Photo by IISD/ENB - Kiara Worth
Geneva, Switzerland, 8 August 2025 - The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) have signed a €2 million financing agreement to tackle plastic pollution in Cabo Verde, Senegal, and French-speaking West Africa. This three- year project will strengthen national capacities to reduce plastic pollution, ensure sound management of plastic waste and protect human health and the environment.
“This €2 million grant is not just a financial commitment—it’s a powerful signal of France’s leadership in the global fight against plastic pollution. At a time when recent reports link plastic exposure to serious health and environmental risks, this partnership with the FFEM turns urgency into action, helping countries translate global promises into practical, on-the-ground solutions.”
Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
This bold new BRS–FFEM project will empower Cabo Verde, Senegal, and Francophone West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Togo) to take real action against plastic pollution. By strengthening national laws, institutions, and waste management systems, the project will support countries in meeting their Basel Convention obligations— while also preparing them for future requirements under the forthcoming global plastics treaty. The project’s impact will stretch across governments, businesses, communities, and the informal sector, driving lasting change in how plastic is produced, used, and disposed of. The project tackles plastic pollution through three core strategies of the Basel Convention:
- controlling the transboundary movement (TBM) of plastic waste,
- ensuring the environmentally sound management (ESM) of plastic waste, and
- reducing the generation of plastic waste.
Building on tools developed with Norwegian support, the project also benefits from strong local backing, including in-kind contributions from the governments of Cabo Verde and Senegal and active involvement from private and civil society partners—from running collection systems to the production of awareness- raising materials.
What does this look like in reality?
On the ground, this project will roll out a powerful package of actions across Cabo Verde and Senegal, combining bold pilot initiatives with vital national reforms to deliver lasting change.
In Cabo Verde, the project will promote greener, plastic-free practices in the hotel industry by cutting plastic waste through smart, sustainable alternatives—such as the installation of microplastic filters and the operationalization of small-scale collection systems—making tourism greener and more future-ready. It will also bring together civil society organizations into a strong national network driving community-based recycling, local plastic-free alternatives, and small-scale waste collection systems.
In Senegal, new systems will be set up to collect and recycle discarded fishing nets and plastic sachets— transforming plastic waste into income opportunities and jobs. Local recycling-based livelihoods will be strengthened, giving communities the tools to clean up their environment and grow their economy.
Across both countries, plastic waste inventories will be developed to track plastic flows from production to disposal. Legal and policy frameworks will be reviewed and strengthened to improve enforcement of the Basel Convention’s rules on transboundary waste. Government staff will receive hands-on training to support effective implementation and enforcement, and nationwide awareness-raising campaigns will be rolled out—spanning social media, TV, brochures, and more. Plastic-free schools will be launched in Cabo Verde and Senegal, educating and empowering young people to take the lead in building a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Finally, regional activities will also be implemented, such as the development of a collaboration plan among Francophone countries in West Africa for the implementation of the control of plastic waste trade, the development of a regional strategy for the ESM of plastic waste, and regional training on these topics.
“The BRS-Plastic Project is a timely and strategic opportunity for Cape Verde, Senegal, and French-speaking West Africa more broadly. It reflects the strong political will of the Governments of France, Cape Verde, and Senegal to tackle plastic pollution through a life-cycle approach. By aligning with ongoing efforts in the region, the project is poised to generate more impactful and sustainable results on the ground improving human health and the environment.”
Baba Drame, Director in the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, Senegal
Why this matters?
Plastic pollution is a growing global crisis, threatening biodiversity, ecosystems, public health, fisheries, and local livelihoods. In response, the global community is working to reshape international laws that tackle plastic waste across its life cycle. The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, introduced new rules in 2021 to better control cross-border movements of plastic waste, ensure its safe management, and reduce both its volume and toxicity. These amendments are reinforced by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants which target toxic chemicals found in plastics, helping to reduce their harmful impacts across the life cycle.
“This partnership reflects France’s deep commitment to moving from words to action to end plastic pollution. By investing in real solutions on the ground, we are helping to strengthen regional leadership, support the reduction of plastic pollution at source and the implementation of the Basel Convention, as well as build momentum towards a future ambitious plastics treaty.”
Barbara Pompili, French Ambassador for the Environment
Building on this momentum, at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in February 2022, 175 countries endorsed the development of a new global treaty on plastic pollution, with negotiations currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland (5–14 August 2025) at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2). The BRS–FFEM project directly contributes to the FFEM’s mission to protect the global environment by delivering innovative, scalable, and practical waste solutions across West Africa—aligned with the SDGs and backed by the Basel and Stockholm Conventions Regional Centre in Senegal. It’s a model of how global commitments can translate into real-world impact.
“The project directly contributes to the FFEM’s mission to protect the global environment and support local development. By demonstrating innovative, scalable, and economically viable solutions to end plastic pollution, the project will serve as a model for broader implementation across Africa, as well as in other regions.”
Stéphanie Bouziges-Eschmann, Secretary General, French Facility for Global Environment
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992, is the most comprehensive international environment treaty on hazardous and other wastes and is almost universal, with 191 Parties. With an overarching objective of protecting human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes, its scope covers a wide range of waste subject to transboundary movements defined as hazardous based on their origin and/or composition and characteristics, as well as four types of waste defined as “other wastes”, namely household waste, residues arising from the incineration of household waste ash, certain plastic waste and certain electronic and electrical waste requiring special consideration.
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure (PIC) for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, adopted in 1998 and entered into force in 2004, is jointly administered by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment (UNEP). The 167 Parties to this legally binding Convention share responsibility and cooperate to safely manage chemicals in international trade. The Convention does not introduce bans but facilitates the exchange of information among Parties on hazardous chemicals and pesticides, to inform and improve national decision making. In addition, through the PIC Procedure, it provides a legally binding mechanism to support national decision-making on the import and export of certain chemicals and pesticides and disseminates decisions to Parties.
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004, is a global treaty requiring its 186 Parties to take measures to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment, to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the environment.
The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, or BRS Secretariat, supports Parties implement these three leading multilateral environment agreements governing sound chemicals and waste management, according to the mandates in each Convention and as decided by the governing bodies.
For media enquiries, contact:
Maria Cristina Cardenas-Fischer, Head of Unit and Senior Policy and Strategy Advisor, Policy and Strategy Unit, Executive Office, BRS Secretariat, [email protected] and [email protected]