History of the Synergies Process     

In order to facilitate the implementation of the conventions, the conferences of the Parties have over the years adopted a series of decisions aiming at enhancing cooperation and coordination among the conventions. Thus, a framework for the so-called synergies process has been set.

The Ad Hoc Joint Working Group

The Ad Hoc Joint Working Group on enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions was established to prepare joint recommendations on enhanced cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The group was composed of 45 representatives of Parties, 15 from each of the three conventions. The recommendations developed by the Ad Hoc Joint Working Group were sent for adoption to the Conferences of the Parties to the three Conventions.

More information and meeting documents are available at http://ahjwg.chem.unep.ch/.

Synergies decisions

The decisions on enhanced cooperation and coordination among the three conventions, also called "synergies decisions" were considered and adopted by the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel Convention (decision BC-IX/10, June 2008), Rotterdam Convention (decision RC-4/11,October 2008) and Stockholm Convention (decision SC-4/34, May 2009) without any substantive amendments.

The "synergies decisions" concern synergies at the national, regional and global levels in the following areas:

  1. Organizational issues in the field;
  2. Technical issues;
  3. Information management and public awareness issues;
  4. Administrative issues;
  5. Decision-making. 

Simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties

The simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions were held in Bali, Indonesia, at the Bali International Convention Centre in, Nusa Dua, from 22 to 24 February 2010, in coordination with the eleventh special session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum. The report of the meetings is available.

The main outcomes of the meetings are decisions BC.Ex-1/1, RC.Ex-1/1 and SC.Ex-1/1 on the following thematic areas:

  1. Joint activities:
  2. Joint managerial functions:
  3. Joint services;
  4. Synchronization of budget cycles;
  5. Joint audits;
  6. Review arrangements.

More detailed information and all meeting documents are available at http://excops.unep.ch/. 

Enhancing cooperation and coordination decisions taken in 2011

In 2011, the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions adopted substantively identical decisions to further cooperation and coordination (BC-10/29, RC-5/12 and SC-5/27). Among others, these decisions approved an interim organization of the secretariats, cross-cutting and joint activities for inclusion in the programmes of work, detailed terms of reference for the review of the synergies process and holding simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the Conferences of the Parties in 2013. 

The Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions was furthermore requested, by 31 December 2011 and in consultation with Parties to the three conventions through the bureaux, to prepare a proposal for the organization of the secretariats of the three conventions, including staffing levels, numbers and structure, to be implemented by 31 December 2012.

Next steps

At the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties in 2013, the Parties will consider a full proposal by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Executive Secretary for the organization of the three secretariats, including the possible continuation of the post of the Executive Secretary that is cost-neutral in respect of the adopted operating budgets of the three conventions. Furthermore, the Parties will review arrangements adopted pursuant to the synergies decisions; adopt a budget for joint activities; consider the outcome of the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director’s consultative process on financing options for chemicals and wastes; and decide on the next steps of the synergies process.

 

 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
BC-9/10Cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions116.5 K 1.77 MB 113 K 233.15 K 92 K 100.34 K 119.5 K 149.01 K 112.5 K 151.34 K 94 K 43.79 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
RC-4/11Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions96 K 1.84 MB 83 K 246.83 K 75.5 K 45.37 K 97.5 K 57.99 K 102.5 K 152.61 K 87.5 K 55.42 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
SC-4/34Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (synergies decision)96.5 K 1.79 MB 115.5 K 228.68 K 106 K 45.03 K 103.5 K 62.72 K 141.5 K 152.28 K 142 K 56.84 K

 

UN-number Title Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
BC-9/10 Cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  
RC-4/11 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  
SC-4/34 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (synergies decision)  
  
  
  
  
  

 
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
EXCOPS.1/3Joint managerial functions347.5 K 315.53 K 482.5 K 414.5 K 500.5 K 143.03 K 856.5 K 208.46 K 347 K 409.07 K 571.5 K 142.36 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
EXCOPS-1/1Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention93.5 K 1.49 MB 87.5 K 228.1 K 78.5 K 47.78 K 83.5 K 130.5 K 79.5 K 145.16 K 76.5 K 86.03 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
RC.Ex-1/1Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention90 K 1.49 MB 86 K 227.83 K 78 K 48.16 K 82 K 130.59 K 79.5 K 145.18 K 76 K 87.85 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
SC.Ex-1/1Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention88.5 K 1.49 MB 85.5 K 228.48 K 78.5 K 47.21 K 81.5 K 130.5 K 79.5 K 145.18 K 76.5 K 86.3 K

 

UN-number Title Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
EXCOPS-1/1 Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention  
  
  
  
  
  
RC.Ex-1/1 Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention  
  
  
  
  
  
SC.Ex-1/1 Omnibus decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm Convention  
  
  
  
  
  

 

 

UN-number Title Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
UNEP/CHW.10/27/Add.2 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (Joint managerial functions)  
  
  
  
  
  
UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.5/25/Add.2 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  
UNEP/POPS/COP.5/32/Add.2 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions - Addendum - Joint managerial functions  
  
  
  
  
  

 
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
BC-10/29Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions453 K 2.84 MB 355 K 606.8 K 375.5 K 351.82 K 391 K 461.15 K 417 K 456.95 K 413.5 K 395.84 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
RC-5/12Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions411.5 K 7.04 MB 375 K 649.67 K 428.5 K 231.07 K 456.5 K 456.19 K 417 K 421.82 K 373.5 K 381.71 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
SC-5/27Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions427.5 K 427.5 K 430 K 446.31 K 390.5 K 167.31 K 398 K 234.96 K 481.5 K 424.5 K 466.22 K 424.53 K 417 K 242.56 K

 

UN-number Title Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish
BC-10/29 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  
RC-5/12 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  
SC-5/27 Enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions  
  
  
  
  
  

 
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
EXCOPS.1/8Report of the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions499.5 K 435.02 K 549 K 371.88 K 556.5 K 263.93 K 929.5 K 660.81 K 442.5 K 544.3 K 619 K 270.43 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
BC-10/27BC-10/27: Programme budget for the biennium 2012–20131.07 MB 3.05 MB 775 K 826.55 K 891.5 K 574.58 K 897.5 K 649.7 K 983.5 K 525.45 K 916.5 K 584.39 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
RC-5/14Financing and budget for the biennium 2012–2013832 K 1.99 MB 729.5 K 657.48 K 990.5 K 185.22 K 970 K 182.48 K 772.5 K 439.57 K 981 K 221.62 K
 

UN-numberTitleArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
SC-5/28Financing and budget for the biennium 2012–20131014 K 1.6 MB 1.07 MB 423.71 K 932 K 114.01 K 1.29 MB 127.75 K 946.5 K 398.71 K 1.24 MB 326.68 K