Science-Policy Panel Talks Close, with Little Talk of Science or Policy

Geneva, 06 February 2026 - As the first session of the plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) closed, IPEN expressed disappointment that through the week-long session, no discussions were forthcoming around the overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating the need for urgent action to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals. 

Instead, the talks focused almost entirely on discussions around the rules of procedure, with many key procedural issues remaining unresolved. 

“For this panel to be able to deliver credible science, free from conflicts of interest, the work ahead remains of utmost importance. Countries need to safeguard the scientific work of the panel, ensuring that it works in a transparent and inclusive way and that it is protected by strong conflict of interest policies,” said Therese Karlsson, IPEN Science Advisor, speaking from the talks in Geneva. 

The intention of the panel, established last year, is to equip governments with the latest science and knowledge to make informed decisions to address the third planetary crisis, the existential threats posed by hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Panel is envisioned to complement the climate change scientific panel (IPCC) and the panel to tackle biodiversity losses (IPBES).  

However, during the first plenary this week, Member states were blocked from making significant progress on substantive issues to protect the environment and human health. This despite alarms of continued harm on human health and the environment from toxic chemicals, including revelations during the week of threats to health and the environment from PFAS chemicals used to replace ozone-destroying CFCs. 

IPEN noted that there are 350, 000 chemicals and chemical mixtures in commerce, with 8 percent of all deaths annually attributed to chemical exposures. 

“What we saw this week was how some countries were allowed to block progress on the operationalization of the new panel. We hope that this will serve as a wake-up call for governments and that they understand the importance of ensuring that the possibility of voting is not taken off the table,” said Yuyun Ismawati, IPEN Co-chair. “The possibility to vote, while rarely used, creates incentives for finding common ground and preventing a few countries from blocking progress with a strict consensus approach.”