BASEL CONVENTION Control of Tran boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Capacity Building/Training Secretariat of the Basel Convention Nelson Sabogal Capacity Building/Training Secretariat of the Basel Convention Geneva, Switzerland Nelson.Sabogal@unep.ch Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BASEL CONVENTION The modern lifestyle and its benefits exist because of industry. Household appliances, personal computers,cars, ships, pharmaceuticals, paints, etc. Industrial production results in hundreds of millions of tonnes of wastes every year. These wastes include chemical by-products that are hazardous to human health and the environment. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BASEL CONVENTION In the late 1980s, a tightening of environmental regulations in industrialized countries led to a dramatic rise in the cost of hazardous waste disposal. Searching for cheaper ways to get rid of the wastes, “toxic traders” began shipping hazardous waste to developing countries and to Eastern Europe. When this activity was revealed, international outrage led to the drafting and adoption of the Basel Convention. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BASEL CONVENTION signed in 1989 entered into force on 1992 152 Parties to the Basel Convention Secretariat of the Basel Convention

The Goal of the Convention 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 Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Key Objectives To reduce transboundary movements of hazardous wastes to a minimum consistent with their environmentally sound management; To dispose of hazardous wastes as close as possible to their source of generation; To minimize the generation of hazardous wastes in terms of quantity and hazardousness. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Pillars of the Convention Control of the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes Environmentally Sound Management of hazardous wastes and other wastes and their disposal Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Transboundary Movements Control System -written notification from State of export to import/transit 1995 - Ban Amendment – bans export of hazardous wastes from developed countries (OECD members) to developing ones. 1999 Protocol on Liability and Compensation -rules on liability and compensation for damages caused by accidental spills of hazardous wastes during export or import Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Waste controlled under the Convention Subject to transboundary movements Definition of hazardous wastes Article 1.1a of the Convention (Annex I and Annex III) Article 1.1b of the Convention (nationally defined hazardous wastes) Articles 1.2 of the Convention (other wastes) Annex VIII and Annex IX of The Convention Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Waste controlled under the Convention « Hazardous wastes » are Wastes that belong to any category contained in Annex I of the Convention (Y1-18 or Y19-45), unless they do not possess any of the characteristics contained in Annex III of the Convention Annexes VIII and IX of the Convention (adopted at COP4 in 1998) Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Waste controlled under the Convention Article 1.1.b of The Convention Wastes (….) defined as, or considered to be, hazardous wastes by National Legislation of the Party of export, import or transit. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Waste controlled under the Convention Definition of « other wastes » (Article 1.2) Waste categories contained in Annex II of this Convention: Y46 Wastes collected from households Y47 Residues arising from incineration of household wastes Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Waste controlled under the Convention Wastes excluded from the scope of the Convention Radioactive wastes Wastes derived from normal operation of a ship Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes Take all practicable steps to ensure that hazardous wastes or other wastes are managed in a manner which will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from such wastes (Art. 2) Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of wastes subject to this Convention and shall be developed by the Parties (Art. 4.8) Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Mechanisms for Implementation Conference of the Parties (COP) Develops and keep under review the implementation of the Basel Convention Subsidiary bodies Assist the COP Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Mechanisms for Implementation Secretariat Cooperates with national authorities in developing national legislation, setting up inventories of hazardous wastes, strengthening national institutions, assessing the hazardous waste management situation, preparing hazardous waste management plans and policy tools. Assist countries with technical and legal advice. Support the Basel Convention Regional Centres. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Mechanisms for Implementation National Level Focal Point: an entity of a Party to the Basel Convention for receiving and transmitting information as required by the Convention to and from the COP Competent authority: one governmental authority designated by a Party, responsible for receiving the notifications of a transboundary movements of waste. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Mechanisms for Implementation Regional Centres for Training and Technology Transfer (BCRCs) Provide guidance on technical, technological issues, legal issues as well as advice on enforcement aspects of the Basel Convention and related Conventions like Stockholm, Rotterdam and Montreal Protocol. Encourage the introduction of cleaner production technologies Encourage the use of environmentally sound management practices Enhancement of information exchange, education and awareness-raising Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Regional Centres for Training and Technology Transfer (BCRCs) For the African region: Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa For the Asia and Pacific region: China and Indonesia For the Central and Eastern European region: the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation For Latin America and the Caribbean region: Argentina, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Regional Centres for Training and Technology Transfer (BCRCs) For the African region: Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa For the Asia and Pacific region: China and Indonesia For the Central and Eastern European region: the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation For Latin America and the Caribbean region: Argentina, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BCRCs-Pretoria, South Africa Activities carried out since April 2002: BCRCs-Pretoria, South Africa ·   Awareness Seminar on Hazardous Waste to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Tanzania (25 April 2002); ·   USEPA Course on Risk Minimization, 7-9 May 2002 in South Africa; ·   Awareness Seminar for School Learners, Pretoria (17 July 2002); ·   Regional Training of Trainers Course on Hazardous Waste Management for Middle Level Management Officials, Uganda (22-25 July 2002); Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BCRCs-Pretoria, South Africa (cont.) Regional Training of Trainers Course in Hazardous Waste Management for Middle Level Management, Ghana (6-9 August 2002); Training of Trainers Course on Medical Waste Management, Zambia (19-22 August 2002); Training Seminar on Port Enforcement Officials held in Tanzania from 9-13 September 2002. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BCRCs BCRCs-China Workshop on the Pilot Project for the Monitoring and Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste in the Asian Region, 24-26 September 2002, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. BCRCs-Slovakia 10th workshop on Comparative Analysis of International Waste lists and Control Systems held in Bratislava, June 10-12, 2002. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BCRCs-Trinidad and Tobago Joint UNEP Chemicals/SBC Regional Training Workshop on Pesticides from 22-25 April 2002 in Trinidad and Tobago. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Partnership BCRCs-NCPCs Project for the management of spent lead-acid batteries in Central America NCPCs involved: El Salvador Mexico Pesticide Formulation Plant Project Ethiopia (Pending on decision of the COP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Partnership BCRCs-NCPCs Future Networking Information exchange Joint activities at the national level Secretariat of the Basel Convention

Strategic Plan Secretariat has prepared the priority activities for next ten years. Secretariat of the Basel Convention

For Further Information Visit the Basel Convention’s Website: www.basel.int Secretariat of the Basel Convention