ENB UPDATE

On Tuesday, delegates to the meetings of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions devoted most of the day to discussion of issues of joint concern, including both financial resources to support implementation and the related issue of compliance. Participants focused particularly on the compliance mechanism under the Rotterdam Convention, a long-standing issue which has narrowly eluded consensus in recent years. Many emphasized the need for progress toward establishment of a compliance mechanism at this meeting, building on past support for a facilitative, non-punitive approach. Read full report in English

IPBES-7 opened on Monday with a youth dance performance “Steps for a Change” that made references to biodiversity loss, pointed to interlinkages with climate change, and conveyed a sense of urgency to delegates. In their statements, speakers and regional representatives underlined the importance of the Global Assessment to inform immediate action on biodiversity and feed into the development of the post 2020-biodiversity framework. In the afternoon, the Working Group on the Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) of the Global Assessment began its work with presentations on the assessment process and the SPM’s main findings. Read full report in English

On the first day of the 2019 meeting of the Conferences of Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (informally known as the Triple COP), regional groups used their opening statements to call for urgent action on emerging issues such as plastics and marine litter, as well as longstanding challenges ranging from management of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to the establishment of compliance mechanisms under the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Parties to the Stockholm Convention decided to list the pesticide dicofol in Annex A (elimination), and will continue work on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the coming days. Read full report in English

Participants attending the Stakeholder Day, ahead of the seventh session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES-7), shared information about engaging in the Plenary session and presented actions in support of IPBES, including national platforms and regional or national assessments. Participants also considered the process and methodology of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, to be finalized at IPBES-7, and the Platform’s future work. During these discussions, transformative change emerged as a cross-cutting issue, with many participants asking how IPBES can convey the necessary sense of urgency and support immediate action to transform the relationship between humans and nature to prevent rapid decline of global biodiversity. Read full report in English

The fifth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 5) brought together over 800 participants to consider the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The meeting addressed the preparation of Voluntary National Reviews and the July and September 2019 meetings of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), among other issues. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Marrakech Declaration, which will be presented on behalf of Africa to both HLPF meetings in 2019. The Declaration includes calls for action to: strengthen South-South cooperation and experience sharing with a view to addressing multiple and complex challenges and building multi-stakeholder partnerships, plans and programmes at regional and subregional levels; take appropriate measures to bring the consequences of global warming under control, limiting it to a level not exceeding 1.5°C; emphasize the interdependence of peace, security and sustainable development, recognizing that progress has been made by African countries in this regard; and establish effective financing strategies and meet commitments in support of Africa. Read full report in English

Organized by the Because the Ocean Initiative, the Technical Workshop titled “Before the Blue COP” focused on the state of knowledge concerning climate and ocean change, synergies and gaps in climate and ocean actions, and national perspectives on the ocean-climate nexus. In the closing session, takeaways from the workshop were highlighted as including: silos between the ocean and climate communities are starting to break down and knowledge on interlinkages is improving; environmental integrity and accountability in the context of ocean and climate action must be ensured; Nationally Determined Contributions offer opportunities to address ocean and climate interlinkages, and other vehicles such as National Adaptation Plans should also be considered; and there is an appetite for political initiatives to increase momentum on the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus, provided that they have an added-value compared to existing declarations. Recommendations from the Because the Ocean workshop series will be brought to the attention of the 51st session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, and the Santiago Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 25). Read full report in English

The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) assessed progress by the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) toward the global goal of achieving by 2020 the use and production of chemicals in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment, among other issues. On the question of how the sound management of chemicals and waste should be addressed beyond 2020, our Earth Negotiations Bulletin analysis of the meeting highlights that, while most stakeholders want to keep SAICM’s multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral nature, which is a marked difference to traditional intergovernmental processes, they recognize that this structure blurs the responsibilities of actors. Discussions on these questions will continue at the third meeting of the intersessional process, slated for 30 September-3 October 2019. Read full report in English

Negotiations on a new treaty on marine genetic resources in the high seas were aided by a document prepared by the President of the Intergovernmental Conference that contained options related to: marine genetic resources; area-based management tools including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments (EIAs); and capacity building and marine technology transfer. Our Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary from the two-week second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on an international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction indicates that the “most all-encompassing core disagreement” during the talks was on general principles and approaches on marine genetic resources. Delegations either wanted to treat these resources as the common heritage of humankind or to prioritize freedom of the high seas. The next negotiation session will convene in August. Read full report in English

Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) convened in an informal working group on cross-cutting issues and considered issues related to the new high seas treaty’s clearinghouse mechanism, the definition of terms related to the main elements of the future treaty, and general principles and approaches.

In the corridors, some delegates considered the trek through the labyrinth of options in parts of the document as “a painful, but essential exercise” to further develop mutual understanding. Others were less enthusiastic: at the end of the session, two veterans said that progress felt like “one step forward, two steps back,” or “tap dancing on the spot.” Read daily report in English.

Highlights of the final day of the third meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) included discussions of options to finance the sound management of chemicals and waste, including mainstreaming the issue in national budgets and development plans, possible cost recovery options involving the private sector, and a possible new international fund on chemicals and waste. The UK announced that it would host an expert meeting later in 2019 to prepare indicators on the sound management of chemicals and waste, and Romania offered to host the fourth intersessional process meeting in early 2020. The meeting closed at 6:29 pm. Read daily webpage updates here.

Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) began discussions on cross-cutting issues. They considered institutional arrangements, outlining positions on, among other issues, the decision-making body/forum for the new agreement, secretariat functions, and subsidiary bodies.

What comes first: form or function? This is the persistent question that plagues the BBNJ process, and it reared its head again on Wednesday during discussions on institutional arrangements. Some delegates strenuously asserted that function (deciding on institutional arrangements, including whether they operate on a global or regional level) follows form (deciding on what the institutions will do). Discussions on this will continue for the rest of the meeting, and into the next session of the IGC. Read full report in English.

The third meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) considered progress made towards the 2020 goal of the sound management of chemicals and discussed updates concerning SAICM’s emerging policy issues and other issues of concern, which include: lead in paint; chemicals in products; hazardous substances within the life cycle of electrical and electronic products; nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials; endocrine-disrupting chemicals; environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants; perfluorinated chemicals; and highly hazardous pesticides. Among other highlights for the day, our Earth Negotiations Bulletin team notes that a discussion paper with a proposal to create an international fund to implement the sound management of chemicals and waste was submitted, and many praised the World Health Organization’s Chemicals Road Map and Global Chemicals and Health Network. Read daily webpage updates here.

The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) opened with high-level addresses from Uruguay, Romania on behalf of European Union, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Most of the day focused on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020. Delegates established a contact group to discuss possible recommendations to ICCM5, which is scheduled to take place in 2020. A Friends of the President group was established to discuss possible elements of a post-2020 framework. Read daily webpage updates here.

Delegates at the second session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) opened discussions on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology (CB&TT), considering the types and modalities of CB&TT, including a clearinghouse mechanism; and issues related to funding, including the funding mechanism and whether funding would be mandatory or voluntary.

In the corridors, it was difficult to ignore the fact that positions on funding were still poles apart, with the usual lines drawn between a cohort preferring only voluntary funding options, and those on the receiving end, holding out for a mix of voluntary and mandatory financing. When some called for aspects of the funding discussion to be brought up under cross-cutting issues, others resolved that, clearly, “the real negotiations are going to come down to the wire,” with three days left and counting. Read full report in English.

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• Twenty-five Years of ISA’s Contribution to Deep-Sea Marine Scientific Research and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) Read full side event summary here.

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Delegates continued discussions on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) considering details related to the: content of an EIA; monitoring, reporting, and review; strategic environmental assessments (SEAs); and activities for which EIAs are required.

In the corridors, while EIA discussions made clear progress on activities, process, and content, conceptual murkiness and conflict remained regarding monitoring, reporting, and review, and SEAs. There was a general acceptance of the utility of SEAs, but views diverged on: how they would apply to areas beyond the control of states; and who would conduct them. Read full report in English