This ES&T viewpoint, prepared by a group of international scientists working on chemical pollution, highlights 10 critical aspects for consideration in determining the settings of the global panel for chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c08283. The first session of the ad hoc Open-Ended Working Group on the Science-Policy Panel (OEWG-1.2) is taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 30th of January to 3rd of February 2023 with a focus on the Panel’s scope and principal functions.