June 2014: The Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam (BRS) Conventions Secretariat has released its second Technical Assistance Newsletter. The newsletter includes brief updates on recent technical assistance activities, news and upcoming technical assistance events.

The newsletter outlines the BRS Secretariat’s activities related to the “month of reporting,” which aims to build capacity of Parties on who needs to report, how to access the systems and what type of information is needed, from mid-June to mid-July. Other highlighted activities include: the third orientation workshop for members of the Rotterdam Convention Chemical Review Committee, which aimed to familiarize new members with the mandate and tasks of the Committee; and a west African regional workshop on fostering cooperation between Designated National Authorities (DNAs) and Sahelian Pesticides Committee members, which focused on supporting the preparation of the notification of final regulatory action.

In other technical assistance news, the newsletter spotlights the Rotterdam Secretariat’s involvement in the regional Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) project in Former Soviet Union countries, funded by the European Union (EU). This project focuses on the social dimensions of hazardous chemicals and pesticide use. The Secretariat, together with the Pesticide Action Network-UK, is implementing a project component on activities related to the identification of high risk practices, pesticide exposure scenarios, particularly vulnerable groups, and awareness raising activities with a focus on family farmers, who are key in protecting human health and the environment while sustainably intensifying agricultural production. [BRS Secretariat Technical Assistance Newsletter, June 2014]