European Union

Highlights for Friday, 3 May 2019 Mohammed Khashashneh, Stockholm Convention COP9 President, and Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, BRS Secretariat, consult with the EU Delegates to the 2019 meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions worked through a packed agenda on Friday, as they resumed work under the Basel Convention, sought to conclude the work of the Stockholm Convention, and addressed some of the outstanding issues of joint concern to at least two of the three Conventions.In the morning, participants discussed work undertaken intersessionally by expert working groups, including on the development of guidelines for environmentally sound management and work on technical guidelines on: e-waste; incineration on land and specially engineered landfill; and waste lead-acid batteries. While this technical work was welcomed by delegates, some non-governmental organizations called for additional work to close loopholes and otherwise strengthen guidelines to promote best environmental practices.Stockholm Convention COP9 convened in the afternoon and took a series of decisions, including one that reduces the number of exemptions and acceptable purposes for continued production and use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts, and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF). Delegates also adopted a decision to list perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds in Annex A (elimination) of the Convention. Notably, COP9 agreed to a request for additional exemptions for continued production and use. Several delegates were disappointed by the agreement to allow these exemptions, which had not been recommended by the POPs Review Committee. One industry observer emphasized that the substances are being phased out in large parts of the world and are not necessary, and several civil society organizations highlighted the negative impact of PFOA on human health and the environment. More broadly, several worried that introduction of exemption requests at the COP undermines the science-based review process of the Convention.With those decisions, Stockholm Convention COP9 was suspended until Friday, 10 May, when it will reopen for adoption of a decision on the budget and programme of work, as well as other outstanding issues. Basel Convention COP14 will resume on Saturday.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from the 2019 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Plenary: Basel Convention Abraham Zivayi Matiza, Basel Convention COP14 President, convenes the plenary Yang Zheng, China Prasert Tapaneeyangkul, Thailand Manoj Kumar Gangeya, India Gregory Rippon, Australia Marco Buletti, Switzerland Mohamed Aman, Bahrain Banu Gözet, Turkey Toï Pagnibam Meba, Togo Abel Arkenbout, Toxico Watch Julie Croteau, Canada Contact Groups Contact Group on Programme of Work and Budget Contact Group on Basel Convention Compliance Contact Group on Basel Convention Strategic Matters Plenary: Stockholm Convention View of the dais during plenary Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran María Florencia Grimalt, Argentina Christina Tolfsen, Norway Mehari Wondmagegn Taye, Rapporteur Delegates from the EU read the meeting report Delegates from Canada and Switzerland consult Delegates from Mongolia consult Around the Venue Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, BRS Conventions Delegates from China meet at the start of plenary Sverre Thomas Jahre, Norway; Stina Andersson, Sweden; and Trevor Gordon, South Africa Meera Laurijssen, Consultant; Mario Yarto, BRS Secretariat; and Osvaldo Álvarez-Pérez, Rotterdam Convention COP9 President Delegates speak informally between sessions Delegates from Nigeria Delegates from Turkey A delegate reads a back issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin to understand the historic context of the negotiations Abderaman Mahamat Abderaman, Chad; Serge Molly Allo'o Allo'o, Gabon; David Kapindula, Zambia; Noluzuko 'Zukie' Gwayi, South Africa; and Gamini Manuweera, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Delegates listen to a presentation in the exhibition area

Highlights for Thursday, 2 May 2019 IPBES Fellows give presents to the IPBES Secretariat. On Thursday, delegates continued negotiating the draft summary for policy makers (SPM) of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a working group which met throughout the day and into the night. Another working group met throughout the day and in the evening to finalize the Platform’s second work programme.The working group on the Global Assessment discussed key messages on simultaneously achieving nature conservation and other societal goals, such as food security, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic development. In the afternoon, delegates completed the key messages section, except for several outstanding issues, and began considering the background section. Highlights of these discussions included: Extended debate on referencing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) as a way to enhance nature conservation and restoration, while recognizing that indigenous peoples have different rights than local communities and that such rights are recognized in international law, but must be implemented through national law in most countries; Deliberations on whether to reference specific activities that can support nature conservation in key messages on food security, fisheries, and climate change mitigation; and A discussion on sustainable pathways and global financial and economic systems during which delegates debated whether economic systems must “evolve,” “reform,” or “transform” to conserve nature. The second working group on the work programme up to 2030 resumed discussions on the objectives, making textual changes to the sections on capacity building, strengthening knowledge foundations, policy support, communicating and engaging, and reviewing effectiveness. With many noting that specific deliverables should be tailored to the priority topics and possibly be prepared by the task forces for consideration by IPBES-8, delegates agreed to remove references to “deliverables” and consider the elements in the draft work programme as objectives. Coming back to the issue of which topics to consider and what reports to prepare, they also debated: how to consider the topic of connectivity, which many Multilateral Environmental Agreements raised in the first call for inputs, and the need for follow-ups to the Global and Regional Assessments.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from IPBES-7. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, will publish a summary and analysis report of IPBES-7 on Tuesday, 7 May 2019. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Working Group I Ingrid Visseren-Hamakers and Kai Chan, IPBES Experts Yasuo Takahashi and Hirohide Matsushima, Japan Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Bolivia Daniel Alvarez, Chile Nicola Toki and Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, New Zealand Sara Carlson and Christine Dawson, US A Friends of the Chair group meets over lunch break to finalize amendments to a section of the summary for policy makers of the Global Assessment report. Working Group II Eiji Tanaka and Ryo Kohsaka, Japan Anne Teller and Marco Fritz, EU Sofía Treviño Heres, Mexico, and Nina Vik, Norway Mary Rowen, US The French delegation discusses additions to the text. The delegation from the Republic of Korea during the session Bureau Meeting The IPBES Bureau meets over dinner break Around the Venue Nikolay Tzvetkov, Bulgaria, and Ioana Hotea, Romania A participant reviews Thursday’s schedule. Participants discuss informally between working groups. Participants share a laugh at the end of the day. A view of the Eiffel Tower from UNESCO Headquarters

Highlights for Tuesday, 30 April 2019 A Friends of the Chair group meets at lunch time. On Tuesday, IPBES-7 participants engaged in the discussions on the summary for policy makers (SPM) of the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and discussed the response to the External Review of IPBES. In general comments on the Global Assessment, delegates asked for clear and concrete messages as well as targets that are easily understood. They also suggested including regional messages and discussed ways to streamline and clarify the use of key concepts such as ecosystem services and nature’s contributions to people. Other comments focused on ensuring that large ecosystems, such as boreal forests and freshwater ecosystems, are appropriately referenced in the SPM. Following these general exchanges, the Working Group engaged in extensive discussions on how to characterize the extent and rate of decline of specific ecosystems and how to describe the state of domesticated animals and plants. In the afternoon, a second Working Group considered how IPBES should respond to the comments received through the External Review of the Platform. Delegates debated based on a draft decision and a note prepared by IPBES Chair Robert Watson. The group initially agreed to consider a number of specific follow-up activities proposed in the Chair’s note, and began discussing the proposed development of an IPBES “vision, mission, and strategy,” but then reverted to considering only the elements contained in the draft decision. Much of the discussion focused on a perceived mismatch between the mandates of the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP), the Bureau, and the Secretariat, and the proposed requests addressed to them. Delegates eventually converged on an approach for taking the recommendations made by the Review Panel into account in implementing the work programme, including by identifying solutions for consideration by IPBES. They also converged on encouraging members and observers to use the findings and recommendations contained in the report to inform their decisions and other interactions with the Platform, and in supporting the implementation of its work programme. The Secretariat will prepare a revised draft decision on this agenda item for consideration by Plenary.For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from IPBES-7. In addition, IISD Reporting Services, will publish a summary and analysis report of IPBES-7 on Tuesday, 7 May 2019. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Working Group I Delegates during the meeting of Working Group I Kate Brauman, Coordinating Lead Author of the Global Assessment Steve Polasky, Coordinating Lead Author of the Global Assessment Andrew Purvis, Coordinating Lead Author of the Global Assessment José Romero, Switzerland Karin Zaunberger, European Union (EU) Cyrie Sendashonga, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shonisani Munzhedzi, South Africa Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Plurinational State of Bolivia The dais addresses comments on the summary for policy makers of the Global Assessment. Working Group II Working Group II addresses the response to the External Review of the Platform Spencer Thomas, Grenada Kiruben Naicker and Carmel Mbizvo, South Africa L-R: IPBES Executive Secretary Anne Larigauderie; Simone Schiele, IPBES Secretariat; and Stadler Trengrove, IPBES Legal Advisor Delegates from Germany, the US, and the EU, discuss the draft decision. Around the Venue African delegates in discussions between sessions. Participants consult informallly at the info desk. Noam Obermeister, University of Cambridge, and Thomas Brooks, International Union for Conservation of Nature Claudia Friedrich, ENB, distributes the latest ENB daily report. A view of the Symbolic Globe and the UNESCO Reclining Figure sculpture