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1.Takes note ofthe report on the implementation of the technical assistance plan for the period 2018–2021 in the biennium 2018–20191 and the work carried out on monitoring and evaluation;
2.Invites developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition to submit to the Secretariat, by 31 March 2020, information on their needs for technical assistance and technology transfer, in accordance with the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants;
3.Invites developed-country Parties and others with the capacity to do so to submit to the Secretariat, by 31 March 2020, information on the technical assistance and technology that they have available to be transferred, in accordance with the provisions of the Stockholm Convention, to developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition;
4.Requests the Secretariat to continue to collect relevant information on technical assistance for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention, including information available online, submitted by Parties and other stakeholders or available through other means, such as information related to the Stockholm Convention financial mechanism, in the database referred to in decisions BC-12/9, RC-7/7 and SC-7/16;
5.Notes that the technical assistance plan for the implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm Convention for the period 2018–20212 provides Parties with opportunities for training and capacity-building;
6.Encourages Parties, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Global Environment Facility and the Special Programme to support institutional strengthening at the national level for implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the Minamata Convention and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, according to their mandates and the priorities that have been established, to continue to support the technical assistance plan for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions for the period 2018–2021;
7.Encourages relevant Parties, in line with Article 10 of the Basel Convention, Article 16 of the Rotterdam Convention and Article 12 of the Stockholm Convention, and invites others in a position to do so to support the implementation of the technical assistance plan for the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions for the period 2018–2021;
(a)To continue to implement the technical assistance plan for the period 2018–2021 in cooperation with relevant actors;
(b)To develop an online survey to collect the information from Parties in accordance with paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the present decision, to make the information available on the websites of the conventions, and to prepare a report on the assessment of the information on the needs of developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition for technical assistance and technology transfer, based on the information submitted by Parties;
(c)To continue to include information on the monitoring and evaluation of projects undertaken under the technical assistance plan for the period 2018–2021 in the report requested in paragraph 10 of the present decision;
(d)To develop a technical assistance plan for the period 2022–2025, taking into account the reports referred to in subparagraphs 8 (b) and (c) of the present decision, and to present it for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its next meeting;
9.Emphasizes the key role of the regional centres, as set out in the provisions of the Basel and Stockholm conventions, as well as the regional, subregional and country offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and other participating organizations of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals, in delivering technical assistance upon request, particularly at the regional level, for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and facilitating technology transfer to eligible Parties;
10.Requests the Secretariat to report to the Conference of the Parties at its next meeting on the implementation of the present decision, including in particular the continued and effective use of the database for the collection of relevant information.
II - Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology
11.Emphasizes the role of the regional and subregional centres in enhancing the provision of technical assistance for capacity-building to support the national efforts of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to implement the chemicals and waste conventions in accordance with their terms of reference;
12.Also emphasizes the role of the regional and subregional centres in the promotion of technology transfer relating to the implementation of the Stockholm Convention and invites them to cooperate and coordinate among themselves and with relevant partners on areas of expertise in which they are able to provide assistance;
(a)The activity reports for the period January 2017–December 20183submitted by the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres;
(b)The report on the activities of the regional and subregional centres;4
14.Welcomes the extensive work that the regional and subregional centres have already done on the impact of plastic waste, including marine plastic litter and microplastics, and measures for prevention and environmentally sound management, and invites them to continue their activities;
16.Notes that it has evaluated, in accordance with the criteria set out in annex II to decision SC-2/9, the performance and sustainability of the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres endorsed by the Conference of the Parties;9
17.Also notes the performance of the regional centres, and calls for sustained efforts to enhance their performance and action to support developing-country Parties;
18.Endorses for another period of four years the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology listed in the annex to the present decision;
19.Also endorses the Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, located in Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, as a Stockholm Convention regional centre for capacity‑building and the transfer of technology, in accordance with decision SC-3/12, for a period of four years;
20.Requests the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres to submit to the Secretariat, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting:
(a)To prepare a report on the activities of the Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting;
(b)To prepare the draft evaluation reports on the performance and sustainability of the centres referred to in paragraph 8 of the present decision, based on the methodology adopted by decision SC-6/16, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting, and to prepare such reports every four years thereafter;
(c)To undertake the following activities to facilitate the work of the regional centres, subject to the availability of resources:
(i)Organize annual meetings of the coordinators of the regional centres under the Stockholm Convention and the directors of the regional centres under the Basel Convention, with a view to enhancing the performance of the regional centres and fostering cooperation and collaboration among them, and attend meetings of the regional centre steering committees;
(ii)Facilitate the implementation of regional, subregional and national projects based on the business plans or workplans of regional centres through the Small Grants Programme of the conventions;
22.Decides to evaluate, in accordance with the criteria set out in annex II to decision SC-2/9, the performance and sustainability of the Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry and of the centres listed in the annex to the present decision, and to reconsider their status as Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres for capacity-building and the transfer of technology, at its eleventh meeting, and every four years thereafter;
23.Requests the Secretariat to prepare a draft evaluation report on the performance and sustainability of the regional centres mentioned in paragraph 12 of the present decision, based on the methodology adopted by decision SC-6/16, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting;
24.Invites Parties, observers and financial institutions in a position to do so to provide financial support to enable Stockholm Convention regional and subregional centres to implement their workplans with the aim of supporting Parties in their efforts to meet their obligations under the Convention.