TEHRAN – A delegation of officials from the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Oil has participated in the 2025 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (2025 BRS COPs) which opened in Geneva on April 28 and will run until May 9.

“Make visible the invisible: sound management of chemicals and wastes” is the theme of the event.

Over 1,600 participants representing approximately 170 countries and regional economic integration organizations, and 260 observer organizations are attending the 2025 BRS COPs. These legally binding environmental treaties play a pivotal role in protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

The meetings taking place at the Geneva International Conference Centre, were preceded by preparatory meetings on April 27. The COPs will focus on efforts to address hazardous chemical and waste pollution that continues to pose significant threats to human health and the environment.

The seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17), the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-12) and the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-12) are also held back-to-back in Geneva. 

BC COP-17 will consider, among others, classification and hazard characterisation of wastes; technical guidelines on a range of wastes including but not limited to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) wastes, waste lead-acid batteries, pneumatic tyres, electronic and electrical waste (e-wastes), waste containing nanomaterials, mercury wastes, and plastic wastes. 

RC COP-12 will consider the listing of 10 hazardous chemicals in Annex III, making them subject to the prior informed consent procedure under the Convention.

SC COP-12 will consider the recommendations from the scientific body to include the following persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Annex A to the Convention for elimination: 1) Chlorinated paraffins that are used in in metalworking fluids as lubricants, and also used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, as well as in paints, sealants, and rubber; 2) Chlorpyrifos an insecticide widely used in agriculture.