UNITED
NATIONSEPUNEP/EA.5/Res.7
Distr.: General7 March 2022
Original: English

United Nations
Environment Assembly of theUnited Nations Environment
Programme
United Nations Environment Assembly of theUnited Nations Environment Programme
Fifth session
Nairobi (hybrid), 22 and 23 February 2021
and 28 February–2 March 2022

Resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment
Assembly on 2 March 2022
5/7.

Sound management of chemicals and waste
The United Nations Environment Assembly,
Recognizing that the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals is threatened by anarray of escalating and mutually reinforcing environmental risks, and that, given the linkages between
climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and air, water and soil pollution, it is essential
to address these problems in an integrated manner consistent with the mandates and priorities ofexisting multilateral environmental agreements,
Emphasizing the cross-cutting relevance of the sound management of chemicals and waste to
many of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including for humanhealth, sustainable consumption and production patterns, climate change and biodiversity,
Recognizing that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is important for the enjoymentof human rights, taking note of Human Rights Council resolution 48/13, entitled “The human right to aclean, healthy and sustainable environment”, and noting that the General Assembly has been invited toconsider the matter,
Welcoming the progress that has been made, through the work of the United Nations
Environment Programme and other United Nations entities, the Strategic Approach to International
Chemicals Management and relevant multilateral environmental agreements,
Aware that the use of chemicals and the amount of waste generated will grow substantiallyover the coming years, and expressing great concern with regard to the unsound management ofchemicals and waste and its negative impacts on human health and the environment,
Recalling Environment Assembly resolution 4/8 on the sound management of chemicals andwaste, as well as the evaluation of the implementation of the integrated approach to financing thesound management of chemicals and waste, and noting the discussion on the integrated approach tofinancing under the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond
2020,

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Recognizing the need to take further action to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with thechemicals and waste issues discussed in the report by the United Nations Environment Programme
entitled An Assessment Report on Issues of Concern: Chemicals and Waste Issues Posing Risks to
Human Health and the Environment,1
Taking into account the medium-term strategy of the United Nations Environment Programme,
which includes action on chemicals and pollution, on climate and on nature as the three interconnected
thematic, foundational and enabling programmes for the United Nations Environment Programme,
The sound management of chemicals and waste and the International Conference onChemicals Management1.
Notes with concern that the target set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development to achieve, by 2020, the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes
throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and to significantly
reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impact on human healthand the environment, has not been met, and commits itself to strengthening efforts to achieve thistarget;
2.
Welcomes the Green and Sustainable Chemistry: Framework Manual of theUnited Nations Environment Programme and its executive summary, which highlight the crucial
importance of environmentally sound innovation, and encourages their use, as appropriate;3.
Expresses concern that increasing levels of illegal transboundary movements ofhazardous wastes and other waste, as reported by developing countries, have a disproportionately
negative impact, and invites the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control ofTransboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal to consider this matter further;
4.
Invites Governments and all stakeholders involved in the “Beyond 2020” process toput in place an ambitious, improved enabling framework to address the sound management ofchemicals and waste beyond 2020, reflecting a life-cycle approach and the need to achieve sustainableconsumption and production, and addressing the means of implementation of the framework at thefifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management, and calls on all stakeholders
to bring the ongoing intersessional process to a successful conclusion;
5.
Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme tocontinue and strengthen support for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management inpreparing for the fifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management and toprovide continuity of effective secretariat services and administrative support for the implementationof any decision made by the Conference;
The integrated approach to financing and the one-time extension of the duration of theSpecial Programme to support institutional strengthening at the national level for
implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements ofHazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed
Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Tradeand the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Minamata Convention
on Mercury and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (hereafter“the Special Programme”)
6.
Reaffirms the relevance and importance of the integrated approach to financing of thesound management of chemicals and waste, and underscores that the three components of an
integrated approach – mainstreaming, industry involvement and dedicated external financing – aremutually reinforcing and are all important for the financing of the sound management of chemicals
and waste at all levels;
7.
Welcomes the significant role played by the Global Environment Facility, while
underlining the need to continue improving its access modalities in line with Stockholm Convention
decision SC-10/3, in particular as it relates to its chemicals and waste focal area;

1 United Nations Environment Programme, An Assessment Report on Issues of Concern: Chemicals and Waste

Issues Posing Risks to Human Health and the Environment (2020).
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8.
Invites the Global Environment Facility, and encourages the donors to its trust fund, tocontinue and enhance their support for the sound management of chemicals and waste, in particularthrough the role of the Facility as a funding mechanism for the Stockholm Convention and theMinamata Convention;
9.
Recalls United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 1/5 on chemicals and waste,
by which it adopted the terms of reference for the Special Programme to support institutional
strengthening at the national level to enhance the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam andStockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention and the Strategic Approach to International
Chemicals Management;
10.
Encourages the Executive Board of the Special Programme to review the procedures
for application for funding in the light of the needs and challenges expressed by developing countries,including those related to operating costs, with a view to promoting an effective and efficient
application of the eligibility criteria in line with the terms of reference of the Special Programme,
without jeopardizing the ability of the Special Programme to receive funding from existing sources;11.
Welcomes the mid-term evaluation conducted by the Evaluation Office of theUnited Nations Environment Programme in 2019, which, among other things, accorded theSpecial Programme an overall rating of “satisfactory” for its performance to date;
12.
Takes note of the document prepared by the secretariat outlining the future added valueof the Special Programme;
13.
Notes the recommendation of the Executive Board of the Special Programme, adopted
at its sixth resumed meeting in September 2021, to extend the duration of the Special Programme by
five years and to include in the Programme the Strategic Approach and the sound management ofchemicals and waste beyond 2020;
14.
Also notes that the Special Programme plays an important role in supporting
developing countries, taking into account the special needs of least developed countries and small
island developing States, and of countries with economies in transition, with priority given to thosewith least capacity, in establishing and maintaining the sustainable national capacity for soundmanagement of chemicals and waste;
15.
Encourages Governments in a position to do so, and invites the private sector,
including industry, foundations, other non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders, tomobilize and continue to mobilize financial and other resources to contribute to the Special
Programme;
16.
Decides to extend the duration of the Special Programme for a period of five years, inaccordance with paragraph 24 of the terms of reference adopted in Environment Assembly resolution
1/5, and to include the Strategic Approach and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond
2020 in the Special Programme;
Issues of concern
17.
Welcomes the reports prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme inresponse to requests made at the third and fourth sessions of the Environment Assembly, which
provide an important contribution to the sound management of chemicals and waste;
18.
Urges Member States and invites other stakeholders to take further action to reduce or
eliminate the risks associated with the issues discussed in the report entitled An Assessment Report on
Issues of Concern: Chemicals and Waste Issues Posing Risks to Human Health and the Environment;
19.
Requests the Executive Director to seek views from Member States and otherstakeholders, while ensuring sufficient time for their consideration, on priorities for further work,building on existing measures and initiatives, and on potential further international action on the issues
discussed in the Assessment Report on Issues of Concern, and in particular on those issues identified inthe report entitled Global Chemicals Outlook II – From Legacies to Innovative Solutions:
Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2 and to prepare a summary analysis,taking into account the views received for consideration by the Environment Assembly and by otherinternational bodies, including the International Conference on Chemicals Management, asappropriate;

2 United Nations Environment Programme, Global Chemicals Outlook II – From Legacies to InnovativeSolutions: Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2019).
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20.
Invites Member States, international organizations and other stakeholders to address
the adverse impact of pesticides and fertilizers, and notes the joint initiative by the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and theUnited Nations Environment Programme to eliminate the harm posed by highly hazardous pesticides;
Requests to the Executive Director
21.
Requests the Executive Director to work closely with the other members of theInter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals and other relevant
United Nations entities and instruments, and with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, tofoster effective cooperation and collaboration in promoting the sound management of chemicals andwaste;
22.
Also requests the Executive Director, subject to the availability of resources, and incooperation with the World Health Organization, to update the report entitled State of the Science ofEndocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2012 prior to the sixth session of the Environment Assembly;
23.
Further requests the Executive Director to report to the Environment Assembly at its
sixth session on the implementation of the present resolution and on the implementation of theprogramme of work with respect to chemicals and waste;
24.
Requests the Executive Director, subject to the availability of resources and incooperation with the World Health Organization, to present a full range of options for addressing
asbestos contaminants in products and the environment for consideration by the Environment
Assembly at its sixth session.

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