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Basel Action Network Press
Release
Of the well over 400 millions of tons of hazardous waste produced each year, the bulk of it is generated in countries of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). To avoid high disposal costs due to environmental protection standards back home, OECD countries 'dump' a sizeable part of these wastes onto poorer countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe. The Basel Ban will ensure that non-OECD countries are no longer the victims of any OECD toxic waste, be it bound for recycling or final disposal. While the members of the European Union, Norway and Uruguay ratified the Basel Ban amendment in 1997 and transposed it into national legislation, a few OECD governments continue to work actively to undermine this historic waste trade ban. In their desperate attempts, these countries resort to World Trade Organization (WTO) free-trade rules, while conveniently forgetting that hazardous waste is to be eliminated rather than traded freely. "While there is a large support for the Basel Ban, throughout the international community, there are still a few free-trade zealots, such as the U.S. (3), Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Canada, who seek to weaken the decision so it becomes merely a paper tiger", said Kevin Stairs of Greenpeace. "These enemies of the Ban continue to look for new angles to attack and undermine this landmark international decision for environmental justice so that they can continue to avoid responsibility for their hazardous waste". Over the last ten years, Greenpeace has documented hundreds of cases involving millions of tons of hazardous waste on offer to all regions of the planet. Recently, the environmental organization denounced schemes involving exports from U.S., Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany to India, Brazil, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China, Central and Eastern European countries. The Basel Ban is designed to stop the transfer of pollution associated with hazardous waste management - from OECD to non-OECD countries. It is also expected to close the export loophole thereby, providing an incentive for industry to adopt clean production alternatives, and reduce the ever-growing generation of hazardous waste. Following this rationale, the Basel Ban was adopted as a no-exceptions Ban, due to the strong resolve of the G-77 nations, China and the European Union. "It would be a disaster if the
international community allowed these few Ban opponents to
prevail in their bad faith. We need to conclude the process
we started years ago to ban waste colonialism and move into
a new era of clean production", added Stairs.
Greenpeace, in Kuching:
(1) The main issues under discussion at the COP 4 meeting are: a) Israel's and Monaco's application to be given OECD Status (Slovenia has also made similar request in official letter to the Basel Secretariat on February 11, 1998) b) Adoption of the lists of wastes developed by the Technical Working Group, including the list of hazardous waste subject to the Ban c) The use of bilateral agreements that do not circumvent the Ban (2) In 1995, the Basel Ban was adopted by consensus by all 83 countries as an OECD (+Liechtenstein) to non-OECD export ban of hazardous waste. Ratification from _ of the parties is necessary to formally give the Ban international law status. 17 countries have already ratified the Ban Many countries, while in full support of the Ban, have not ratified it yet, due to lack of information, legislative delays and complex national administrative procedures. (3) The US is the only OECD country that still refuses to become a party to the Basel Convention. Additional information can be found at - More News |