12th RILO/NCP Annual Meeting for Eastern and Central Europe. Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, October 2007 Ezra Clark, Green Customs Coordinator UNEP DTIE Paris, OzonAction Branch Green Customs Website: Halvart Koeppen, Regional Officer Regional Ozone Network for Europe & Central Asia UNEP DTIE Paris, OzonAction Branch ECA website: The GreenCustoms Initiative

Most environmental problems are transboundary and global in impact, and they can only be addressed effectively through international co-operation and shared responsibility Customs and border-protection officers responsible for controlling trade across borders have an important role in protecting the national and global environment

Background A Customs officer might encounter various chemicals such as ozone-depleting substances, hazardous wastes and pesticides, and animal and plant specimens Not only raw materials and live animals and plants pass through Customs control, but also products that include certain chemicals or wildlife parts and derivatives It is a complex task and large responsibility to verify shipments and their documentation, and to verify compliance with national laws and to take action when violations occur

Multilateral Environmental Agreements A number of international agreements regulate the trade in environmentally sensitive items and products, and the requirements of these agreements are usually incorporated in national legislation

Treaties with trade components CITES –Endangered species Montreal Protocol –Ozone-depleting substances Basel –Hazardous wastes Stockholm Rotterdam –Chemicals Cartagena –Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) Trade and Customs are key tools to implement these treaties Chemical Weapons Convention –Chemicals

Objective of GreenCustoms Reduction/elimination of illegal trade in environmentally-sensitive items covered by specific international agreements, such as ozone depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous wastes, endangered species and LMOs (living modified organisms)… … while protecting and facilitating legal trade.

GreenCustoms Partners  Secretariats of the 7 treaties  World Customs Organization (WCO)  Interpol  UNEP:  Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) – Secretariat of Green Customs  Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC)  UNEP Regional Offices

Cooperation of UNEP with WCO: MOU signed in 2003  Mutual Consultation  Information Exchange  Reciprocal Representation  Technical Cooperation  Example: Cooperation on the HS Codes  Specific cooperation in the regions

The GreenCustoms Training Guide GreenCustoms Guide - topics for each MEA or treaty –Definitions –Provisions for regulating trade –The specific role of Customs in implementing the MEA/treaty –Official documents to be aware of –Practical considerations Health and safety Identification Seizures and disposal Derogations

GreenCustoms: 2007 activities GreenCustoms activities: –Publication and distribution of the GreenCustoms Guide –GreenCustoms Train-the-trainer workshops for Customs FIRST SUCH TTT WORKSHOP WAS HELD on MAY 2007 AT SHANGHAI’S CUSTOMS COLLEGE –National workshops for Customs –On-line training, e-learning –Specialized skills training by GreenCustoms partners –One-stop source for reference materials for Customs on the GreenCustoms website

Basel Convention GOAL : To protect, by strict control, human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from the generation and management of hazardous wastes and other wastes. The Convention establishes a regulatory system for the monitoring and control of the trans-boundary movement and disposal of hazardous wastes.

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Goal: Contribute to ensuring the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health Applies to: Transboundary movement, transit, handling and use of all LMOs that may have adverse effects on biodiversity, taking also into account risks to human health Exclusion: Pharmaceuticals for humans that are addressed by other international agreements or organisations CBD

Chemical Weapons Convention Goal: to eliminate chemical weapons forever by destroying the existing stockpiles and preventing the production of new chemical weapons The mission is to implement the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention in order to achieve the OPCW's vision of a world free of chemical weapons, and a world in which cooperation in the peaceful uses of chemistry is fostered. In doing this, the ultimate aim is to contribute to international security and stability, general and complete disarmament, and global economic development.

CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora GOAL: To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES regulates international trade in specimens of certain species through control measures. All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.

Montreal Protocol Goal To reduce and eliminate the consumption and production of ozone depleting substances according to a timetable agreed for developed and developing countries. Each party to the Montreal Protocol is committed to complying with their target schedule for ODS phase out and must introduce control measures to ensure that their government meets its obligations.

Rotterdam Convention GOAL : to protect human health and the environment by promoting shared responsibility and cooperative efforts in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals. The Convention enables the world to monitor and control trade in certain hazardous chemicals and serves as an instrument to provide importing Parties with the power to make informed decisions on which chemicals they want to receive and to exclude those they cannot manage safely.

Stockholm Convention GOAL : To protect health and environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs) The Secretariat will initiate customs assistance activities aimed at:  Training customs in SC requirements through the train- the-trainer approach;  Providing hands-on support for POPs identification in trans-boundary operations;  Focusing on the most vulnerable customs facilities.

Next steps… Customs Officers play key role in implementing trade related Environmental Agreements Information and training materials are available: Green Customs Guide (final draft) Green Customs Website: Contact Green Customs Coordinator: Dr. Ezra Clark, Specific information is available from the Green Customs Partners