Wednesday 1 June 2022 | 13:00 – 16:00 @ Stockholmsmässan 

● Excellencies
I am pleased to join you to discuss three conventions critical for the health and well-
being of all life on Earth: the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions.
Joining hands as an international community for the health of both people and the
planet is the only driver of success.
The conventions are three powerful tools supporting parties to confront the triple
planetary crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The unsustainable production and consumption of chemicals and their poor
management are impacting our environment and our health. We need global scientific
standards and orientation to reverse this situation.
Fifty years ago, biodiversity loss was already causing great alarm. Today, the crisis is
almost beyond comprehension.
This tells us that the situation could have been much worse, but it is also a call to
action to do more.
We must strengthen the conventions through committed, urgent and global action.
We need to establish national mechanisms to control the illegal traffic of waste and
promote life cycle management of chemicals and hazardous waste.
We also need to develop a harmonised design for a disposal facility for Parties, with
an adequate financing mechanism to support developing countries. This will enable
us to realise the potential of the convention and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Let this week’s celebration of Stockholm+50 be an opportunity for us to evaluate
ourselves and improve our efforts to ensure a safe and healthy home for all life on
Earth.
Thank you for your kind attention! Murakoze cyane.