Intervention on civil society participation

Presented by Chinkie Pelino-Golle, EcoWaste Coalition, Philippines

My name is  Chinkie Pelino-Golle, speaking on behalf of EcoWaste Coalition in the Philippines and IPEN, a global network of public interest NGOs in over 130 countries. We support and are part of the statement delivered on behalf of the Major Groups and Stakeholders but also wanted to share some more specific points, including on the importance of meaningful, participatory and sustained engagement of civil society in the work of the Panel. 

Civil society brings a wide range of  expertise vital for the work on the Panel. Therefore our engagement is essential to ensuring a broad  knowledge-base, transparent governance, and  overall relevance of the work of the  Science-Policy Panel. We urge this body to recognize civil society as co-creators of knowledge and to ensure meaningful engagement throughout the Panel’s development and work. Early, inclusive participation builds trust and helps the Panel reflect real community needs.

Civil society is already actively supporting local and international policy processes and the work of their scientific bodies, and actively enhancing the effectiveness of their  implementation. These contributions are not peripheral; they are central to advancing scientific understanding and effective policy action. 

Also, meaningful, participatory and inclusive participation by civil society builds public trust and transparency in the Panel’s outputs, making its recommendations more credible and broadly supported.

We call for clear, transparent procedures in the Panel’s foundational documents—including rules of procedure, work programmes, deliverables, and conflict of interest policies—that uphold inclusivity, transparency and integrity. We also call for ensuring that both information used in the work of the Panel as well as its findings is made publicly available and accessible .

Finally, recognizing traditional, Indigenous, and citizen-generated science as legitimate knowledge is critical. This approach, consistent with the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Minamata Conventions, will make the Panel’s work scientifically robust, socially just, and widely trusted.