21 October 2013: The first Joint Meeting of the Stockholm Convention’s Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) and the Rotterdam Convention’s Chemicals Review Committee (CRC) explored the potential for cooperation between the two bodies to enhance scientific support to their respective conventions and parties.

The Joint Meeting, convened on 20 October 2013, in Rome, Italy, decided that an intersessional working group, co-chaired by Mirijam Kristina Brigitta Seng (France) and Azhari Abdelbagi (Sudan) and open to members of both Committees, will develop guidance on assisting Rotterdam Convention parties and the CRC when considering a chemical listed as a POP under the Stockholm Convention. The Committees approved a work plan outlining that the draft guidance will be presented to CRC 10 in October 2014.

On possible alignment of POPRC and CRC working arrangements, discussion focused on promoting participation of observers.

Participants also agreed that the Committees should brief each other on relevant decisions as well as any past work of decisions that might be relevant to chemicals under review. They also agreed that both Committees should maintain cooperation on their agendas to promote new ideas for cooperation and coordination. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage]