The Central and Eastern European and Central Asian regions are characterized by countries that have different capacities to deal with chemicals and waste management

Speech delivered at the Joint BRS-Minimata Workshop in Bratislava

Mr. Vojtech Ferencz, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment,

Mr. Dusan Jurik, Director, Directorate of Environmental Assessment and Management,

Mr. Martin Vavrinek, Director General, Slovak Environment Agency,

Mr. Martin Lakanda, Director, Section of Environmental Science and Project Management,

Mr. Lajos Szabo, National Programme Officer, Embassy of Switzerland for Slovakia,

Ms. Dana Lapesová, Director, Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for Central Europe in Bratislava,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to join my distinguished colleagues in welcoming you to the Central and Eastern European and Central Asian Regional Preparatory meeting for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 2015 COPs and the Regional Workshop in support of the ratification and effective implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.  

Besides being a historical event for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the regional preparatory meetings are intended to provide you as Parties with the opportunity to better prepare for the upcoming COPs. Therefore, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the importance these meetings hold in the wider chemicals and waste agenda.

First and foremost, by holding these meetings together we are further strengthening the implementation of the three conventions and creating the momentum required to move towards ratification of the Minamata Convention. This comes at a critical time as parties have asked for a review of the synergies arrangements.

Negotiating and adopting a convention is by no means an easy task and should be celebrated, however ratification and implementation is where the real work actually lies.  This is where we bring together professionals from around the world to perform the work of a secretariat, which in response to the needs of the parties, puts in place mechanisms, measures and programmes to support parties in meeting their obligations under the conventions. Indeed one of the most debated decisions of a conference of the parties is finance and budget – we all want smaller and more efficient secretariats and we all want more action on the ground, because this is where we can make a real difference.

Having a joint secretariat implies that our staff today are geared to deliver a wide range of services from conference services, to scientific support, to technical assistance which covers the needs of parties and also seeks to take into consideration the sound management of chemicals and wastes, the life cycle approach, and most importantly its contribution to alleviating poverty and the post-2015 agenda. It is imperative that we never lose sight of the many benefits environmentally sound chemicals bring to our communities, economies and countries, nor the significant opportunities of integrated waste management. Therefore, the identification of possible areas for synergies and most importantly partnerships at the global, regional and national levels is critical for progress towards this goal. As we move towards our triple COPs in May, I am confident we can further explore those opportunities under these synergies arrangements.

During the two days dedicated to the BRS regional preparatory meeting this week, our aim is to bring you up to speed with the preparations for the upcoming triple COPs.

Responding to the back-to-back nature of the BRS COPs in 2013, Parties requested assistance from the Secretariat in organizing meetings to assist regional preparatory processes.  I am delighted to say that thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have managed to organize regional preparatory meetings in the Asia/Pacific, Africa, CEE and GRULAC regions.  It is my belief that these meetings will contribute immensely to the success of the conferences of the parties in 2015 by giving regions the opportunity to consult each other in advance of the meetings, consider meeting documents, discuss substantive matters, identify regional priorities and challenges, and facilitate the preparation of regional positions.  The Secretariat will be here to assist you in your deliberations and clarify any issues you may have.

This is the third regional preparatory meeting organized by the Secretariat, having held similar meetings in the Asia-Pacific and African regions in previous weeks.  As already indicated, these meetings are designed to facilitate Parties’ preparations and collaboration in advance of the 2015 COPs. Additionally, they have given both myself and the Secretariat a first-hand insight into the main challenges and strengths of each region.  The Central and Eastern European and Central Asian regions are characterized by countries that have different capacities to deal with chemicals and waste management including those that are EU member States. The structure of the economies in the region has changed significantly since the early 1990s. The share of the service industry sector now exceeds 50% in all economies in the Eastern European and South-east European sub groups. The agricultural sector has stagnated or declined in most countries and consequently, its share of GDP has shrunk throughout the region. Industry has enjoyed growth in almost all countries since 1995. However, industrial growth in many countries has been predominantly due to the exploration for and processing of fossil fuels, metals and minerals, often, it appears, at the expense of less energy- and resource-intensive manufacturing and light industry.

Total waste generation in countries in Eastern and Southern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia is high, mostly because of large-scale resource extraction and processing. Total waste generation per capita in EECCA is 14 tonnes per year compared with 4 tonnes in the EU. There appear to be huge differences between individual countries in total waste generation. Significant amounts of hazardous waste are generated, but there are difficulties in ensuring that this waste is managed in an environmentally sound manner.

Added to these challenges are issues of obsolete pesticide stockpiles, with the management of certain waste fractions including e-waste and medical waste, and with contaminated sites.

With these issues in mind, a joint session of the Minamata Workshop and the regional preparatory meeting will be held this week to delve deeper into issues of mutual concern related to the Conventions, including the integrated approach to financing chemicals and waste which formed the cornerstone of UNEA decision 1/5 on chemicals and waste, the special programme to support institutional strengthening at the national level, and access to financing through GEF.

In addition, to ensure a much closer relationship between the secretariat and parties, I am also organizing on the side a number of bilaterals. High on the agenda during these meetings will be discussions on both the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing the Conventions in the region, with a particular focus on the importance of national synergies in improving the effectiveness of the Conventions.

There will also be ample time to share views and experiences during the lunch and coffee breaks and the evening reception that the Government of Switzerland is kindly hosting.

Distinguished delegates, I would like to bring my remarks to a close with some congratulatory words.  Despite the challenges you face in the region, you have clearly shown your commitment in implementing the Conventions.  Nearly half of the Parties in the Central and Eastern European and Central Asian regions have ratified the Ban Amendment, 8 of whom count towards the global entry into force of the Ban Amendment.  Whilst there seem to be challenges faced in this region with respect to the submission of national reports under the Basel Convention, you have a higher than global average track record of reporting under the Stockholm Convention.  Added to this is your success in submitting National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention, and may I take the opportunity to encourage those that have not done so to signal your interest to GEF for the review and update of these plans.  You also have some of the best regional centres here in CEE that continue to undertake excellent work in support of the Parties in the region.  There is a lot more to be done, but I believe we have the right building blocks to implement the sound management of chemicals and wastes.

Ladies and gentlemen, it only remains for me to say that it is an honour to represent the Secretariat here today, in partnership with my esteemed colleagues from the host government, Slovakia, as well as the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention and the Regional Centres. I express my profound thanks to the Government of Switzerland and the European Union for making available the funding to allow these meetings to take place globally, and I look forward to supporting you all in your work this week.

Thank you.