Indian Envoy discusses pro-people planet LiFE with Executive Secretaries of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Arindam Bagchi met with Rolf Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and discussed protecting human health and environment from hazardous chemicals and waste.

Bagchi and Payet also talked about the global relevance of Mission LiFE’s pro-people-planet approach to protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and waste.

Notably, Mission LiFE is an India-led global people’s movement to promote individual and community action to protect and conserve the environment.

At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow in 2021, India shared the mantra of ‘LiFE – Lifestyle for the Environment’ to tackle climate change.

In a post on Discussed the global relevance of #MissionLiFE’s #ProPeoplePlanet approach. Chemicals and waste.

public relation @abagchimea meet @brsmeas es @rolfpayet

Discussed strengthening India’s engagement with #BRSConventions and the global relevance of #ProPeoplePlanet viewpoint of #MissionLiFE Addressing the challenges of protecting against hazardous chemicals and wastes@moefcc@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/UPTt6OD0cK

– India at the United Nations, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) 8 May 2024

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are multilateral environmental agreements that share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of improper management of hazardous wastes around the world. It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their life cycle, from production and transportation to end use and disposal.

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade provides parties with a first line of defense against hazardous chemicals. It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enables countries to decide whether they wish to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from highly hazardous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage.

Earlier in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reaffirmed India’s commitment to nurturing nature.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “On Earth Day, we reaffirm our commitment to nurture nature so that the future of our planet can be better.”

Every year on 22 April, Earth Day is a global reminder of our responsibility to protect the planet by drawing attention to challenges such as climate change, pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss.