Effective implementation of parties’ obligations on transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes.

To pursue the development of environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes, especially through the preparation of technical guidelines, and to promote its implementation in national legislation.

Strengthening the environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes.

To prevent and combat illegal traffic in hazardous and other wastes.

To pursue the prevention and minimization of hazardous waste and other waste generation at source, especially through supporting and promoting activities designed to reduce at the national level the generation and hazard potential of hazardous and other wastes.

To promote cooperation with national, regional and international bodies, in particular cooperation and coordination between the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, to improve environmental and working conditions through the environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes.

Promoting the implementation of the environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes as an essential contribution to the attainment of sustainable livelihood, the Millennium Development Goals and the protection of human health and the environment.

To improve performance in meeting requirements pertaining to, among other things, notifications of national definitions of hazardous and other wastes, prohibitions and other control measures.

To support and promote capacity-building for parties, including technological capability, through technology needs assessments and technology transfer, so as to reduce the generation and hazard potential of hazardous and other wastes.

To generate, provide, collect, transmit and use reliable qualitative and quantitative information and data regarding export, import and generation as required under Article 13 of the Convention.

Conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Carpathians is enhanced, by harmonized and coordinated efforts and cooperation on conservation, maintenance and sustainable use of natural and semi-natural habitats and securing habitat continuity and connectivity; restoration of degraded habitats; conservation and sustainable use of species of flora and fauna characteristic to the Carpathians, especially endangered or endemic species and large carnivores; and conservation and restoration of wetlands and fresh water ecosystems. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Biodiversity Protocol Article 1 on General objective and principles)

Awareness about the objectives and main sustainable development aspects of the Carpathian Convention is strengthened among the general public in the Carpathians. Lifelong learning and global education approaches are integrated into the Carpathian Convention activities and cross-sectoral cooperation and synergies across projects are enhanced, bridging together local and regional actors and strengthening partnerships towards sustainable development of the Carpathians. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention COP6 Decisions (Decisions/COP6/9), Carpathian Convention Implementation Committee recommendation from 2022, and the Carpathian Convention Art. 13 on Awareness raising, education and public participation, http://www.carpathianconvention.org/tl_files/carpathiancon/Downloads/01%20The%20Convention/CC%20COP6%20DOC3_COP6%20DECISIONS_%20FINAL%20ADOPTED%202020.pdf and http://www.carpathianconvention.org/tl_files/carpathiancon/Downloads/03%20Meetings%20and%20Events/Implementation%20Committee/CCIC%202022/Meeting%20documents/2312%20CCIC%20recommendations%202022%20FINAL%20clean.pdf)

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Water use respects wetland ecosystem needs for them to fulfil their functions and provide services at the appropriate scale inter alia at the basin level or along a coastal zone.

The public and private sectors have increased their efforts to apply guidelines and good practices for the wise use of water and wetlands.

Threats affecting migratory species are eliminated or significantly reduced.

By 2032, the negative impacts of pollution and poisoning on migratory species and their habitats are reduced to levels that are not harmful to species’ viability. Explanation: Actions are taken to quantify, monitor and reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of pollution from poisoning, artificial lights, chemicals, noise, plastics and other sources on migratory species and their habitats.

ACKNOWLEDGING that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have identified the adverse effects of pollution from mercury as a serious problem worldwide for human health and the environment. WELCOMING the adoption in 2013 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the objective of which is to protect human health and the environment from the anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. AWARE that cetaceans which have a worldwide distribution in marine and freshwater ecosystems, can act as sentinels of ecosystem change and are vulnerable to environmental contaminants such as methylmercury. AWARE of the "AMAP Assessment of Mercury in the Arctic" (2011) and of the "AMAP Assessment of Human Health in the Arctic" (2015) carried out by expert working groups of the Arctic Council, which drew attention to the adverse effects of persistent contaminants, in particular mercury pollution, on Arctic human populations; RECOGNISING that the Commission has adopted several Resolutions1 expressing concerns on the negative impacts of environmental degradation on cetaceans including in respect to mercury; RECALLING Resolutions 1996-8, 1998-11, 2000-6, 2001-10 and 2014-2 that foster collaboration between the IWC and other intergovernmental organisations related to pollution, among others; ALSO RECALLING the precautionary approach enunciated in the Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (UNEP, June 1992); CONSIDERING that the IWC has a continuing role to play in monitoring and providing guidance on scientific research related to levels of mercury in cetaceans; WELCOMING the results of the POLLUTION 2000+ research programme, endorsed by the IWC at its 65st Annual Meeting; MINDFUL that the IWC with its specific responsibility in the management and conservation of whale stocks may have an interest in cooperating with other intergovernmental organisations with common concerns. NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: WELCOMES the adoption of the Minamata Convention and encourages its effective implementation; DECIDES to seek collaboration with the Conference of the Parties of the Minamata Convention to exchange information, contribute in monitoring mercury levels in cetaceans and advance progress for the protection of cetacean health and related issues; INVITES Contracting Governments, as well as relevant intergovernmental organisations, to promote non­ lethal scientific research programmes related to monitoring the presence and trends in levels of mercury and mercury compounds observed in cetacean populations as indicators of ocean health and to continue providing available data to the Scientific Committee on this matter; INVITES ALSO Contracting Governments to co-operate together and with the WHO to assess the impact of mercury and mercury compounds on human health and on the marine environment including the provision of related monitoring data. REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to provide at IWC67 a summary of the current state of knowledge on the presence of heavy metals, with emphasis on mercury compounds, in cetaceans worldwide, and to identify areas of ocean health and human health concerns, and geographic areas where research should be prioritised in this regard; and REQUESTS that the Secretariat share this Resolution with the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention and seeks ways to collaborate with its objectives.   1 Resolutions 2012-1, 2001-10, 2000-7, 2000-6, 1999-4, 1998·11, 1998-5, 1 997·7, 1996-8, 1995·1 0, 1994-13, 1993-13, 1 993-12, 1993·11 and 1981-7

Recognising the increased understanding of environmental stressors to cetaceans since the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) was concluded in 1946; Noting that cetaceans fundamentally depend on sound for their survival and that exposure to certain anthropogenic underwater noise can have both physiological and behavioural consequences for cetaceans; Further noting that noise can travel over long ranges in the marine environment across and beyond areas of national jurisdiction; Recognising the rapid growth during recent decades of anthropogenic underwater noise generated by human activities, as evidenced from locations where such data are available, such as shipping, seismic exploration, drilling, construction etc.; Noting the advice of the Scientific Committee, presented in its 2016 report that there is evidence indicating that chronic anthropogenic underwater noise is affecting the marine acoustic environment in many regions, and that there is emerging evidence that compromised acoustic habitat may adversely affect some cetacean populations; Noting that emerging research indicates there may be effects of anthropogenic underwater noise at lower trophic levels; Recalling the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, that sets out the obligation on States to protect and preserve the marine environment and, to assess the potential effects of activities that may cause substantial pollution or significant and harmful changes to the marine environment, including marine mammals; Further recalling Goal 14 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development "Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Sea and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development" and its Target 14.1 to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds by 2025; Noting that anthropogenic underwater noise is not persistent and can be reduced in the marine environment immediately by reducing the emissions of noise at the source; Gratefully acknowledging the significant body of work accomplished to date by the Scientific Committee on the issue of anthropogenic underwater noise; Welcoming the inclusion of anthropogenic underwater noise as a priority threat to address in the Conservation Committee’s Strategic Plan 2016-2026; Further welcoming the increased attention being given to the issue of anthropogenic underwater noise by international bodies including: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and its daughter agreements; the International Maritime Organization (IMO); and the United Nations General Assembly, and Regional bodies such as the Regional Seas Conventions; Further noting examination of the issue of anthropogenic underwater noise by the UN Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea, in June 2018 to which the IWC contributed extensively; Now, therefore the Commission: 1.Agrees that considering anthropogenic underwater noise will contribute towards achieving Goal 14of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development "Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Sea andMarine Resources for Sustainable Development" 7 2.Further agrees that, in line with the precautionary approach, the lack of full scientific certainty shallnot be used as a reason for postponing cost effective measures to address the effects of anthropogenicunderwater noise (or other potential threats); 3.Recommends contracting governments to: a.Incentivize the development, adoption and voluntary transfer, on mutually agreed terms, of technologies and strategies that mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise oncetaceans from various activities that produce the noise; If appropriate, this could be carriedout through regulatory measures; b.Consider working with appropriate stakeholders to establish national and regionalanthropogenic noise registers and monitoring programmes, as appropriate, to support theassessment of anthropogenic underwater noise impacts on cetaceans; c.Engage with industries, academia, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support the developmentand implementation of mitigation strategies and best practices that protect cetaceans in linewith an ecosystem approach and the precautionary approach; d.Take into account best practice guidelines to ensure robust, comprehensive, and transparentassessment and to facilitate mitigation of adverse effects of anthropogenic underwater noise,such as the IMO Guidelines for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life (circular MEPC.1/Circ.833) and the CMS guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessments for Marine Noise-generating Activities (CMS, 2017); e.Consider that cetacean research and conservation management efforts include the protectionof the acoustic habitat and the impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise on lower trophiclevels, including fish, invertebrates and other marine mammal prey species; f.Support the adoption of measures, such as noise standards, by relevant national andinternational authorities that reduce the risk of harmful impacts occurring on cetaceans fromthe introduction of anthropogenic underwater noise; 4.Instructs the Scientific Committee to continue its work regarding anthropogenic underwater noiseand cetaceans, with a particular focus on: (1) evaluation of the extent and degree of exposure of cetaceans to different types of noise; (2) obtaining a better understanding of the effects of noise oncetaceans at the individual and population level, including chronic and acute effects; (3) reviewing theeffectiveness of different approaches to reducing cetacean exposure to noise; and (4) reviewing workon the impacts of noise on cetacean prey and considering any implications of this for cetaceanpopulations via the food-chain; 5.Instructs the Conservation Committee to review progress in implementing IWC Recommendationson the mitigation and management of anthropogenic underwater noise and, based on this review,develop advice on priority actions to implement to address the impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise on cetaceans; 6.Agrees that the provisions in this Resolution should not duplicate the work of other organizations inaddressing this matter; 7.Requests the IWC Secretariat to: a.forward a copy of this Resolution to the Secretariats of the CBD, CMS, IMO, FAO and other relevant specialized agencies and programs of the UN, including the Division on Oceans andLaw of the Sea; b.bring information relating to anthropogenic underwater noise impacts on cetaceans to theattention of these forums; and c.encourage actions by and promote cooperation between these forums, consistent with theirmandates, to address anthropogenic underwater noise in recognition of the impacts it canhave on cetaceans.

Resolution 2001-10 Resolution on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants WHEREAS persistent organic pollutants are seriously polluting the environment and its living resources including whales, and may have significant negative health effects on consumers of marine mammal products; RECALLING that the negative effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants upon cetaceans have been repeatedly recognised by the IWC since 1981, NOTING the International Whaling Commission with its specific responsibility in the management and conservation of whale stocks may have a mutual interest in supporting the ratification of international treaties with overlapping concerns, NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION CONGRATULATES the conclusion of the 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to sign, ratify and adhere to the new Convention REQUESTS that the Secretariat transmits this text to the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention.