The first Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (COP-1) was held from 20-24 September 2004, in Geneva.

Immediately preceding COP-1, the eleventh session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for an International Legally Binding Instrument for the Application of the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (INC-11) was held on Saturday, 18 September 2004, in Geneva. Over 534 participants representing more than 135 governments and a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies attended the sessions.
The prior informed consent (PIC) procedure aims to promote shared responsibility between exporting and importing countries in protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of the trade of certain hazardous chemicals. The Rotterdam Convention was adopted in September 1998, and entered into force on 24 February 2004. To date, the Convention has 74 Parties, including 73 States and the European Community (EC).
INC-11 was held to consider the addition of four chemicals to the interim PIC Procedure, a necessary step before considering adding those chemicals to the Convention at COP-1. At INC-11, delegates agreed to add tetraethyl lead, tetramethyl lead and parathion to the interim PIC Procedure, but did not reach consensus on the addition of chrysotile asbestos. COP-1 added 14 additional chemicals to Annex III of the Convention, including the three added at INC-11. COP-1 also successfully adopted decisions required to make the legally binding PIC Procedure operational. Delegates addressed procedural issues and other decisions associated with the entry into force of the Convention and the setting up of the COP and subsidiary bodies. As part of this work, COP-1 took decisions on: composition of the PIC regions; adoption of financial rules and provisions for the COP, subsidiary bodies, and the Secretariat; establishment of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC); cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO); and settlement of disputes. Delegates also voted to establish the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention in Geneva and Rome. Click here for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage of this meeting.