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

2. Capacity Building/Training Secretariat of the Basel Convention
Nelson Sabogal
Capacity Building/Training
Secretariat of the Basel Convention
Geneva, Switzerland
Secretariat of the Basel Convention

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Transboundary Movements
Control System -written notification from State of export to import/transit
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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. BCRCs
BCRCs-China
Workshop on the Pilot Project for the Monitoring and Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste in the Asian Region, 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

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

26. 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

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

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

29. For Further Information
Visit the Basel Convention’s Website:
Secretariat of the Basel Convention