3.1
Minor treaty actions are generally technical amendments to existing treaties which do not impact significantly on the national interest.
3.2
Minor treaty actions are presented to the Committee with a one-page explanatory statement and are listed on the Committee’s website. The Committee can choose to formally inquire into these treaty actions, or accept them without a formal inquiry and report. Once considered they are incorporated into a formal report of the Committee at the next opportunity.
3.3
The Committee has been asked to consider the following minor treaty action.
3.4
The Committee held a public hearing into this minor treaty action via teleconference on 8 September 2020 in order to hear in greater detail about the practical impact of the change and the manner in which it is to be made.
3.5
The minor treaty action is the deemed acceptance by Australia of an amendment to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (the Convention) to add a new Annex VII. Annex VII establishes a Compliance Committee which will consider individual and systemic issues of compliance and recommend measures to identify and address non-compliance to the Conference of Parties (COP).
3.6
According to the Explanatory Statement, the amendment is consistent with Australia’s commitment to protecting human health and the environment by promoting both the responsible use of hazardous industrial chemicals and pesticides, and the cooperative exchange of relevant information between countries, such as health and safety data. The amendment is also consistent with Australia’s support for the Convention, the safe use of chemicals in all countries and the global information sharing regime it enables.
3.7
The amendment will enter into force for Australia on 6 November 2020.
3.8
After holding a formal inquiry into this minor treaty action the Committee agreed that binding treaty action may be taken.