? On 28 April 2025, GGKP hosted a side event under the GEF-funded Global NIP Update project (GEF ID 10785), in collaboration with UNEP’s Chemicals and Health Branch (Knowledge and Risk Unit), as part of the 2025 Meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Opened by Dr. Rolph Payet, the Executive Secretary of the BRS Conventions, the event focused on how countries can strengthen their inventories of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by leveraging publicly available data and improving national data collection practices.

The discussion reaffirmed a shared understanding among participants: strengthening POPs inventories requires more than access to publicly available data. Countries must also proactively consider how to generate relevant national datasets, establish robust methods for analyzing data, and develop systems for managing and applying this information effectively.

Such efforts are essential for informed decision-making and more effective management of hashtag#POPs at the national level.

We were honored to feature insights from Dr. Katerina Sebkova (RECETOX), Dr. Ramesh Kumar (NEERI), Mihaela Claudia Paun (UNEP KRU), Dr. Roland Weber (POPs Expert), Dana Lewis (BCRC Caribbean), Stephane Horel (Le Monde), Saidy Motladile (Department of Environmental Protection, National Environmental Laboratory, Botswana), Addisu Tibebu Kumsa (EPA Ethiopia), and Esquire Henry (Chemicals and Waste Youth Platform / Children and Youth International).

A big thank you to all speakers and a highly engaged audience committed to data-informed action for sound chemicals and waste management.