A demolition site in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in 2014. Asbestos is used as insulation in the building industry. When breathed in, it can cause lung cancer. (Credit: Keystone/Science photo library/Jim West)

Chemicals conference in Geneva: what’s on the agenda? E-waste, plastics and harmful chemicals will be top of the agenda, as countries gather in Geneva to discuss the road towards a toxic-free planet. Environment ministers will meet over the next two weeks to negotiate how to safely manage chemical substances and waste. The conference, held from 6 to 17 June at the International Conference Center Geneva, will attract over 160 state parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions.

Bridging the digital divide. The Geneva-headquartered International Telecommunications Union will hold its quadrennial conference in Kigali, Rwanda from 6 to 16 June. Around 1,200 world leaders, including heads of state, CEOs and renowned academics, are expected to attend the UN hybrid meeting. The focus of the event will be to “connect the unconnected” in a world where around 2.9 billion people have never gone online. It will be the first time the event takes place in Africa in thirty years, where internet penetration ranges from 25 to 60 per cent, depending on the region.

📌8 June | Climate Crisis and Workers Organising. This conference about “left and radical perspectives on just transition” at Maison International des Associations, will be a chance for participants to discover the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung’s office in Geneva, opened in 2019.

📌16 June | Geneva Global Games 2022. Think tanks from around the world will present their research project to a panel of experts from the International Geneva ecosystem. Hosted by the Think Tank Hub in partnership with Geneva Solutions, the Geneva Global Games are open to the public, but reserve your spot as soon as possible – space is limited!