representative, Ambassador Makeda Antoine-Cambridge at the Permanent Mission of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations, Geneva.