On May 4th to 15th, 2015, GEM representatives attended the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention and the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention as observers in Geneva, Switzerland. This meeting is organized by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), a total of 1282 participants from the world attended this meeting, including 886 Parties from 164 countries, 20 non-Parties from 3 countries, 59 delegates from 10 UN agencies, 39 delegates from 20 regional centers, 11 delegates from 4 intergovernmental organizations, 222 delegates from 105 non-governmental organizations, 3 delegates from 2 constitutes and 42 delegates from 21 enterprises. GEM is the only Chinese enterprise to participate the meeting.

On May 7th, the “Initiative on Establishing Public and Private Partnership for Metal Recycling in Asia and the Pacific Region” which were signed together by the Prof. Xu Kaihua, the president of GEM, and Prof. Li Jinhui, the director of Basel Convention Region Center for Asia and the Pacific (BCRC China), was announced during the side event of Chemical Management and Metal Recovery. This event was organized by BCRC China and there were more than 100 participators in the scene. The purpose has been pointed out: based on the significance of the high efficient utilization of metal resources in the world to the society, economy, environment and human health. The situations, that the low level of metal resources recycling in many developing countries in Asia and Pacific, the serious environmental pollutions, the imperfection of policies and regulations and some related activities, should be scientific planned and guided. The core value of UNEP Basel Convention is to protect the environment and human health. On this background, Public and Private Partnership for Metal Recycling in Asia and the Pacific Region was initiated, which was organized by BCRC China, and supported by GEM. BCRC China committed to organize and implement the activities under the related criterions of the UN and coordinate the relationships with all the parties. GEM committed to provide the financial support to carry out the actives under the plan. We shall protect the earth and environment, safeguard human health, and promote sustainable supply of metal resources. During the side event, Li Lei, vice deputy director of Pollution Prevention and Control Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, attended the meeting and listened to the reports.

At the side event, BCRC team made a detailed presentation about the cooperation with GEM on the metal recycling partnership. Miao Youping, the full-fledged member of GEM, introduced GEM"s industry’s overview and efforts to realize the world environment protection dream. Ms. Miao also expressed the willingness to form a long-term partnership with BCRC China to provide financial, human resources and other related support. Ms. Miao said that GEM hoped all institutions and companies in the world who share the same goal of environmental protecting, shall make efforts to build a beautiful earth. Presentation of GEM’s representative obtained warm applause and was highly recognized at the scene.

Later, under the witness of Mr. Nelson Sabogal, who was a senior project director of the Secretariat of Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, Stockholm Conventions, BCRC China and GEM signed the “Cooperation Memorandum on Establishing Public and Private Partnership for Metal Recycling in Asia and the Pacific Region”.

Summary of the memorandum as follows: In order to promote the efficient use of metal resources within the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide, by taking metal resources recycling as the main body, to build a global resources recycling big data environment information system. To reduce environmental pollution, safeguard human health, improve the level of metal resources recycling industry, with the help from the representative office of United Nations Environment Programme in China, BCRC China initiated the programme for Establishing UNEP Public and Private Partnership for Metal Recycling in Asia and the Pacific Region. GEM is willing to provide financial support to promote the implementation of the Programme.  

The signing of the cooperation memorandum marked that partnership between GEM and BCRC China on metal recycling was officially formed, and reached to an agreement on cooperation intention. It would further enhanced GEM’s national influence in metal resources recycling, to promote GEM to effectively establish big data system of recyclable resources, to provide powerful guarantee on promoting GEM’s recycling technology of metal resources and providing a strong platform for GEM to cultivate high-level personnel on recycling.

Fig. 1 Conference site of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Fig. 2 Li Jinhui (2nd from left), director of BCRC China, who was also a professor of School of Environment, Tsinghua university, introduced Miao Youping (first from the left), the full-fledged member of GEM to United Nations officials

Fig. 3 Li Lei, deputy director of Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Department (2nd from right) was listening to reports at the side event

Fig. 4 Miao Youping, the full-fledged member of GEM made a speech in the side event

Fig 5. Under the witness of Mr. Nelson Sabogal, a senior Programme Officer of the Secretariat of Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, BCRC China and GEM signed the “Memorandum of Cooperation on Establishing UNEP Public and Private Partnership for Metal Recycling in Asia and the Pacific Region”

Fig. 6 Under the witness of Nelson Sabogal, both parties exchanged the memorandum