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Basel Action Network Press Release

BAN's first mission is to ensure that member countries of the "Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal," live up to their 1995 landmark decision to amend that treaty to prohibit the export of all hazardous wastes from the rich to poorer countries. While the parties of the Basel Convention are morally obliged to honor the Basel Ban, it is only through sufficient ratifications of the amendment of the treaty itself that the ban will be seen by all countries as legally binding. The Basel Ban prohibits all exports of hazardous wastes from the 29 rich industrialized countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD countries.

"Our first priority is simple -- to end toxic colonialism," said BAN spokesperson Jim Puckett. "We will not rest until the historic Basel Ban amendment is fully ratified and becomes international law." Representatives of BAN from Haiti, India, Philippines, South Africa, Malaysia, USA and Indonesia will be in attendance at the upcoming Basel Conference.

While the Basel Ban was adopted by a consensus of 83 countries in 1995, according to BAN, the United States, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands are intent on weakening and undoing the ban. After agreeing to the ban these countries are now proposing loopholes in the strict ban so that OECD industries can cheaply dispose of toxic wastes in developing countries.

"Dumping toxic garbage on our global neighbours is not only immoral, but it also prevents us from facing the real solutions to the toxic crisis which lie in implementing less toxic production technologies," said Puckett. "It ultimately hurts everyone, North and South, First World and Third."

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