UN chemicals panel talks end with little progress

A story in Geneva Solutions note that the global Science ro Policy Panel talks this month concluded with little progress, noting that procedural disputes and geopolitical rivalries overshadowed the launch of the new UN policy forum.

The panel was created last year to fill a major gap in the global response to the pollution crisis. Modelled on the existing climate and biodiversity science bodies, the IPCC and IPBES, it is meant to assess evidence on chemicals and provide policy-relevant guidance to governments.

Geopolitics also seeped into the meeting, with Eastern European countries unable to agree on nominees for their regional bureau slots as Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic vied for the two available positions.

Therese Karlsson, science and technical adviser at the International Pollutants Elimination Network, who has followed the discussions, said she expected hard conversations, but not this degree of contention. “This is a voluntary panel. It’s not prescriptive,” she said. “It’s meant to give an overview of the science and ensure that countries have access to science on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention. That shouldn’t be controversial.”

IPEN and other civil society groups are also pressing for a robust conflict-of-interest policy to prevent industry-linked experts from shaping scientific assessments.

“We have seen that the IPCC did not have a conflict of interest for many years, and that really hurt their credibility,” said Karlsson. “How can you trust a recommendation from someone who gains personally from that recommendation?”

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