What Is The Rotterdam Convention?

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade was adopted in 1998 and entered into force in 2004. It is a multilateral environmental agreement aimed at promoting shared responsibility and cooperation among countries regarding the import and export of hazardous chemicals and pesticides. By establishing a Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, it ensures that countries are fully informed about the characteristics and risks of these substances before agreeing to receive them, thus enhancing chemical safety and environmental protection worldwide.

Objectives and Key Mechanisms of the Rotterdam Convention

Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure

This is the core mechanism of the Convention. It requires exporting countries to notify importing countries about shipments of chemicals listed under the Convention. Importing countries can then make informed decisions to accept, restrict, or ban the import of these hazardous substances. This prevents unwanted and potentially dangerous chemical trade.

List of Chemicals

The Convention maintains a list of chemicals subject to PIC, including severely hazardous pesticides, industrial chemicals, and severely hazardous formulations. The list is regularly updated through meetings of the parties based on scientific risk assessments.

Information Exchange and Transparency

The Convention establishes a global platform for countries to share information on hazardous chemicals, including regulatory actions, bans, and restrictions, promoting transparency and informed decision-making.

Promotion of Chemical Safety and Environment Protection

By regulating trade in hazardous chemicals, the Convention helps reduce risks to human health and the environment caused by exposure to dangerous substances.

Shared Responsibility and Cooperative Action

The Convention fosters cooperation between exporting and importing countries, ensuring all parties assume responsibility in managing chemical risks effectively and responsibly.

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance

Recognizing that many developing countries face challenges in managing hazardous chemicals, the Convention promotes capacity-building programs and technical support to help these countries strengthen regulatory systems, implement the PIC procedure, and improve chemical safety.

Implementation, Compliance, and Reporting

Parties are required to implement national legislation to enforce the Convention's provisions. They must also regularly report on trade of listed chemicals and measures taken, enabling global tracking and monitoring.

Impact and Significance

Helps prevent the export of hazardous chemicals to countries lacking adequate regulatory capacity or infrastructure to manage them safely.

Protects vulnerable populations, including agricultural workers and communities in developing countries, from exposure to dangerous substances.

Enhances global chemical safety governance and complements other treaties like the Basel and Stockholm Conventions.

Encourages sustainable development by promoting safer alternatives and responsible chemical management.

Example

Suppose a chemical company in Country A plans to export a pesticide banned or severely restricted in Country B. Under the Rotterdam Convention, Country A must notify Country B of the proposed export, providing detailed information on risks and regulatory status. Country B reviews this information and decides whether to consent to the import, impose conditions, or refuse it altogether.

Steps involved:

Exporter submits chemical information to the national authority in Country A.

Country A informs Country B through the PIC procedure about the intended shipment.

Country B evaluates the information and responds with consent, restrictions, or refusal.

Shipment proceeds only if consent is granted, ensuring safety and compliance.

Both countries report the transaction to the Rotterdam Secretariat for transparency and record-keeping.