Peru Leads Regional Strategies for Chemical Substance Regulation in Latin America and the Caribbean

From March 18 to 20 2025, Peru actively participated in the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 25th Conference of the Parties (PreCOP 2025) on the Basel, Stockholm, and Rotterdam Conventions, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. During this meeting, key issues related to the management of chemical products and hazardous waste were discussed, particularly the progress made in the implementation of the Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Basel Conventions, as well as the Minamata Mercury Convention.

In this context, the creation of a roadmap to improve chemical management in the region was proposed, in line with commitments made at the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly. Additionally, strategies to strengthen the Global Framework for Chemicals and the sustainable management of waste were discussed.

Peru, represented by the Ministry of the Environment (Minam), presides over the Intergovernmental Network on Chemicals and Waste for Latin America and the Caribbean. Under this responsibility, Peru has promoted the coordination of public policies and international cooperation strategies for the sustainable management of chemicals and waste.

Gari Pascual, Director General of Environmental Quality at Minam, highlighted the impact of Peru's leadership in the region, stating, "... We are currently developing the 2026-2029 Action Plan, which will be presented at the XIV Forum of Ministers of Environment in Lima this October."  He also shared that a survey had been conducted to identify the priorities of different countries for the next four years. Preliminary results highlight areas such as training to prevent the illicit trafficking of such products, the development of specialized inventories, and the generation of information on chemicals in plastics, among other relevant topics.

The COP 2025 will take place from April 28 to May 9, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland. During this event, agreements will be made regarding proposed amendments, inclusions, and exemptions under international conventions, which were presented during preliminary meetings and aim to support environmental goals. For more information, the article can be found here (in Spanish).