January

• Major Release -- BAN is featured on ABC’s 20/20 news magazine story on electronic waste and what to do with that old computer.
  
  
• BAN together with an international coalition denounces the export of the Clemenceau; releases report entitled "The French Deception," highlighting the fact that France is likely covering up the export of hundreds of tonnes of PCB contaminated materials on board the Clemenceau. BAN submits its report to the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee of India and rebuts French government statement.
  
  
• BAN attends a USA computer Refurbisher’s Conference. Shows "The Digital Dump" and presses for high standards for refurbishers to develop for refurbishment for export.
  
  
• BAN works intensively in negotiating the Washington State e-waste bill export language.
  
  
• Excellent Op-Ed appears in New York Times calling for e-Waste export bans and producer responsibility. Op-Ed highlights BAN’s reports and films.
  
  
• BAN hires former intern Yuka Takamiya part time as 4Rs Coordinator and office manager.
  
  
• Major Release -- ZDF Television News Magazine Frontal 21 in Germany airs story on exports of e-trash from Europe to Africa, featuring BAN’s report.

February

• Victory! -- ZDF TV in Germany follows up its earlier report with a statement from the German government that due to the BAN report, they will be requiring functionality testing of all used electronic equipment.
  
  
• BAN issues Basel non-Compliance Report against the French Government for the export of the Clemenceau.
  
  
• Victory! -- Clemenceau Export Stopped. Coalition including BAN succeeds in halting the export of the French aircraft carrier to India as French higher court agrees that the export violates the Basel Convention. BAN releases press release calling the coalition effort a victory for global environmental justice.

March

• BAN attends the Northwest Sustainability Conference, shows both Films to enthusiastic audiences.
  
  
• BAN attends the 3Rs meeting in Tokyo. Denounces the program for its lack of transparency and NGO involvement and its call to erase trade barriers to waste.
  
  
• BAN releases critique of International Maritime Organization (IMO) draft Convention on Ship Recycling, calls it shockingly inadequate in Press Release.
  
  
• “The Digital Dump” is featured at the Hazel Wolfe Environmental Film Festival.

April

• BAN attends the 5th Open Ended Working Group of the Basel Convention and makes first showing of “The Digital Dump” to the Basel Convention delegates in a side event presented by BAN and the Nigerian government.
  
  
• BAN makes a further presentation at OEWG5 regarding controlling the export of mobile phones in a side event of the Mobile Phone Partnership Programme and intervenes on behalf of the Global Platform on Shipbreaking to denounce the efforts at the IMO to date.
  
  
• BAN attends the CleanMed Conference in Seattle and together with the Computer TakeBack Campaign, has a booth for our E-Stewards, shows “The Digital Dump” and speaks in a panel on Electronic Waste where we promote the E-Stewards program and extended producer responsibility (EPR).
  
  
• BAN attends Environmental Law Institute Symposium in Washington, DC. and presents an NGOs point of view on the Basel Convention and the Basel Ban Amendment.
  
  
• BAN attends a meeting hosted by the European Parliament and sponsored in part by the Global NGO Platform on Shipbreaking coalition where Environment Commissioner Dimas and MEPs were able to debate the issues of shipbreaking in the EU.
  
  
• BAN joins the first face to face meeting of the Global NGO Platform on Shipbreaking and works to develop a strategy to counter the shipping industry and to promote pre-cleaning of ships prior to export.

May

• BAN as part of the Global NGO Platform on Shipbreaking issues a press release calling for Bangladesh government to take action to halt the first Single-Hulled oil tanker, Alfaship from being broken in Bangladesh unless and until the vessel is pre-cleaned.
  
  
• Victory! -- Bangladesh announces that Alfaship entry into Bangladesh waters will be barred pending an investigation into the toxics on board the vessel. This took place due to Global NGO Platform Action (intent to sue letter from local NGO BELA) and in part to BAN’s legal analysis.
  
  
• Indian Supreme Court announces that SS Norway which was suddenly being tugged toward India from Malaysia, will not be allowed to enter Indian waters pending a review. This action was due to a petition filed by Platform member organization Ban Asbestos Network, India.
  
  
• BAN attends the IMPEL Conference on Transfrontier Shipments of Waste in Bonn as a special guest (only NGO and only American) to show “The Digital Dump” and to help work on solutions. IMPEL is an enforcement initiative to better control environmental crime in Europe. BAN also convinces IMPEL program to conduct a workshop with African countries in West Africa which BAN will help organize.
  
  
• BAN attends the Regency Asset Management Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, shows “The Digital Dump” and warns asset managers of Fortune 500 Companies to use E-stewards and ensure against insecure data, export and prison labor.
  
  
• BAN participates in Third meeting of EPA hosted effort to set industry standards for electronic waste held in San Francisco as a side event to the IEEE Conference.

June

• BAN to attend negotiation session of the Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative to resolve the question of how to control transboundary movements of electronic waste. BAN is only NGO in this process surrounded by industry.
  
  
• BAN is featured in a new book authored by Elizabeth Grossman, with a cover photo also of BAN, entitled High-Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health.
  
  
• Award! -- BAN receives the BENNY award for its work on the Computer TakeBack Campaign from the Business Ethics Network.
  
  
• BAN issues press release denouncing the US government sinking of obsolete Aircraft Carrier, ex-Oriskany which was dumped off of the coast of Florida while still containing hundreds of tonnes of PCB contaminated material.
  
  
• On behalf of the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, BAN prepares extensive comments on the UK Shipbreaking Strategy.
  
  
• BAN releases report blasting Norwegian Cruise Lines for deceiving in their export of the SS Norway for breaking in India. The report and press release were released after we uncovered evidence that they had conceived of scrapping the vessel prior to telling Germany that it would be re-used.
  

July

• Release of Book Challenging the Chip: Labor Rights and Environmental Justice in the Global Electronics Industry. BAN’s Jim Puckett authored a chapter, and BAN is referenced throughout the book.
  
  
• BAN as part of NGO Platform on Shipbreaking wrote and published the following: Press Release: 'SS Blue Lady' Arrives In Alang In Violation Of International And Indian Laws; Comments on the Technical Committee Survey Report of Blue Lady; Press Release: Cruise Line Called on to Take Responsibility for Toxic Cruise Ship; and a letter to Star Cruises outlining Demands to take responsibility for Blue Lady (SS Norway).
  
  
• BAN culminates intellectual property right dispute with Penguin Publishers, Landov Photo and Jared Diamond for unauthorized and uncredited use of BAN photo of e-waste in the book “Collapse”. Landov will pay 1,000 for mistake, and Penguin will pay 250 for use of photo and will correct future editions.

August

• BAN assists NGO Platform, particularly members in Turkey, in revealing non-compliance with the Basel Convention with respect to the Dutch export of the OTAPAN, to Turkey for breaking. Prepares several press releases for coalition.
  
  
• BAN conducts workshop with Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition with 15 university campus organizers to promote the Pledge of True Stewardship.
  
  
• BAN submits paper to IMO criticizing the Draft IMO Convention on ship recycling.
  
  
• BAN gets opinion piece published in the Baltimore Sun, denouncing Star Cruise’s corporate irresponsibility.
  
  
• Victory! -- The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, using BAN’s argumentation convinces Turkish Minister of Environment to turn back the OTAPAN and force Netherlands to take it back.

September

• Dumping of toxic waste on Ivory Coast on board the Probo Koala places BAN at the forefront of global media. Interviews conducted in Le Monde, New Scientist, Vrij Nederland magazine, BBC World Service, New York Times, InterPress Service, The Independent, International Herald Tribune, TV5 Europe, Le Figaro and Enjeux Les Echos, Le Nouvel Observateur magazines etc.
  
  
• BAN issues two press releases on the Ivory Coast dumping scandal and calls for greater enforcement and implementation of Basel Convention and Basel Ban.
  
  
• BAN issues notice to all African Governments on how to respond to Probo Koala scandal.
  
  
• BAN concludes two years of intense negotiations with the cell phone industry and despite disagreement, with the industry and the US, is able to promote an interpretation of the Basel Convention that requires functionality testing for exports of equipment for re-use this proposal is forwarded to the Basel Parties.
  
  
• BAN releases press release on new findings of asbestosis among shipbreaking yard workers in India.
  
  
• BAN submits paper to International Maritime Organization highlighting 7 needed reforms in the new shipbreaking Convention.
  
  
• BAN visits Trinidad and Tobago to participate in the Basel Convention Regional Center workshop on E-waste.

October

• BAN attends the International Solid Waste Association meeting in Copenhagen, makes a presentation on E-waste exports.
  
  
• BAN attends the International Maritime Organizations’ Marine Environmental Protection Committee meeting in London on behalf of the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking and presses for reform of very inadequate and morally challenged treaty draft.
  
  
• BAN releases press release calling IMO draft treaty immoral.
  
  
• Victory! -- It is announced that French aircraft carrier Clemenceau, that BAN as part of a coalition, forced back to France from India, will in fact be recycled in France!!!
  
  
• BAN attends the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers in Clevelend, shows film and gives presentation. Has a booth presence throughout the conference.
  
  
• BAN attends the E-scrap Conference in Austin Texas.
  
  
• BAN finds out about the free trade agreement between Philippines and Japan (JPEPA) that aims to liberalize trade in hazardous wastes. BAN writes critique of this issues press release with Philippine coalition.

November

• BAN is major contributor to story on Shipbreaking in Bangladesh which airs on CBS 60 Minutes News Magazine.
  
  
• BAN’s Yuka Takamiya and Richard Gutierrez Attend Asian 3Rs Conference in Tokyo. Denounces JPEPA free trade agreement at meeting.
  
  
• BAN’s Richard Gutierrez arrives in the Philippines to establish BAN Asia Pacific in Manila. He is quickly a media star on the JPEPA issue and participates in press work with the Junk JPEPA coalition.
  
  
• BAN report on JPEPA is released and BAN is featured in many headline stories this Japanese/Philippine Free Trade Agreement which intends to liberalize trade in toxic waste.
  
  
• Major Accomplishment! -- BAN Attends the 8th Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention which thanks to BAN’s work has as its theme Electronic Waste! BAN delivers major statements at the meeting on Shipbreaking, Electronic Waste, the Ivory Coast Dumping Scandal and the Basel Ban Amendment. Meeting delivers a global Declaration on Electronic Waste and re-establishes the spirit of solidarity in Africa and elsewhere in support of the Basel Ban.
  
  
• BAN participates in and helps organize side events on the Mobile Phone Partnership Program, Shipbreaking and Electronic Waste. Shows the Digital Dump film to some 300 participants.
  
  
• BAN Prepares 8 Page color newsletter for the 8th Conference of the Basel Parties and circulates via email and prepares hard copy for upcoming meeting.
  
  
• BAN’s Richard Gutierrez testifies before the Senate and speaks to the Association of Major Religious Superiors in Philippines.

December

• 2 Major stories featuring BAN released on BBC World Service Radio globally (shipbreaking and e-waste).
  
  
• BAN works with local NGOs in Kenya to investigate E-waste importation in Mombasa, Kenya.
  
  
• BAN releases report and press statements from COP8 meeting.
  
  
• BAN speaks on JPEPA at the Mindanao NGOs Forum, Ateneo Environmental Studies Forum, and the University of Philippines Law Center forum.