space Press Releases, News Stories

BREAKTHROUGH BY THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP OF THE BASEL CONVENTION

UNEP Information Note -- For use as information. Not an official record.

NAIROBI, 14 March - The Technical Working Group, a subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, at its session in February 1997, completed its work on the preparation of lists of wastes. The Working Group was instructed to do so by the Ban amendment decision adopted by the Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties in September 1995.

The decision represents a major breakthrough in the world of wastes. It calls for the prohibition of export of hazardous wastes from countries listed on the Annex to the ban amendment (Parties and other States members of OECD, EC, Liechtenstein) to all countries not listed on the annex.

The lists prepared by the Technical Working Group refer to specific wastes characterized as hazardous under the Basel Convention (list A) and those which would not fall under the scope of the Convention (list B), unless they are contaminated by constituents rendering them hazardous or are regulated by national legislation as hazardous wastes.

The outcome of the Technical Working Group will be presented to the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 6 to 10 October 1997, for adoption, including modalities for incorporating this work into the system of the Basel Convention. Implementation of the Convention will be facilitated by the existence of the two lists.

Other critical issues considered by the Technical Working Group were guidance for bilateral, multilateral or regional agreements regarding transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and the draft form for reporting on confirmed cases of illegal traffic in hazardous wastes. The Working Group reported on the ongoing work regarding the preparation of technical guidelines for physico-chemical and biological treatment for clinical wastes and the disposal of waste pneumatic tyres.

As of this date, the European Community and 108 States are Party to the Convention.

For further information, please contact:

Executive Secretary, UNEP/Secretariat of the Basel Convention 15 chemin des Anémones, Building D
1219 Châtelaine (Geneva), Switzerland
Tel: (41 22) 979 92 18/Fax:(41 22) 797 34 54/

UNEP Information Note 1997/7

FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Basel Action Network is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a `fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond `fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
More News