The Governing Council,
Recalling chapter 19 of Agenda 2131 and Governing Council decisions 18/12 of 26 May 1995,
18/32 of 25 May 1995, 19/13 of 7 February 1997, SS.V/5 of 22 May 1998, 20/22 of 4 February 1999,
20/23 and 20/24 of 4 February 1999, 21/3, 21/4, 21/5 and 21/6 of 9 February 2001, SS.VII/3 of
15 February 2002, 22/4 of 7 February 2003, 23/9 of 25 February 2005, 24/3 of 9 February 2007 and
25/5 of 20 February 2009 concerning global policies related to chemicals management,
Recalling also decisions BC.Ex-1/1, RC.Ex-1/1 and SC.Ex-1/1, adopted by the conferences of
the parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and Their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants, respectively, at the simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the
conferences of the parties to those three conventions,
Welcoming the progress achieved in enhancing cooperation and coordination within the
chemicals and wastes cluster, implementing the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management, the negotiations on a global legally binding instrument on mercury, the consultative
process on financing options for chemicals and wastes, the Global Chemicals Outlook process, and the
steps taken by the United Nations Environment Programme to address the global challenges posed by
chemicals to human health and the environment,
Stressing that the future process to enhance cooperation and coordination within the chemicals
and wastes cluster as proposed in the present decision should complement and build on the review of
the process of enhancing cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions called for in decisions BC.Ex-1/1, RC.Ex-1/1 and SC.Ex-1/1, and is intended to be a
broader and longer-term process,
Noting the objectives set at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
in 1992 and confirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002
that by 2020 chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant
adverse effects on human health and the environment, and the need to review the objectives in the
context of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012,
Noting also that further action may be needed to strengthen the sound management of
chemicals and wastes globally up to 2020 and beyond,
Taking note that the objective of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management is that by 2020 chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of
significant adverse effects on human health and the environment, and that further action might need to
be taken beyond that date to work towards enhancing the implementation of that objective at the
global, regional and, in particular, national levels,
Taking note also of the initial analysis on further enhancing cooperation and coordination
within the chemicals and wastes cluster by the United Nations Environment Programme32 and of the
need and opportunities for strengthening the continued sound management of chemicals and wastes,
Recognizing that challenges posed by chemicals and wastes are global, enduring and
constantly evolving and that they are interrelated with crucial environmental issues such as
environment-dependent human health, the health of ecosystems and better ecosystem management, the
preservation of biodiversity, and the link between poverty and environment, environmental disasters,
climate change and sustainable consumption, thus forming part of the challenges posed to international
environmental governance,
Recognizing also that chemicals are integral to sustainable development but that the sound
management of chemicals and wastes is not yet fully integrated into sustainable development
processes,
Recognizing further the leading role that the United Nations Environment Programme
continues to play, working in close cooperation with Governments and other key stakeholders, in
developing a global and coordinated approach to coherent chemicals and wastes management,
Having considered the initial analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme of the
need and opportunities for strengthening the further sound management of chemicals and wastes,33
3. Invites those countries that have not ratified the multilateral environmental agreements
on chemicals and wastes to do so in an expeditious manner as a contribution to concerted efforts to
enhance cooperation and coordination within the chemicals and wastes cluster;
4. Requests the Executive Director to facilitate and support an inclusive, country-driven,
consultative process on the challenges to and options for further enhancing cooperation and
coordination in the chemicals and wastes cluster in the long term, building on the above-mentioned
initial analysis report and the comments received thereon from Governments, relevant
intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental stakeholders;
5. Invites the participants in the above-mentioned consultative process to take into
consideration partnerships between all relevant sectors to build capacities, to ensure adequate
technology transfer and to promote the provision of necessary technical and financial resources;
6. Requests the Executive Director to provide input to the Preparatory Committee for the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and to present a progress report on the
consultative process to the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twelfth
special session and a report on the outcome of the consultative process to the Governing
Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum at its twenty-seventh session;
7. Urges Governments and other stakeholders in a position to do so to contribute
extrabudgetary resources for the conduct of the process.