Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intersessional Process for Considering SAICM and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020
Highlights for 2nd March 2023
After hearing reports from Wednesday’s meetings in plenary, the Co-Chairs presented their revised consolidated document, which included all work completed as of Wednesday’s end and would serve as the foundation for future discussions. Targets, a measurability framework, implementation procedures, and budgetary concerns were the focus of thematic groups’ daylong and late-night efforts.
In its morning session, Thematic Group 1 (TG1) first heard presentations by the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) on a measurability structure and by the UK on a roadmap for a measurability structure. There was an agreement to convene informal discussions between delegates in order to clarify these proposals before continuing discussions on indicators in TG1 in its evening session.
In its morning session, TG2 agreed on text regarding:
• governments developing a national plan of action or programs to further implementation efforts;
• the post-2020 instrument’s International Conference initiating a process to update or revise the instrument; and
• portions of the “trigger mechanism” for elevating issues of concern.
In the afternoon, TG2 examined a proposal by a small drafting group on information regarding the impacts of chemicals and waste to be provided for a stocktaking of progress made in the sound management of chemicals and waste. They also considered two alternative text proposals on the definition of issues of concern. Another small group was tasked with working on the IOMC proposal for three implementation programs under the instrument.
In the afternoon, TG3 devoted themselves to an extended session to reach as much consensus on text as possible. They managed to approve two paragraphs in the subsection on the mainstreaming portion of the three-part integrated approach to financing the sound management of chemicals and waste.
Highlights for 3rd March 2023
Several provisions in the “IP Consolidated Draft” for a post-2020 instrument on the sound management of chemicals and waste remain bracketed, suggesting that consensus has not been reached, despite a last round of theme group talks in the morning.
The Fourth Meeting of the Intersessional Process (IP4) was postponed until two days before the start of the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) and will continue on September 23–24, 2023 in Bonn, Germany. This was done after reviewing the text for any errors or omissions in the closing plenary. Prior to delivering the Consolidated Document to the ICCM5 negotiators at that point, the resuming IP4 will make an effort to reach an agreement on as many issues as feasible.
