From June 24-27, PAN International, its members and Regional Centres attended the First Open-Ended Working Group of the Global Framework on Chemicals – For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste (GFC) in Punta del Este, Uruguay– the OEWG of the GFC.

This pivotal meeting was the first international gathering under the  Global Framework on Chemicals. It aimed at advancing progress on core components of GFC implementation and preparing for the 2026 International Conference. Key areas discussed were, among others, Highly Hazardous Pesticides and the GFC Fund.

PAN’s briefing on the opportunities of the OEWG-1 urges, amongst other things, for the formalisation of a clear timeline on the next steps regarding the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) (Resolution V/11).

PAN at OEGW-1 of the GFC

For more information on PAN’s work at the OEWG-1, please refer to the interventions made by PAN throughout the week on various issues relating to its work on HHPs and agroecology.

PAN, as a member of a Global Civil Society Collaboration for a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste, also jointly launched on the 23rd of June a joint statement calling upon all stakeholders, including governments, public interest and civil society organizations, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations, and others, to commit to working together to realize these aims. Doing so will be critical for reversing the chemical crisis and moving toward a toxics-free future for all.