The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

What The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions does

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS) are three interconnected multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) administered by a unified Secretariat housed under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Geneva, with the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat co-located at FAO headquarters in Rome. The Basel Convention (adopted 1989) controls transboundary movements of hazardous wastes; the Rotterdam Convention (adopted 1998) governs the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure for hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade; and the Stockholm Convention (adopted 2001) targets persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A synergies process launched in 2010 consolidated the three into a single Secretariat with joint bureaux, joint subsidiary bodies, and joint Conference of the Parties sessions.

The core technology stack is a public web portal ecosystem centered on brsmeas.org, supplemented by three convention-dedicated websites (basel.int, pic.int, chm.pops.int). Products include the Joint Clearing-House Mechanism (a knowledge management platform), the biannual PIC Circular (published in English, French, and Spanish through FAO), the BRS Highlights newsletter, technical assistance tools and identification tools for illegal trade, and online training courses for chairs, negotiators, and law enforcement (developed jointly with INTERPOL). Supporting infrastructure comprises Basel Convention Regional/Coordinating Centres, Stockholm Convention Regional and Subregional Centres, and regional focal points delivering in-country capacity building.

BRS is not a commercial entity. There is no revenue model and no pricing structure; funding flows from assessed contributions by Parties, the Global Environment Facility (the Article 14 financial mechanism of the Stockholm Convention, uniting 183 countries), and voluntary contributions, with the budget approved at each COP. The primary customer segment is the 140+ national governments that are Parties to the Conventions and bear obligations for ratification, national implementation, and compliance reporting; secondary segments are NGOs, academia, and industry engaged as observers and stakeholders. The Geneva-based Secretariat is staffed and governed under standard UN administrative frameworks, with no equity, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Legal name

Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Website

https://brsmeas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS) are three UN multilateral environmental agreements administered by a unified Secretariat under UNEP, governing hazardous chemicals, pesticides, and wastes across their lifecycle. They serve 140+ national governments through joint digital portals, technical assistance, and COP-led decision-making.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Environmental Governance

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hazardous Chemicals & Toxic Substances Regulators (REACH/TSCA-style) (HLAJAFAF), Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Regulators (Medical/Industrial) (HLAJAFAI), Pesticide & Agricultural Chemical Health Regulators (HLAJAFAG), Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ), Environmental Protection Agencies & Environmental Health Departments (HLAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Hazardous waste management
• International environmental agreements
• Chemical safety treaties
• Persistent organic pollutants
• Transboundary waste control

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The BRS Conventions coordinate three multilateral environmental agreements — the Basel Convention (1989) on transboundary movements of hazardous wastes, the Rotterdam Convention (1998) on prior informed consent for hazardous chemicals and pesticides, and the Stockholm Convention (2001) on persistent organic pollutants — through a unified Secretariat. The organization delivers a joint web portal, dedicated convention websites, the PIC Circular, the Joint Clearing-House Mechanism, technical assistance tools, training courses, and publications to support Parties in implementing their treaty obligations.

Product overview

The BRS Conventions operate as three interconnected multilateral environmental agreements managed by a unified joint secretariat. The core offering consists of four primary web platforms: the BRS MEAs Joint Portal (brsmeas.org) serving as the central hub, supplemented by dedicated convention websites for Basel (basel.int), Rotterdam (pic.int), and Stockholm (chm.pops.int). Supporting products include the PIC Circular publication, BRS Highlights newsletter, Joint Clearing-House Mechanism for knowledge management, Technical Assistance Tools for implementation support, and Online Training Courses for capacity building. The organization does not offer a commercial technology product; rather, it provides public information portals and resources for environmental governance of hazardous chemicals, wastes, and persistent organic pollutants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BRS MEAs Joint Portal The unified web portal for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions that provides access to decision-making documents, COP information, publications, technical assistance resources, and news across all three multilateral environmental agreements.
• Basel Convention Website Dedicated website for the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, providing access to Open-ended Working Group meetings, technical guidelines, and convention-specific resources for Parties and stakeholders.
• Rotterdam Convention Website Dedicated website for the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, hosting the PIC Circular and Chemical Review Committee information.
• Stockholm Convention Website Dedicated website for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), providing access to the Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee (POPRC) and convention implementation resources.
• PIC Circular The Prior Informed Consent Circular is a key document for implementing the Rotterdam Convention's PIC procedure, published in June and December in English, French and Spanish, facilitating the exchange of information on hazardous chemicals among Parties.
• BRS Highlights Newsletter A periodic newsletter providing updates on activities, meetings, and developments across the three conventions, keeping Parties and stakeholders informed of governance decisions and implementation progress.
• Joint Clearing-House Mechanism A knowledge management platform that facilitates the exchange of information, data, and resources related to hazardous chemicals and wastes across the three conventions for Parties and stakeholders.
• Technical Assistance Tools Electronic tools and resources provided to support Parties in implementing the conventions, including identification tools for illegal trade, webinars, workshops, and regional centre coordination.
• Online Training Course for Chairs and Negotiators Training materials and online courses for chairs and negotiators to build capacity for effective participation in convention meetings and implementation activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Covers the full lifecycle of hazardous chemicals and wastes: extraction, production, trade, use, and disposal.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

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Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP co-organises events with BRS (e.g., the UNEA7 side event on Critical Energy Transition Minerals) and houses the BRS Secretariat. UNEP provides administrative and programmatic support to the synergies process.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO hosts the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention at its headquarters in Rome. The two organisations cooperate on sound management of industrial chemicals and the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO cooperates on environmental health and health risk assessment, including the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE), sound management of industrial chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention, DDT issues, and POPs monitoring through the Global Human Milk Survey.
• World Customs Organization (WCO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCO cooperates on identifying Harmonized System Codes for waste streams and chemicals under the conventions, and on activities preventing and combating illegal traffic through the Green Customs Initiative and ENFORCE.
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHCHR and BRS regularly exchange information and consult on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILO is part of the IOMC coordinating mechanism and cooperates on occupational safety and health issues related to hazardous chemicals and wastes.
• INTERPOLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme cooperates on preventing and combating illegal traffic in hazardous chemicals and wastes through the Green Customs Initiative, joint e-learning modules for law enforcement, and the ENFORCE network.
• Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOMC serves as a coordinating mechanism for BRS, FAO, ILO, OECD, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, UNITAR, WHO, and World Bank on chemical safety issues, including the IOMC Toolbox for Decision Making in Chemicals Management.
• World Trade Organization (WTO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation relates to information exchange and observer status in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment.
• Minamata Convention on MercurymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Minamata Convention on Mercury cooperates closely with BRS on mercury wastes, their environmentally sound management, technical assistance through regional centres, compliance, and shared services. Article 11 of the Minamata Convention addresses the close relationship with the Basel Convention.
• UNEP, BRS Conventions, UNEP, and OHCHR (joint event)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt UNEA7 in Nairobi, UNECE, BRS Conventions, UNEP, and OHCHR co-organised a side event calling for stronger risk management of Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETMs) such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earths.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• World Health Organization (WHO): UN agency partner cooperating on environmental health risk assessment, the Global Human Milk Survey for POPs biomonitoring, and DDT/PCE work — a thematic peer on the health side of chemicals governance.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): UN agency that hosts the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat at its Rome HQ, contributes to pesticide and agricultural-chemical work via the PIC procedure, and is a partner of BRS.
• INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme: Law-enforcement partner delivering the joint e-learning module and ENFORCE network to combat illegal traffic in hazardous chemicals and wastes — directly comparable enforcement-adjacent role.

Direct peers

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat: UN MEA secretariat coordinating a global environmental treaty with overlapping Parties, similar governance cycles (COPs, subsidiary bodies) and joint working relationships with BRS on chemicals and biosafety.
• Minamata Convention on Mercury: Sister multilateral environmental agreement on mercury that explicitly coordinates with the Basel Convention on mercury waste (Article 11) and shares regional centres and services with BRS.
• UNFCCC Secretariat: UN climate convention secretariat operating the same multilateral model (treaty, COPs, Parties, implementation support) and formally listed as a BRS interlinkage partner for coherent chemicals/climate policy.
• Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC): Inter-agency coordinating mechanism chaired by BRS, FAO, ILO, OECD, UNIDO, UNDP, UNEP, UNITAR, WHO and World Bank to deliver the IOMC Toolbox and joint chemicals management work — directly comparable coordinating role.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Parent organization and host of the BRS Secretariat; UNEP provides administrative and programmatic support across a much broader environmental mandate, of which chemicals/waste governance is one area.
• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): EU regulator implementing REACH, CLP, PIC and waste-related chemical legislation; operates the EU PIC regulation explicitly mirroring the Rotterdam Convention, making it a regional implementation analogue of BRS.
• OECD Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee / Environment Directorate: Established intergovernmental body running chemical safety, testing and assessment programmes across OECD countries; overlapping mission in chemicals risk management but focused on a narrower, wealthier membership than BRS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheBaselRotterdamandStockholmConventions
• Facebookfacebook.com/brsmeas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brs-conventions
• Instagraminstagram.com/brs.meas

Revenue estimate

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Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions