{"id":103989,"date":"2026-05-18T17:36:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=103989"},"modified":"2026-05-18T17:36:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:06:20","slug":"rotterdam-convention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rotterdam-convention\/","title":{"rendered":"Rotterdam Convention, Objectives, PIC Procedure, Annexes &#038; COP"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rotterdam Convention is an international agreement that helps countries stay informed and make safe decisions about trading hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It was adopted in 1998 and came into force in 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>About Rotterdam Convention<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rotterdam Convention was <\/span><b>officially adopted on 10 September 1998<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the <\/span><b>Netherlands<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and became <\/span><b>legally effective on 24 February 2004.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main idea behind the Convention is to <\/span><b>protect people and the environment from dangerous chemicals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by promoting <\/span><b>shared responsibility among countries.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It encourages countries to <\/span><b>work together and share information<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about hazardous chemicals so that risks can be reduced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also<\/span><b> helps countries make informed decisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about whether they want to allow or restrict the import of certain harmful chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key feature of the Convention is the <\/span><b>Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is<\/span><b> legally binding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and ensures that<\/span><b> no hazardous chemical is exported without the knowledge and approval of the importing country.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This PIC system was <\/span><b>earlier voluntary <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(started by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/united-nations-environment-programme-unep\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>UNEP<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/food-and-agriculture-organization-fao\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>FAO<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1989) but later became <\/span><b>legally binding under the Convention.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Major Provisions<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention mainly <\/span><b>covers hazardous pesticides and industrial chemicals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that have been <\/span><b>banned or restricted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to health or environmental concerns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A chemical is considered for control under the Convention <\/span><b>when at least two countries from different regions report concerns,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after which it may be added to <\/span><b>Annex III.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also includes <\/span><b>highly dangerous pesticide formulations,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> especially those causing problems in developing countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a chemical is listed in Annex III, a <\/span><b>Decision Guidance Document (DGD) is prepared,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which explains the <\/span><b>risks and reasons for restriction.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All countries are then given <\/span><b>9 months to decide whether they will allow, restrict, or completely ban<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the import of that chemical.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These decisions must be <\/span><b>fair and non-discriminatory, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">meaning the same rules apply to <\/span><b>both imported and locally produced chemicals.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a country makes its decision,<\/span><b> it is shared with all other countries, and exporting countries must respect and follow that decision.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Information Sharing and Responsibilities<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Countries must inform others<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when they ban or restrict a chemical within their own territory.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Developing countries can also report problems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they face due to hazardous pesticide use under local conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a country plans to <\/span><b>export a banned or restricted chemical, it must inform the importing country in advance, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before the first shipment and then regularly every year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exporters must provide <\/span><b>updated safety data sheets,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> especially when chemicals are used for occupational purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Proper labelling of chemicals is mandatory,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> especially for those under the PIC system or those banned\/restricted in the exporting country.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Import Decision Power: Countries have the right to decide whether to allow or ban<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> import of listed hazardous chemicals under the Convention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Exporting Country Responsibility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Exporting countries must ensure that <\/span><b>companies in their jurisdiction follow Convention rules<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> while exporting hazardous chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Coverage of Chemicals: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention covers industrial chemicals, pesticides, and biocides (for example: benzene, chloroform, atrazine, permethrin).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>EU Implementation (PIC Regulation): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The European Union implements this Convention through the PIC Regulation, which controls export and import of banned or restricted chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Key Requirements under PIC Regulation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Export of hazardous chemicals involves two main steps: export notification and explicit consent from the importing country.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention History of Negotiations<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rising Concern:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Over the past few decades, the rapid increase in production and trade of chemicals created serious concerns about their harmful effects, especially in countries that lacked proper systems to monitor their use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vulnerability of Developing Countries:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Countries with <\/span><b>weak infrastructure were more at risk <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">because they could not properly control or assess the dangers of imported hazardous chemicals and pesticides.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Early International Efforts:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To address this issue, <\/span><b>UNEP and FAO started voluntary information-sharing programmes in the mid-1980s<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help countries stay informed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>FAO Initiative (1985):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> FAO introduced the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides to guide safer handling and use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>UNEP Initiative (1987): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UNEP created the <\/span><b>London Guidelines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to promote the exchange of information on chemicals in international trade.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Introduction of PIC (1989):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In 1989, both organizations jointly introduced the voluntary <\/span><b>Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure countries receive proper information before importing hazardous chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Need for Stronger Rules: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although helpful, these <\/span><b>measures were voluntary, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and countries realized the need for a legally binding system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rio-earth-summit-1992\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Rio Earth Summit<\/b><\/a><b> (1992):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At the <\/span><b>Earth Summit in Brazil,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> countries agreed under <\/span><b>Agenda 21 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that a <\/span><b>binding international agreement on PIC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should be developed by the year 2000.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Start of Formal Negotiations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following this, FAO in 1994 and UNEP in 1995 officially began the process to negotiate a global treaty.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Adoption of Convention (1998):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The final text of the Rotterdam Convention was adopted and opened for signature on 10 September 1998 in Rotterdam.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Authorities Setup:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> During the interim period, more than 170 countries appointed around 265 designated national authorities to manage and implement the Convention\u2019s processes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Entry into Force (2004):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Convention officially came into force on 24 February 2004, making its rules <\/span><b>legally binding for all member countries.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Objectives<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Shared Responsibility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Promotes shared responsibility and cooperation among countries in the international trade of hazardous chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Accountability in Trade: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aims to ensure shared accountability so that trade in dangerous chemicals does not harm human health and the environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Information Sharing:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Encourages exchange of information on chemical properties to help countries make informed decisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Safe and Sustainable Use:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Promotes the environmentally sound and safe use of hazardous chemicals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Annex III Chemicals and Chemical Review Committee (CRC)<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annex III Chemicals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Annex III contains a<\/span><b> list of chemicals that are considered harmful to human health or the environment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and are therefore controlled under the <\/span><b>Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Types of Chemicals Listed:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The list includes <\/span><b>pesticides and industrial chemicals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that have been banned or severely restricted by at least two countries. At present, there are <\/span><b>57 chemicals, including 38 pesticides, 18 industrial chemicals, and 1 chemical<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that falls under both categories.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Recent Additions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> New chemicals like <\/span><b>carbosulfan and certain formulations of fenthion were added,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and these rules became effective on 22 October 2025. Countries must respond regarding their import decisions by 21 July 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Purpose of PIC Procedure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The PIC procedure ensures that <\/span><b>countries are informed about hazardous chemicals <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before they are imported, allowing them to decide whether to allow or restrict their entry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Role of Chemical Review Committee (CRC):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The CRC is a <\/span><b>group of experts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> created under the Rotterdam Convention to examine chemicals and recommend whether they should be added to Annex III.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>How CRC Members are Chosen:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Members are selected by the Conference of the Parties and include <\/span><b>government-nominated experts from different regions,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ensuring balanced global representation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Working Method of CRC:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The committee tries to <\/span><b>make decisions by consensus.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If agreement is not possible, decisions can be made by a two-thirds majority vote.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Process for Listing Chemicals (General Chemicals):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When a country bans or restricts a chemical, it must inform the <\/span><b>Secretariat within 90 days. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If two countries from different regions report the same chemical, the CRC reviews it and may recommend adding it to Annex III.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Process for Hazardous Pesticide Formulations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Developing countries facing problems due to dangerous pesticide formulations can propose their inclusion in Annex III.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Verification of Proposals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Secretariat verifies the proposal, collects additional information, and shares it with other countries before sending it to the CRC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Final Recommendation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The CRC reviews all information and recommends whether the chemical or pesticide should be included in Annex III and brought under the PIC procedure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Members<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Members:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Convention currently has <\/span><b>168 Parties (member countries)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a total of <\/span><b>72 Signatories.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>India\u2019s Membership:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India became a <\/span><b>Party to the Convention on 24 May 2005.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Entry into Force in India: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention came into effect in India on 22 August 2005.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Conference of the Parties (COP)<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conference of the Parties (COP):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>main governing and decision-making body<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Rotterdam Convention, established under <\/span><b>Article 18,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and made up of countries that have <\/span><b>accepted, ratified, or acceded to the Convention.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Implementation Role: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The COP guides the implementation of the Convention through decisions taken at its meetings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Review Function:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It reviews and evaluates implementation of the Convention regularly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Chemical Review:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The COP examines chemicals recommended by the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) for inclusion under the Convention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Meeting Frequency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> COP meetings are generally <\/span><b>held every two years, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as per agreed rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extraordinary Meetings: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special meetings can be held when necessary or if requested by at least one-third of the Parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Continuous Monitoring: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The COP keeps continuous review and evaluation of the Convention\u2019s progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cooperation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The COP works with international organizations, intergovernmental bodies, and NGOs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Chemical Review Committee (CRC):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A technical expert body appointed by the COP with balanced geographical representation of developed and developing countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>CRC Decision-Making:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The CRC aims for consensus, but if not possible, decisions are taken by a two-thirds majority vote.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Observers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Organizations like the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/the-united-nations-un\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>United Nations (UN)<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, its agencies, the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/international-atomic-energy-agency\/\" target=\"_blank\">International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and even non-member states can attend as observers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Participation of Other Bodies:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> National and international organizations, including NGOs, can also participate as observers unless opposed by one-third of Parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Annexes<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annex I:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Contains information required for notifications when a country bans or restricts a chemical.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annex II:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Defines criteria for including chemicals in Annex III, based on scientific risk evaluation and national conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annex III:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lists chemicals that are banned or severely restricted by multiple countries and are officially subject to the PIC procedure. It includes pesticides and industrial chemicals (around 52 chemicals in total).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annex IV: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides rules and criteria for listing severely hazardous pesticide formulations (SHPFs) and includes requirements for additional scientific data and risk evaluation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Export Obligations (Articles 12 &amp; 13):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Countries exporting listed chemicals must inform importing countries and provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in standard format.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Implementation in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Role of DCPC: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) handles implementation of PIC-related notifications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Verification Process: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DCPC acts only on signed official notifications (not preliminary or unsigned versions) from the designated national authority.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Industrial Use Confirmation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If a chemical is listed under Annex III, DCPC ensures it is used only for approved industrial purposes and not misused as pesticide or otherwise.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Non-Annex III Chemicals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If a chemical is not listed in Annex III, DCPC informs the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that India does not process such notifications under PIC rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Pesticide Category Handling:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If a chemical is classified as a pesticide under Annex III, the case is forwarded to the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&amp;FW) for further action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rotterdam Convention Recent Developments<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Joint Outcome:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The 17th <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/basel-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Basel Convention<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> COP, 12th Rotterdam Convention COP, and 12th <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/stockholm-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Stockholm Convention<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> COP were recently held back-to-back in Geneva.The three COPs emphasized stronger cooperation among environmental conventions to improve global chemical and waste governance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rotterdam COP-12 Key Outcome:<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Added two chemicals to Annex III: <\/span><b>Carbosulfan (pesticide) and Fenthion.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopted Compliance Committee work programme (2026-2027).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Major Issues in Rotterdam Convention<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Failure to List Hazardous Chemicals:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Several dangerous chemicals like methyl bromide, mercury, and chlorpyrifos were delayed from being listed under Annex III.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Weak Coordination:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some chemicals banned under other conventions (like Stockholm Convention) are still not listed under Rotterdam for information sharing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Trade vs Environment Conflict:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Producer countries often oppose listing due to trade concerns, even though listing does not ban chemicals but only ensures transparency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Overlap of Treaties:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Overlapping mandates with conventions like Stockholm, Minamata, and Montreal Protocol sometimes slows decision-making.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rotterdam Convention regulates hazardous chemical trade through the Prior Informed Consent system to protect human health and the environment worldwide for all safely<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":104002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[4993,5106,7604],"class_list":{"0":"post-103989","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-environment-notes","10":"tag-rotterdam-convention","11":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103989"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104051,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103989\/revisions\/104051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}