1. 1 Joint Clearing-House Mechanism for Information exchange By Osmany Pereira, Administrative Services Branch, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Geneva, 06 May 2013

2. 2 Information Exchange Mandates under the Basel Convention Article 3: National Definitions of Hazardous Wastes Article 4: Import Restrictions Article 5: Competent Authorities and Focal Points Article 9: Illegal Traffic Article 11: Bilateral, Multilateral, Regional agreements Article 13(3): National Reporting Article 16 – Secretariat Functions, para. (b)(e)(f)(g)

3. 3 Decision RC-4/12, on financing and budget for the triennium 2009–2011, … … request to the Secretariat to establish a clearing- house mechanism for the Rotterdam Convention in cooperation with the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal Mandates under the Rotterdam Convention

4. 4 Paragraph 4 of article 9 The Secretariat shall serve as a clearing-house mechanism for information on Persistent Organic Pollutants, including information provided by Parties, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. Mandates under the Stockholm Convention

5. 5 Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies  Parties: … to consider establishing common websites and documentation centres …  Secretariat: … to develop systems of information exchange on health and environmental impacts, including a clearing- house mechanism, with the aim of these systems serving all three conventions …

6. 6 Clearing-house mechanism Concept

7. 7 National Focal Points & DNAs Competent Authorities Social Networks, POPsSocial, PICsocial Expert Rosters PACE and other partnerships BCRCs PCBs and DDT networks Joint Websites, web services Joint Document Management System Joint Calendars Electronic system for reporting Joint contacts database Joint IT platform National reporting data Official documents Technical guidelines and reports National submissions Case studies NGO & IGO data?

8. 8 SC-5/15 & RC-5/9 on Information exchange  Decides that all new phases in the development of the clearing-house mechanism functions relating to the Stockholm Convention should be implemented as part of the development of the clearing ‑ house mechanism serving the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and that further workplans and progress reports should be presented for consideration by the Conference of the Parties as joint activities of the three conventions;

9. 9 Progress: Tools & Infrastructure  Joint Websites, web services  Joint Document Management System  Joint Calendars  Correspondence Tracking System  Electronic system for reporting  Joint contacts database  Flexible Survey Server  Joint IT platform Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies

10. 10 Progress: Information Content & Sources  National reporting data  Official documents  Technical guidelines and reports  National submissions  Project specific data  Case studies  NGO & IGO data? Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies

11. 11 Progress: Networking  National Focal Points, DNAs, Competent Authorities ( database completed )  Social Networks, POPsSocial, PICsocial Social Networks, POPsSocial, PICsocial  Rosters of Experts ( contracted out )  PACE and other partnerships ( guidance doc )  BCRCs ( guidance doc )  PCBs and DDT networks ( projects transfered ) Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies

12. 12 Guidance Document 1) Drafted by an expert group 2) National/Regional Agencies can become nodes 3) Based web services and odata protocol 4) Data provides can share documents, contacts information, incl. expertise, events, news (more in the future) 5) ExCOP.2/INF/19 Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies

13. 13 Summary and way forward

14. 14 from the Joint CHM Revised workplan  Needs assessment for RC and BC  Build on existing work done by all three Conventions  Finalize the guidance document for the joint clearing house mechanism ( UNEP/FAO/CHW/RC/POPS/EXCOPS.2/INF/19 )  Continue developing cross-cutting information packages of information on chemicals and wastes, covering all three conventions, such as country information profiles, joint calendars and joint contact information.  Implement joint capacity-building on CHM  Jointly maintain websites, harmonization  Cooperation with other MEAs through UNEP/DELC IKM initiative – InforMEA  Integrating the strategies into a single strategy for the three conventions Joint clearing-house mechanism -synergies

15. 15 THANK YOU!