Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BASEL CONVENTION

Control of Tran boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Secretariat of the Basel Convention

BASEL CONVENTIONNelson 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

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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

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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.

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Pillars of the Convention

I. Control of the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes

II. Environmentally Sound Management of hazardous wastes and other wastes and their disposal

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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

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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

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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)

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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.

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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

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Waste controlled under the Convention

Wastes excluded from the scope of

the Convention

• Radioactive wastes

• Wastes derived from normal operation

of a ship

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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 soundmanagement of wastes subject to this Convention and shall be developed by the Parties (Art. 4.8)

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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.

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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

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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

El Salvador

Trinidad &Tobago

Uruguay

Argentina

South Africa

Nigeria

Senegal Egypt

Slovak Republic

Russian Federation

China

Indonesia

India

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For the African region: Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and South AfricaFor the Asia and Pacific region: China and IndonesiaFor the Central and Eastern European region: the Slovak Republic and the Russian FederationFor Latin America and the Caribbean region: Argentina, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay

Regional Centres for Training and Technology Transfer (BCRCs)

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BCRCsActivities 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);

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BCRCs

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.

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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.

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BCRCs

BCRCs-Trinidad and Tobago

• Joint UNEP Chemicals/SBC Regional Training Workshop on Pesticides from 22-25 April 2002 in Trinidad and Tobago.

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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)

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Partnership BCRCs-NCPCs

Future

• Networking

• Information exchange

• Joint activities at the national level

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Strategic Plan

• Secretariat has prepared the priority activities for next ten years.

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For Further Information

Visit the Basel Convention’s Website:

www.basel.int