Summary

Highlights for Thursday, 4 April 2019

Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat, ICCM 5 President Gertrude Sahler, and Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat

The Third Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) entered its final day of work at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Thursday, 4 April 2019. Plenary met briefly in the morning to hear reports back from the contact group considering recommendations to the fifth ICCM (ICCM5) scheduled for 2020 and the "Friends of the President" Group informally discussing the need for an enabling framework beyond 2020 and identifying gaps not filled by SAICM. It also considered a report on preparations for ICCM5, with Germany formally announcing it will host ICCM5 in Bonn 5-9 October 2020.

Most of the day was devoted to two meetings of the contact group and a brief meeting of the Friends Group. The former focused on an initial discussion of competing proposals on financial aspects and preparation of a report for consideration by the third intersessional process (IP) meeting in October 2019. The latter reviewed a draft co-facilitators' summary of their discussions to present to plenary.

When plenary reconvened in late afternoon, it heard reports back from the two groups, and decided to annex the report of contact group to the OEWG3 meeting report and to outline the Friend's oral summary in the meeting report. The delegates then reviewed and approved the meeting report and provided closing statements.

ICCM5 President Sahler thanked all participants for their hard work and closed the meeting at 6:29 pm.

Highlights of the day included:

Discussions of competing ideas on financing the sound management of chemicals and waste, including mainstreaming the issue in national budgets and development plans, possible cost recovery options involving the private sector, and a possible new international fund on chemicals and waste;

An announcement by the UK that it will host an expert meeting in August or September 2019 to prepare indicators on the sound management of chemicals and waste for consideration at ICCM5;

Romania offered to host the fourth IP meeting in early 2020.

IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, will provide daily web coverage and a summary and analysis report from OEWG3.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada Vigil

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Plenary

Jacob Duer, Head of SAICM Secretariat; ICCM5 President Gertrud Sahler; Brenda Koekkoek, SAICM Secretariat; Szymon Domagalski, Poland; and Menoosh Azodi, SAICM Secretariat