space Press Releases, News Stories

Basel Secretariat

"Those illegal exports are a crime against mankind and nature and they must be prosecuted as a criminal act. Intensive cooperation with Interpol and the UN Commission on Human Rights is a must. There is an urgent need to build the capacity of states to prevent illegal traffic of hazardous wastes," said UNEP's Executive Director Mr Klaus Toepfer .

Over 400 million tons of hazardous waste are generated in the world annually.

"Of course the main aim is to change the production pattern, to stimulate production technologies which decrease the quality and the hazard of all kinds of waste, we must stimulate clean products and production," said Mr Toepfer.

More than 23 decisions were made in the five-day meeting which included financing the Secretariat, an information management system on wastes and the establishment of regional training centres.

Two of the major decisions involved the establishment of hazardous waste lists and an amendment to Annex V11.

Delegates decided to leave Annex VII unchanged in its current structure until the Ban Amendment enters into force. The Annex VII list of countries consisting of OECD member states, Liechiensten, and EU are prohibited by the Ban from expediting hazardous wastes to non-Annex VII (non-OECD) countries.

They also commended the work completed by the Technical Working Group in development of Lists A and B which facilitate the implementation of the Amendment and called for the inclusion of these Lists to the Convention as its Annexes with the understanding that the reviewing system of these Lists will also be adopted.

The Hazardous Waste list (A) would ban the export of wastes containing arsenic, lead, mercury, asbestos, and dozens of other chemicals and substances. The non-hazardous waste list (B)would exempt from the ban those wastes that can be safely (and profitably) recycled or re-used, including scrap iron, steel or copper, certain electronic assemblies, non-hazardous chemical catalysts, and many ceramics solid plastics, and paper and textile wastes.

The Convention had met with great success, Mr Topfer said, as it had grown from 30 Contracting Parties in 1992 to 117, five years later, most of whom attended the Fourth Meeting known commonly as COP4. "Five years ago countries could not even agree on the introduction of a ban on transboundary movements of hazardous wastes from developed to developing countries for final disposal. In 1995 they adopted a ban which goes beyond final disposal, and covers transboudnary movements of hazardous wastes from the OECD, the EC, Liechtenstein to other countries for recovery operation."

To enter into force the Ban Amendment has to be ratified by three fourths of the parties. "COP4 is a success because this Conference achieved intensive clarification of the classification and listing of hazardous waste. This must stimulate ratification of a lot of Contracting Parties now. It is my sincere hope that the United States - one of the main negotiators and a signatory of this Convention will soon become a Contracting Party," said Mr Toepfer.

COP 4 President Rosnani Ibrahim from Malaysia was also pleased with the results of the conference. " Compared to many Conventions this has moved very fast indeed. We must work even harder to achieve more." The Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention Secretariat, Ms Iowna Rummel-Bulska, agreed and expressed confidence for the Convention's future.

Many representatives speaking at the High Level segment of the meeting stressed the need for international technical assistance and capacity building. They supported the establishment of regional centers for training and technology transfer regarding the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and the minimization of the incineration. They appealed to the international community for generous support.

The representatives recommended faster development of a Protocol for Liability and Compensation for damage resulting from transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal. They emphasized that the main goal of the Basel Convention was environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, among other things.

"Liability and Compensation needs strong encouragement from the Parties to speed up its work ... this process has taken too long. My firm belief is that this particular work needs strong political will on the side of the Parties," commented Mr Toepfer.

The Basel Convention was adopted in March 1989 after a series of notorious "toxic cargoes" from industrialized countries galvanized world outrage over the dumping of hazardous wastes in developing and East European Countries. It entered into force in May 1992.

Mr Toepfer also paid tribute to NGOs which successfully investigated illegal or pseudo legal practices, and opened the eyes of the public to those "incredible practices bringing the high risk of production in the industrialized world to the developing world, so regionalizing the benefits and globalizing the problems of economic growth."

Contact: David Lazarus, Regional Information Officer, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand 10200. Tel: 662-288-2127. Fax:662-280-3829. E-Mail: lazarus.unescap@un.org