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Basel Convention
Bulletin September 2011
Editorial
Dear Reader,
The tenth meeting of the Conference of the
Parties (COP 10) to the Basel Convention is
the first of my term of service as the Executive
Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm Conventions.
I enter into this meeting with a special degree
of excitement, which I confess I had not felt
with the Stockholm and Rotterdam COPs held
earlier this year. In Cartagena, I will be sailing
into what are for me new, less chartered
waters.
Devoted to the theme “Prevention,
minimization and recovery of wastes”,
COP 10 presents new perspectives on the
environmentally sound management of
hazardous wastes. Parties will investigate
ways in which the Basel Convention could help
turn wastes into valuable resources, so as to
create green business and job opportunities,
while protecting human health, livelihood, and
the environment.
Even as we learn to value certain end-of-life
materials as potential economic resources
for future production, we are taking care
to promote upstream the prevention and
minimization of wastes as part of any holistic
solution to the waste management challenge.
Looking ahead to the Rio+20
to be held in Brazil in June
2012, opportunities abound
to advance the chemicals
and waste agenda. The
environmentally sound
management of hazardous
wastes can contribute
powerfully to addressing
the inequities of the current
global waste management
regime, which unduly impact the poor in
developing countries and countries with
economies in transition.
Our task in Rio will be to demonstrate that
successful implementation of the three leading
global chemicals and waste conventions
supports achieving the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals of eliminating
poverty, empowering women, reducing
child mortality by two-thirds, and ensuring
environmental sustainability by 2015.
I am very honoured to be joining you in
Cartagena de Indias. Together with your
support, I am looking forward to a successful
voyage ahead.
Jim Willis
Executive Secretary
Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
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Contents
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
COP 10 of the Basel Convention: Promoting prevention, minimization and recycling of wastes as a concrete input to Rio 2012? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties: An overview of key issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
E-waste– �Fourth Physical Meeting of the Partnership for Action on
Computing Equipment (PACE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
– �Update on activities under the e-waste Africa project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
– �Regional Training Workshop on the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of E-waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
– �International Workshop on Hazardous Substances within the Life-cycle of Electrical and Electronic Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mercury– �Minimization and environmentally sound management of
mercury containing waste in Uruguay and Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Compliance and National Reporting– �Update on the work of the Implementation and Compliance
Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
– �National Reporting and Inventory Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Enforcement– �Regional Training Workshop on Implementation and Enforcement
of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
– �Cooperation on enforcement and illegal traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Synergies– �Joint meeting of the Bureaux of the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
– �Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
– �Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
– �Pacific Regional Training Workshop on Joint Implementation of the Waigani, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 16
– �Regional Awareness-Raising Workshop on Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination for the Implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
International Cooperation– �Cooperation activities with International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
– �Initiative for ODS and POPs Banks Destruction in Central America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
– �Cooperation with UNEP/OCHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
News from BCRCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
3
COP 10 of the Basel Convention: Promoting prevention, minimization and recycling of wastes as a concrete input to Rio 2012?
Today’s political discussion recognizes the need for mutual
supportiveness of economic development, environmental
management and social factors including poverty reduction. This
in many ways is at the core of the run up to the Rio+20 conference
in June 2012 under its twin themes of a Green Economy in the
context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and
an institutional framework for sustainable development.
The tenth meeting of the conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention (COP 10) will focus on the theme “Prevention,
minimization and recovery of wastes”, as proposed by the Host
Government, Colombia. This presents a unique opportunity for
the COP to bring about a paradigm shift in the Basel Convention,
and at the same time to present to the Rio+20 conference a
concrete example of how transformative environmental action
can deliver important economic and social outcomes.
While waste was once regarded solely as an unwanted byproduct
of modern societies and their industrial activity, awareness
of the multiple benefits of waste prevention as well as waste
recycling and resource recovery is now emerging. If managed
in an environmentally sound manner, the extraction of valuable
secondary raw material from wastes can create green business
opportunities and decent jobs for millions of often young
people throughout the developing world, thus playing a part in
eradicating poverty.
In addition, scarce and valuable materials such as rare earth
metals can be conserved, as can the biosphere of areas where
such metals are being mined. There are in short significant
economic incentives for engaging in such operations, already
being realized in many countries when allied to supportive and
smart public policies.
Finally, recycling of certain types of wastes also contributes to the
reduction of greenhouse gases because significantly less energy
is used when compared with primary mining.
The Basel Convention was adopted over 20 years ago in
response to uncontrolled dumping of hazardous wastes from the
industrialized world in developing countries. Accordingly, its main
focus has long been seen as protecting developing countries from
unwanted waste imports.
Today, the protection of vulnerable countries remains as important
as ever. At the same time, if the Convention is to retain its relevance
in the 21st century it is necessary to identify a practical approach
that provides protection to countries that need it, while at the same
time supporting the realization of the economic incentives and
benefits of environmentally sound recycling and resource recovery
operations in those countries that are in a position to do so.
The 1995 Ban Amendment is a centerpiece of the Basel
architecture: it recognizes the fact that there are differing
capacities between countries to manage hazardous wastes.
Twenty years ago, there was a clear differentiation between
North and South in terms of hazardous waste generation and
capacity to manage recovery efforts in a sustainable manner.
The reality today is different. Technologies are evolving rapidly
in terms of products, waste streams, and recovery processes. The
respective capacities of countries change over time, as do their
interests and needs. Already, developing countries are exporting
their hazardous wastes to developed countries for processing.
Some developing countries are exporting their wastes to other
developing countries with better capacities and facilities.
The entry into force of the Ban Amendment will allow Parties to
address changes to the existing legal regime to accommodate
such new developments and realities.
Achim Steiner
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
4
Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties: An overview of key issues
The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10), taking
place from 17 to 21 October 2011, is expected to be a highlight
in the history of the Basel Convention. Not only will it take place
in the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia, maintaining the high
standard set by Indonesia in hosting COP 9 in Bali. COP 10 will
also have a particularly important role in determining the future of
the Convention.
As eloquently evoked by the Executive Director in his lead article,
COP 10 presents a unique opportunity to achieve a paradigm shift,
positioning waste management as a model area for achieving an
environmentally and socially sound economy. By so doing, COP
10 could make a concrete contribution to Rio+20. It may adopt
a Declaration giving concrete content to the theme of the COP:
“Prevention, Minimization and Recovery of Wastes”.
New Strategic Framework
As decided by COP 9, the new Strategic Framework for 2012-2021
should enable the Basel Convention to highlight the links between
waste management and the achievement of the Millennium
In tandem with the entry into force of the Ban Amendment, there
is a need strengthen the Basel regime to balance obligations
and commitments for generators and exporters as well as for
importers and waste processers. Upstream, countries must commit
to minimizing and preventing the generation of waste, in keeping
with the Basel Convention, while downstream there is a need to
enable rigorous environmentally and socially responsible waste
management.
The establishment of an effective and adequate regime under the
Basel Convention would require putting in place a robust technical
architecture as well as ensuring solid linkages with other relevant
UN initiatives on sustainable consumption and production in order
to promote prevention and minimization of waste generation.
In doing so, governments in Colombia have a golden opportunity
to promote a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green
Economy and improved sustainable management of the planet in
respect to wastes and related challenges.
Achim SteinerUN Under-Secretary-General andUNEP Executive Director
Development Goals. The draft before COP 10 is the product of
intensive discussions and negotiations, including at the seventh
session of the Open-ended working Group in May 2010. It sets
out a vision, guiding principles, strategic goals and objectives, as
well as means of implementation and indicators of achievement.
The Strategic Framework will hopefully help Parties transpose the
theme of the COP into concrete work at all levels.
Indonesian-Swiss Country Led Initiative to improve
the effectiveness of the Convention
Linked in substance with the Strategic Framework is the outcome
of the so-called Country-Led Initiative (CLI) by Indonesia and
Switzerland. Launched in response to the call of the President of
COP 9 to find a way out of the controversy surrounding the Ban
Amendment, the CLI proposes a set of measures to this end. Their
adoption could constitute a historic step towards a solution after
over 15 years of blockage.
Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating
Centres (BCRCs)
COP 10 is expected to decide on means to strengthen the BCRCs, a
strategic framework to ensure their financial sustainability, and a set
of indicators to measure their performance. In accordance with the
wish of the Parties, the Secretariat in recent years has progressively
supported BCRCs as executing agencies for capacity building
projects, along with providing assistance for strengthening their
capacity. Several BCRCs now are successfully carrying out projects
in excess of a million US dollars, in direct cooperation with donors.
Implementation and Compliance Committee
The Implementation and Compliance Committee over the past few
years evolved into a very active body. Not only has it elaborated
a number of instruments to assist Parties in matters such as
combating illegal traffic and fulfilling their National Reporting
obligations. Over the past triennium, the Committee has also, for
the first time, considered difficulties faced by individual Parties in
the implementation of the Convention.
Activating the Secretariat’s “trigger” function (bringing difficulties
with compliance to the Committee’s attention), the Committee
focused in an initial phase on Parties having difficulties with national
reporting, in light of the steadily decreasing reporting rates.
Partnerships and Capacity Building
PACE, the key partnership of the Basel Convention, has become
the universally recognized multistakeholder forum addressing
the management of obsolete computing equipment. Numerous
5
governments, private sector actors and IGOs have joined the
partnership. PACE develops guidelines and implements pilot
projects on the ground. COP 10 is expected to decide on the
future development of PACE and other elements of the Partnership
Programme.
As regards capacity building, the Secretariat is forging partnerships
with organizations having the capacity and mandate to implement
large-scale projects, facilitating inclusion of waste management
into their programmes. The planned representation at COP 10 of
a number of partner organizations bears testimony to the success
of this approach.
Budget
In these times of global economic difficulties, the challenge of
making available sufficient funding to continue strengthening the
Basel Convention, while considering the reality of ever decreasing
public funds, will be particularly strong. In this regard, promoting
environmentally sound waste management as an economic
opportunity could provide a new angle: should certain operations
become self-funded through market mechanisms, there could be
less need for fundraising in the future.
Synergies
Last but not least, COP 10 will, after the meetings of the COPs
of the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions earlier this year,
consider a set of measures to further strengthen synergies between
the three conventions, following up on the relevant decisions taken
by the joint simultaneous extraordinary meetings of these 3 COPs
in Bali, Indonesia in February 2010.
Katharina Kummer PeiryExecutive Secretary Secretariat of the Basel Convention
Katharina Kummer Peiry
The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
The meeting will be hosted by the Government of Colombia
and will take place at the Cartagena de Indias Convention
Centre (CCCI) in the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
The meeting will be opened at 10 a.m. on Monday,
17 October, and conclude on Friday, 21 October 2011.
The theme of COP 10 is “Prevention, minimization and
recovery of wastes”.
Please visit the website of the Basel Convention
(www.basel.int) for more information.
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
6
Participants of the Fourth Physical Meeting of PACE.
E-wasteFourth Physical Meeting of the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE)
One of the most successful PACE meetings was held from 6 to
8 June 2011 at the offices of the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) in Washington DC, USA. The meeting
was attended by 42 participants from 10 Parties and Signatories,
8 Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres (BCRCs),
the Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC), international
organizations, industry, academic institutions and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs). The meeting was opened by
Mr. Robert Dellinger, Director of the Material Recovery and Waste
Management Division of the USEPA, and Ms. Katharina Kummer
Peiry, Executive Secretary of SBC.
The co-chair of the PACE Working Group, Mr. Marco Buletti of
Switzerland, led the discussion on the preparation of documents
on PACE for COP 10.
Agreement was reached on all of the issues in the overall guidance
document on the environmentally sound management of used and
end-of-life computing equipment. The guidance document will be
submitted for the consideration of Parties at COP 10.
During the second day of the meeting, the project groups on
pilot projects and on awareness-raising and training made good
progress: it was decided to select one country for a pilot project
on the collection and management of used computing equipment
from the informal sector; a draft film on management of e-waste
was shown; the approved PACE logo was displayed; and 2
BCRCs - the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Training
and Technology Transfer for the Asia and Pacific Region (BCRC-
China) and the Basel Convention Regional Center for Training and
Technology Transfer for Central Europe (BCRC-Slovakia) - were
selected to launch training workshops on PACE products.
The day after the meeting, the PACE Working Group met with Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to share information on PACE and
to discuss the potential future involvement of OEMs in PACE.
For further information, please contact Mr. Matthias Kern, Chief,
Implementation and Capacity Building Unit, Secretariat of the
Basel Convention, email: matthias.kern@unep.org.
Status of ratifications (as at 9 September 2011)
The Basel Convention welcomes Iraq and Palau as new Parties. There are now 177 Parties to the Basel Convention.
70 Parties have ratified the Ban Amendment to the Basel Convention, the most recent of which is Zambia.
10 Parties have ratified the Basel Protocol on Liability and Compensation.
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Update on activities under the e-waste Africa project
The first African national training workshop in the framework of
the Basel Convention e-waste Africa project took place from 25
to 27 July 2011 in Tema, Ghana. The workshop was organized by
the Environment Protection Agency of Ghana together with the
European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law (IMPEL), the Basel Convention Coordinating
Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the African Region
(BCCC-Nigeria), and SBC. The organizers also collaborated with
Ghana Ports and Harbors Authorities, Ghana Customs, Excise and
Preventive Service and the Ports Environmental Network Africa, in
arranging the workshop.
The training focused on issues relevant to effective inspection and
enforcement of e-waste related legislation, such as inspection
methods and classification criteria for e-waste, inter-agency
collaboration and intervention procedures. Information on
port procedures and developments at the national level were
presented, which included discussion of the draft national policy
and guidelines on the import of e-waste, scheduled to enter into
force in January 2013.
During the workshop, participants also had the opportunity to visit
the Container Terminal of Africa in Tema. Following an explanation
from customs on the handling procedures at the port, a container
with goods from Europe was inspected by the participants. The
container was loaded with many secondhand electrical items
such as televisions, computers and refrigerators: some of these
were noticeably obsolete, while some items were more difficult
to classify as e-waste (for example, televisions with their cables
removed). Following this demonstration, the participants discussed
the challenges of distinguishing between used e-products and
e-waste.
Similar training workshops are scheduled for Benin and Nigeria in
September, and for Egypt in early October 2011.
For further information, please contact Ms. Tatiana Terekhova,
Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail:
tatiana.terekhova @unep.org
Regional Training Workshop on the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of E-waste
A regional training workshop on the ESM of e-waste was held from
19 to 21 April 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop focused
on the repair, refurbishment and reconditioning of used electrical
and electronic equipment and the recycling and final disposal of
e-waste. This was the second such workshop to take place in the
region: the first workshop was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in July
2010, focusing on the collection and dismantling of e-waste.
The Bangkok workshop was attended by 63 participants from
countries in the region, SBC, the Basel Convention Regional Centre
for Training and Technology Transfer for Southeast Asia (BCRC-
SEA), BCRC-China, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for
Training and Technology Transfer in Tehran (BCRC-Iran), academia
and industry.
Workshop discussions were initially focused on the technical
guidelines on the ESM of e-waste developed by BCRC-SEA
in 2007, and practical experiences from the participating
international organizations, governments, industry and academia.
One participant shared experience in relation to extended producer
responsibility, while another described a partnership that had
been developed between the government of Thailand and the
informal sector to promote the ESM of e-waste. An update was Port visit in Tema: e-waste training workshop in Ghana.
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
8
also provided on the current implementation status of the ESM of
E-Waste in Asia-Pacific Programme and on the finalization of the
guidance document on the environmentally sound management of
used and end-of-life computing equipment by the Partnership for
Action on Computing Equipment (PACE).
Participants of the meeting were split into two groups: in the first
of which participating countries considered cases of success and
failure related to the implementation of e-waste management
strategies at the country level. The second group brought together
representatives from each participating country, including
representatives of government, academia and research institutions,
to determine the breadth of the e-waste management problem in
their respective countries and to agree on important points which
need to be addressed in developing national action plans. It is
expected that the results of these discussions will be taken into
account during the development of national action plans in each
country. On the final day of the workshop, participants visited a
centre for the recycling of Fuji Xerox products in the Asia-Pacific
region, located in Chonburi Province.
For further information, please contact Mr. Dadan Wardhana,
Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail:
dadan.wardhana@unep.org
International Workshop on Hazardous Substances within the Life-cycle of Electrical and Electronic Products
The workshop was convened by SBC, the Secretariat of the
Stockholm Convention and the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO), pursuant to resolution II/4
section D adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals
Management (ICCM) at its second session in May 2009 concerning
hazardous substances within the life-cycle of electrical and
electronic products (e-products).
A Workshop Steering Group deliberated and developed, through
teleconferences, the objectives of the workshop, and its expected
outputs and a provisional agenda, as well as identifying participants
and speakers, identifying the venue and logistical needs, financial
aspects etc.
The workshop took place from 29 to 31 March 2011 at UNIDO
Headquarters, Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria. More
than 90 participants comprising representatives of governments,
industry, civil society, intergovernmental organizations and
academia attended. The workshop was made possible through
the financial support received from Japan, Sweden, and USEPA.
UNIDO, which hosted the workshop, provided the logistical support
and meeting facilities at its headquarters in Vienna.
At the workshop, sessions were conducted both in plenary and
working groups - covering upstream, midstream and downstream
issues on e-products. The working groups were tasked with coming
up with ideas or recommendations on how to best address the
issues concerning the life-cycle of hazardous substances in
e-products, including looking at gaps and potential for synergies.
The final report and recommendations of this workshop were
submitted to the Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to
International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and to be presented
to the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of SAICM, which is
planned to meet from 15 to 18 November 2011 in Belgrade, Serbia.
For key messages from the workshop, please see the box in page 9.
The workshop was hailed as an historic event as for the first time
experts from around the world gathered to make recommendations
for a United Nations process on reducing and eliminating hazardous
chemicals in the design, manufacturing, and end-of-life stages of
e-products.
Full report of the workshop is available in document SAICM/
RM/LAC.3/INF/12 (available at this link: http://www.saicm.org/index.php?content=meeting&mid=130&def=4&menuid=)
and also at http://www.basel.int/techmatters/wrks-eew-unido/FinalReport-25-05-2011.doc.
For further information, please contact Mr. Ibrahim Shafii, Chief,
Programme Support Unit, Secretariat of the Basel Convention,
e-mail: ibrahim.shafii@unep.org
9
• Preventing harm to human health and the environment from hazardous substances in the life-cycle of electrical and electronic products is essential.
• The life-cycle approach in the sound management of chemicals found in electrical and electronic products is of key importance.
• The expected growth in the electrical and electronic sector and the need for its long-term sustainability will require making parallel and proportional improvements in environmental, health and safety, and social justice attributes.
• Solutions are most efficiently and effectively accomplished upstream and addressing problems upstream can significantly and positively impact other parts of the life-cycle.
• An increased pace to implement green design and the phase-out of hazardous substances contained in electrical and electronic products is required.
• The improvement of transparency with respect to information on hazardous substances used in electrical and electronic products for all stakeholders involved in the life-cycle, including consumers, workers, and in communities around manufacturing and disposal sites is necessary.
• It is important to equally protect consumer, worker and community health throughout the life-cycle of electrical and electronic products.
• The urgent need to reverse the disproportionate burdening faced by developing countries during the more damaging phases of the life-cycle of electrical and electronic products, including manufacture, trade, waste handling and management, is recognized.
• The export of hazardous electrical and electronic waste from developed to developing countries and countries with economies in transition need to be prevented; and export and import of near-end-of-life electrical and electronic products should be controlled.
• The development and implementation of effective policy and regulatory frameworks and techniques for the safe and environmentally sound management of electrical and electronic waste, and for the remediation of contaminated sites should be encouraged.
• The development and implementation of best practices and capacity for safe and environmentally sound recycling, including those fractions that are currently not recycled or for which capacity is inadequate, is needed.
• The different needs of certain regions, e.g. Small Islands Developing States, should be taken into account.
• Countries should ratify the Stockholm Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, the Basel Convention, the Basel Ban Amendment, ILO conventions and other relevant instruments and transpose these into national laws and implement them.
Key messages of the International Workshop on Hazardous Substances within the Life-cycle of Electrical and Electronic Products
At this workshop a series of recommendations on upstream, midstream and downstream issues have been developed. The participants of this workshop recognized the following:
From left to right: Mr. Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention and Co-Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention; Mr. Ibrahim Shafii, Chief, Programme Support Unit, Secretariat of the Basel Convention; Mr. Oladele Osibanjo, Director, BCCC-Nigeria.
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
10
On 16 and 24 August 2011, national workshops were organised in
Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina respectively, to
disseminate among national authorities the results of the project
entitled “Minimization and environmentally sound management
of mercury containing waste in Latin America and the Caribbean
in the context of the implementation of the Basel Convention”.
The meeting provided the opportunity to present the national
plans for ESM and minimization of mercury wastes developed in
Argentina and Uruguay. The experience gained under the project in
developing national plans has been compiled in a training manual
for the preparation of ESM plans for mercury waste aimed at
policy makers and governmental officers. The manual also includes
recommendations on low cost options for the storage of mercury
waste from the chlor-alkali industry. In the context of this project,
Argentina also developed an inventory of mercury wastes for the
industrial sector, with Uruguay developing a similar inventory for
both the industrial and health sectors.
The project was funded by USEPA and the governments of Norway
and Spain through the Basel Convention Technical Cooperation
Trust Fund. It was implemented by the Basel Convention
Coordinating Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for Latin
America and Caribbean Region (BCCC-Uruguay), in cooperation
with the Ministry of Environment of Uruguay (DINAMA) and the
Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology
Transfer for the South American Region (BCRC–Argentina).
Implementation of the project is ongoing in Costa Rica in
cooperation with the Ministry of Health and will be finalized by
the end of 2011.
For further information, please contact Ms. Gabriela Medina
gabriela.medina@dinama.gub.uy at BCCC-Uruguay and
Ms. Francesca Cenni, Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel
Convention, email: francesca.cenni@unep.org
Compliance and National ReportingUpdate on the work of the Implementation and Compliance Committee
The eighth session of the Committee for Administering the
Mechanism for Promoting the Implementation and Compliance of
the Basel Convention (the “Committee”) took place from 21 to 23
March 2011 in Geneva. The Committee completed consideration of
its 2009-2011 programme of work, which includes consideration
of specific submissions regarding individual Party implementation
and compliance, as well as the review of several general issues of
implementation and compliance.
Specific submissions
The Committee gave priority to dealing with specific submissions.
The Committee had before it, and for the first time since its
establishment, 10 specific submissions: one submission from
Oman, and nine submissions from the Secretariat focusing on
Parties that have never submitted a national report (Bhutan, Cape
Verde, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Nicaragua, Swaziland and Togo).
Linked to the issue of the specific submissions, the Committee
considered how to address existing shortcomings and limitations
in relation to the lack of specific submissions to the Committee. The
Committee agreed to recommend that COP 10 extend the scope of
the Secretariat trigger. The Committee also agreed to recommend
that the COP confer a triggering role to the Committee. The
Committee is also seeking from the COP 10 the authorization to
direct the use of contributions to the implementation fund to assist
individual Parties concerned by a specific submission in the event
that facilitative measures appear to not be sufficient to resolve the
compliance matter.
General review
The Committee agreed on recommendations pertaining to several
general issues of implementation and compliance. On illegal traffic,
the Committee agreed to recommend that the COP 10 establish a
partnership on preventing and combating illegal traffic with a focus
on capacity building (development of tools, training materials,
hosting workshops and information exchange). The Committee
also considered several national reporting issues, including the
development of a benchmark national report.
MercuryMinimization and environmentally sound management of mercury-containing waste in Uruguay and Argentina
11
For the report of the meeting, please visit: http://www.basel.int/legalmatters/compcommitee/reports/cc08_25e.pdf
For further information, please contact Ms. Juliette Voinov Kohler,
Policy and Legal Advisor, Secretariat of the Basel Convention,
e-mail: juliette.kohler@unep.org
National Reporting and Inventory Workshops
The Secretariat of the Basel Convention, organized two National
Reporting and Inventory Workshops in 2011: one with the
Africa Institute for the Environmentally Sound Management of
Hazardous and Other Wastes (the “Africa Institute” ) in Pretoria,
South Africa and the other with BCRC-Slovakia in Bratislava,
Slovakia.
Both workshops covered different topics related to the area of
national reporting under Article 13 of the Basel Convention. The
Participants of the National Reporting and Inventory Workshop, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Participants of the eighth session of the Implementation and Compliance Committee.
events included presentations, discussions and group exercises
on waste definition and classification, national inventory and
national reporting from the Secretariat viewpoint, as well as from
the national level perspective.
The workshop held in Pretoria from 24 to 26 May 2011, was
dedicated mainly to English and French-speaking African Parties
to the Convention. Representatives of twenty different African
countries took part in the event. The main outcome of this
workshop was a list of actions in the areas of legislation, national
inventories, system development and implementation, and the
role of customs and enforcement agencies. Participants, together
with experts, discussed the actions needed and identified the
potential actors for each of them.
The workshop held in Bratislava, from 27 to 28 June 2011, was
dedicated to Central and Eastern European countries (CEE), which
included both members and non-members of the European Union.
Thirty two representatives of various CEE countries attended the
event. Besides the presentations from the experts, each country
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
12
was invited to give a short presentation about the implementation
of the Basel Convention at the national level. In the second day of
the event, there were group discussions on issues in the areas of
waste classification and definition, national inventory and customs
and enforcement officers. Similar to the workshop in Pretoria,
participants and experts identified the actions needed and the
potential actors for each of them.
These events served as opportunities for the Parties in both regions
to share experiences and to learn with each other in the covered
thematic areas.
The European Commission and SBC funded the workshop in South
Africa and the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange
instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) funded the
workshop in Bratislava.
The Secretariat is now working on the organization of two other
regional workshops on national reporting covering countries from
the Latin America and Caribbean as well as the Asia and Pacific
regions.
For further information, please contact: Ms. Carla Valle-Klann,
Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail:
carla.valle@unep.org
EnforcementRegional Training Workshop on Implementation and Enforcement of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago developed an integrated legal framework
to transpose into national legislation the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm Conventions, leading by example in the synergy process
at the national level.
“There has been a move to promote cooperation and collaboration between these three conventions which deal in substance with hazardous waste and hazardous chemicals. This project workshop activity is certainly intended to contribute to that overall goal.”
(Dr. Joth Singh – Managing Director/CEO, Environmental
Management Authority, Trinidad and Tobago)
From 12 to 13 July 2011, representatives from twelve Small Island
Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean region gathered in
Trinidad and Tobago for a regional workshop aimed at strengthening
the legislative, regulatory and enforcement capacity of Trinidad and
Tobago and other SIDS in the Caribbean region. The workshop
provided the opportunity to share the experience of Trinidad
and Tobago in the development of national legislation intended
to implement the three conventions and build a harmonized
legal framework for the control of transboundary movements
Participants of the National Reporting and Inventory Workshop in Pretoria, South Africa.
13
of hazardous chemicals and wastes at the national level. This
experience was shared among conventions focal points, competent
authorities and enforcement officers, including customs officers and
legal officers of the region. The regional workshop closed a project
carried out with close collaboration between the Environmental
Management Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, SBC and the Basel
Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for
the Caribbean region (BCRC-Trinidad and Tobago). The project was
funded by the Quick Start Programme Trust Fund of SAICM.
The topics of the workshop included the use of tools for the
development of legal frameworks implementing the three
conventions, a draft tool to conduct a gaps and needs analysis for
the coordinated implementation of the three conventions, customs
training in the framework of the Green Customs Initiative, national
reporting obligations and guidance for prosecutors under the Basel
Convention.
For more information on this project, please contact Ms. Susan
Wingfield, Programme officer, e-mail: susan.wingfield@unep.org (technical assistance) or Ms. Francesca Cenni, Programme Officer,
email: francesca.cenni@unep.org (enforcement projects), Secretariat
of the Basel Convention.
Instruction manual for the legal profession on the prosecution of illegal trafficThe small expert group convened under the Chairmanship
of Mrs. Christine Akello (Uganda) has completed its work
and is submitting to the COP 10 a draft instruction manual
for the legal profession on the prosecution of illegal traffic.
(http://www.basel.int/meetings/frsetmain.php).
For further information, please contact Ms. Juliette Voinov
Kohler (juliette.kohler@unep.org)
Cooperation on enforcement and illegal traffic
Cooperation with organizations active in preventing and combating
illegal traffic has continued, with different levels of involvement
ranging from information sharing to the development of tools and
the delivery of training activities.
The Secretariat of the Basel Convention made contributions
during several meetings organized by its partners:
• Symposium for judges and prosecutors on tackling illegal
trade in ozone depleting substances organized by UNEP
(9 -10 June 2011, Paris, France) (http://www.unep.org/ozonaction/News/Features/2011/UNEPinvolvesjudgesandprosecutors/tabid/56120/Default.aspx);
• 30th session of the Enforcement Committee of the World
Customs Organization (WCO) (21-25 March 2011, Brussels,
Belgium);
• Meeting of the Waste Shipment Compliance and Enforcement
Platform (8 May 2011, Brussels, Belgium);
• 2011 Annual meeting of the European Network for the
Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law
Transfrontier Shipment (IMPEL TFS) (5-7 April 2011, Kassel,
Germany) (http://impel.eu/news/impel-tfs-conference);
• International Network on Environmental Compliance
and Enforcement (INECE) 9th international conference
(20-24 June 2011, in British Columbia, Canada) (http://inece.org/conference/9/); and
• Informal meeting of the INECE Seaport Environmental Security
Network (SESN) (18 May 2011, Brussels, Belgium).
Training activities for customs, jointly delivered with the
secretariats of the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions,
took place in the framework of the Green Customs Initiative
(www.greencustoms.org/workshops) and in the following
countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Fiji,
Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Maldives,
Mongolia, Niger, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab
Republic, Turkmenistan and United Arab Emirates.
The development of the training tool for customs on hazardous
chemicals and wastes, jointly elaborated with the secretariats
of the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and the WCO, is
now well under way, with completion expected by mid-2012. In
addition, the three secretariats are cooperating with INTERPOL
towards the development of an e-learning tool for police.
For further information, please contact Ms. Juliette Voinov Kohler,
Policy and Legal Advisor, Secretariat of the Basel Convention,
e-mail: juliette.kohler@unep.org
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
14
Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention
The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 5) to
the Stockholm Convention was held from 25 to 29 April 2011
in Geneva, Switzerland. It’s theme, Stockholm at 10: Chemical Challenges, Sustainable Solutions, marked the 10th anniversary of
the adoption of the Convention.
Under the presidency of Mr. Karel Blaha (Czech Republic), the
Parties agreed on 29 decisions to promote global action against
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Most notably, the Conference
decided to add endosulfan to the list of POPs to be eliminated
worldwide by including it in Annex A to the Convention, with
specific exemptions. This action puts the widely-used pesticide on
course for elimination from the global market by 2012.
Related to the work of the Basel Convention, the Parties requested
the Basel Convention to establish the low POPs content for the
chemicals newly listed under the Stockholm Convention1, to
determine environmentally sound disposal methods for those
substances and to update, if needed, the general technical
guidelines for the environmentally sound management of POPs
wastes. The Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention is to
consider the involvement of experts of the Stockholm Convention
in this work.
1 Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane, beta hexachlorocyclohexane, chlordecone, endosulfan, hexabromobiphenyl, hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, lindane, pentabromodiphenyl ether and tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentachlorobenzene and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride
SynergiesJoint meeting of the Bureaux of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
The Bureaux of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam
and Stockholm conventions met jointly on 26 March 2011
in Geneva, Switzerland.
An update on the UNEP consultative process on financing options
for chemicals and wastes was presented. Information regarding
this initiative could be accessed at http://www.unep.org/dec/Chemical_Financing/index.asp
The Secretariat informed the Bureaux on progress made on the
implementation of the omnibus and synergies decisions. The issues
on the substantive items relating to the omnibus and synergy
decisions on joint activities, joint managerial functions, joint
services, synchronization of budget cycles, joint audits and review
arrangements were presented in detail by the three secretariats
followed by discussion of the Bureaux. The meeting was informed
that the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm conventions needed to take substantively identical
decisions in this round of meetings in order to put in place several
arrangements for the next phase of the synergies process.
The Bureaux members emphasized the importance of the Parties
developing decisions at the meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Stockholm Convention that are acceptable to the
meetings of the Rotterdam and Basel conferences of the Parties,
in order to avoid that the decisions need to be sent back to the
next round of Conferences of the Parties in 2013.
The Bureaux recommended that taking into account the legal
autonomy of each Convention to set up its agenda for the
meeting of the Conference of the Parties, synergies should be
treated in a consistent manner at the three meetings of the
conferences of the Parties.
The report of the joint meeting of the Bureaux is available at
h t tp : / /www.base l . in t / synerg ies /documents / forCOPs/JointBureauMtg201103report.pdf
For more information, please contact: Mr. Nelson Sabogal, Chief,
Convention Services and Governance Unit, Secretariat of the Basel
Convention, e-mail: nelson.sabogal@unep.org
Delegates using their laptops at the first paperless meeting of SC COP 5.
15
Furthermore, COP 5 adopted a decision on synergies, approving
joint activities, terms of reference for the review arrangements and
holding simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences
of the Parties in 2013. A substantively identical decision has
been adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam
Convention in June 2011. The Conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention will have to adopt a substantively identical decision in
order for the decisions to come into effect.
The full report of the meeting is available at the Stockholm
Convention website www.pops.int.
For further information, please contact Mr. David Ogden,
Coordinator, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, e-mail:
dogden@pops.int
Fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention
With over 500 participants and some 107 Party States
represented, the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(COP 5) to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed
Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade took place from 20 to 24 June
2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Conference agreed by consensus to add three pesticides;
alachlor, aldicarb and endosulfan to Annex III of the Convention.
From left to right: Mr. Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions; Ms. Noluzuko Gwayi (South Africa), President of RC COP 5; Mr. David Ogden, Coordinator, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention.
Listing in Annex III triggers an exchange of information between
Parties and helps countries make informed decisions about future
import and use of the chemicals. Debate over the Chemical Review
Committee’s recommended listing of chrysotile asbestos drew
widespread public attention throughout a week of sometimes
tense negotiations between the Convention’s Parties. Agreement
to list the chemical eluded the Conference for the third time since
it was first recommended for listing in 2002.
Other decisions included a decision on information exchange in
which the Conference approved a strategic plan for establishing
procedures for the operation of the Rotterdam Convention
component of the joint clearing-house mechanism and decided
that all new phases of development of it are to be implemented as
part of the development of the joint clearing-house mechanism of
the 3 conventions. In that context, a new Convention website fully
harmonized with those of the Basel and Stockholm conventions
was officially launched during a side event, which took place in the
margins of the plenary discussions.
The Conference also adopted a technical assistance package that
will support developing countries and countries with economies in
transition to submit final regulatory actions on banning or severely
restricting hazardous chemicals and the identification of severely
hazardous pesticide formulations.
The decision taken by the Stockholm Convention to synergize the
structure and activities of the secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam
and Stockholm conventions was also endorsed and this decision
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
16
human, financial and technical resources, as well as to develop,
review and harmonize legal and institutional frameworks so as to
effectively implement the conventions. Participants pledged that
they would share the knowledge and expertise gained during the
workshop with their counterparts at the national level.
For more information on the workshop and related topics please
visit the convention websites at: www.basel.int; www.pic.int; and www.pops.int or contact Mr. Dadan Wardhana, Programme
Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail: dadan.wardhana@unep.org.
Regional Awareness-Raising Workshop on Enhancing Cooperation and Coordination for the Implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
The Regional Awareness-Raising Workshop on Enhancing
Cooperation and Coordination for the Implementation of the Basel,
Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions was held from 5 to 8 July
2011 in Dakar, Senegal, for French-speaking African countries. The
workshop was organized by SBC, together with the secretariats
of the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and the Basel
Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer
for French-speaking countries in Africa (BCRC-Senegal).
The workshop was attended by government representatives from
13 French-speaking countries in Africa, as well as the Global
Environment Facility, UNEP Regional Office for Africa and several
NGOs. Among the many topics discussed in the workshop,
participants shared their views on enhancing cooperation and
coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
conventions at the international and national levels; discussed the
challenges associated with the establishment of the appropriate
legal and institutional frameworks for the implementation of the
Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions; and learned about
opportunities for technical assistance and resource mobilization in
the field of chemicals and hazardous wastes.
For the workshop report and presentations please visit
the following webpage: http://chm.pops.int/Implementation/TechnicalAssistance/TrainingWorkshops/Africa/AfricaDakar2011/tabid/2237/mctl/ViewDetails/EventModID/1007/EventID/133/xmid/7271/language/en-US/Default.aspx
will now be considered by the Conference of the parties to the
Basel Convention in October 2011.
The full report of the meeting is available at the Rotterdam
Convention website www.pic.int.
For further information, please contact Mr. Michael Stanley-Jones,
Public Information Officer, Secretariats of the Stockholm and
Rotterdam Conventions, e-mail: mstanleyjones@pops.int
Pacific Regional Training Workshop on Joint Implementation of the Waigani, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
A regional training workshop on the joint implementation of
the Waigani, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions in
the Pacific region took place from 25 to 29 July 2011 in Suva,
Fiji. The event was co-organized by the secretariats of the Basel,
Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, in close collaboration
with the Secretariat of the South Pacific Regional Environmental
Programme (SPREP), which hosts a Basel Convention Regional
Centre. The workshop was attended by delegates from the
Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati,
the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, as well as observers
from Timor Leste, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and
local industry.
The purpose of the workshop was to share information and
experiences in relation to the requirements of the four conventions.
Emphasis was given to the identification of synergies at the
national and regional levels as a way to foster the implementation
of the common requirements under the conventions. In this
regard, a wide range of issues were addressed including the
notification (Prior Informed Consent) procedures under the
conventions, available techniques and best practices for ESM
of hazardous chemicals and wastes and considerations for the
development of national, legal and institutional frameworks. The
workshop programme included field trips to a lead-acid battery
recycling/manufacturing plant, a steel mill that uses waste oil and
the Port of Suva.
Many participants expressed the need for more specific training on
the obligations set out in the conventions and on access to funding
sources. Assistance was deemed required for the mobilization of
17
For more information, please contact Ms. Tatiana Terekhova,
Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail:
tatiana.terekhova@unep.org.
International CooperationCooperation activities with International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
In the past few months SBC has continued its engagement with
ITU in relation to several activities. Special focus in this issue of the
Bulletin is given to the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS), held from 16 to 20 May 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the framework of WSIS e-environment day on 18 May, the
Secretariat organized an event on “Avoiding e-waste: Moving to
environmentally sound life-cycle management of ICT equipment”.
The event featured a panel discussion which was moderated by
Ms. Katharina Kummer Peiry, Executive Secretary, SBC. Panelists
included representatives from the governments of Egypt and
Mexico, the World Bank and Telecom Italia.
The discussion revolved around issues such as the linkage between
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the
environment; a multi-stakeholder approach to the environmentally
sound life-cycle management of ICT equipment; the role of both
governments and the private and informal sectors; awareness-
raising activities; and the role of the ICT sector and its contribution
From left to right: Mr. Matthias Kern, SBC and Mr. Houlin Zhao, Deputy Secretary General, ITU during the opening of the exhibition at WSIS Forum. Photo credit: ITU
to addressing e-waste issues (for example, in the standardization
and optimization of ICT equipment).
As for follow-up activities, the panelists suggested intensifying
awareness-raising activities on e-waste for the general public and
specific groups of population (youth and the rural population, as
an example); encouraging standardization and optimization of ICT
equipment; initiating an e-waste awareness-raising campaign in
Geneva to bring together such stakeholders as permanent missions
to the United Nations, the International Labour Organization,
ITU, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health
Organization, World Meteorological Organization and SBC; and
encouraging cooperation between the ICT and environment sectors
at the national level to effectively deal with increased volumes of
end-of-life ICT equipment.
For more information, please contact Ms. Tatiana Terekhova,
Programme Officer, Secretariat of the Basel Convention, e-mail:
tatiana.terekhova@unep.org
Initiative for ODS and POPs Banks Destruction in Central America
The 1985 Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer
and its 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer, the Basel Convention and the Stockholm Convention
are all responding to the threats of hazardous manufactured
chemicals and wastes that deplete stratospheric ozone, lead to
climate change, poison humans, and/or adversely affect human
health and environment.
Recognizing the importance of cooperation and coordination, these
international agreements are supporting a project to strengthen
controls on the unwanted transboundary movements of hazardous
chemicals and wastes while streamlining and encouraging the
desirable transboundary movement of hazardous chemicals for
proper reuse or destruction. The project takes on the real world
challenge of collecting and destroying ozone-depleting substances
(ODS) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
The project is organized and managed by the Basel Convention
Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the
Central American Sub-region including Mexico (BCRC-El Salvador)
and has an expert international advisory committee (IAC) with the
assistance of several institutions and organizations.
Basel Convention Bulletin – September 2011
18
News from BCRCsBCRC-China
• Following many years of intensive negotiations, the Framework
Agreement for BCRC China between the Chinese Government
and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention was signed in May
2011.
BCCC-Nigeria
• The first African national training workshop in the framework
of the Basel Convention e-waste Africa project took place from
25 to 27 July 2011 in Tema, Ghana. Please see page 7 of this
Bulletin for more information.
BCRC-SEA
• The proceedings of the regional technical training workshop on
ESM of asbestos Wastes (collection, transportation, disposal,
health and safety aspects) is available at: http://bcrc-sea.org/index.php?content=publication&cat=4.
BCRC-Slovakia
• Funding is secured for the project entitled “Introduction on
environmentally sound management of waste from electrical
and electronic equipment” in Moldova mainly aimed at technical
support for the development of the environmental legislation in
Moldova and its harmonization with EU legal regulation.
BCRC-Trinidad & Tobago
• Dr. Ahmad Khan was appointed as the new Director of the
Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology
Transfer for the Caribbean Region. Dr. Khan will assume his
duties as the Director on 5 September 2011.
The strategy is to remove barriers and find economies of scale in cost
effective banking and destruction of unwanted ozone-depleting
greenhouse gases and persistent organic pollutants. The synergy is
that each treaty has unique scientific and technical perspective and
that joint projects can avoid duplication of efforts while utilizing
the provisions of whichever treaty is most appropriate. Joint action
brings experts together who may otherwise never have met and
cross-fertilizes and stimulates new solutions.
For further information, please contact: Mr. Nelson Sabogal, Chief,
Convention Services and Governance Unit, Secretariat of the Basel
Convention, e-mail: nelson.sabogal@unep.org
Cooperation with UNEP/OCHA
On 28 March 2011, the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit of
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs and the United Nations Environment Programme, and the
Secretariat of the Basel Convention signed a Letter of Agreement.
The agreement aims at strengthening their relationship to assist
developing country Parties or Parties with economies in transition in
cases of emergency and compensation for damage resulting from
incidents arising from transboundary movements of hazardous
and other wastes and their disposal. This Letter of Agreement
incorporates the Interim Guidelines on this issue adopted by the
sixth meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention
and provides for the preparation of arrangements to ensure the
immediate operability of an expert in an emergency situation.
For further information, please contact Ms. Juliette Voinov Kohler,
Policy and Legal Advisor, Secretariat of the Basel Convention,
e-mail: juliette.kohler@unep.org
Ms. Katharina Kummer Peiry, Executive Secretary, SBC and Mr. Vladimir Sakharov, Chief, Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, signing the Letter of Agreement.
19
Obituary: Susan Quinto
We are sad to inform you that our colleague, Ms. Susan Quinto, passed away on Thusday morning, 25 August 2011. She endured her serious illness with admirable strength of character and optimism.
Susan joined the Secretariat of the Basel Convention in 1997. We will miss Susan’s wonderful personality, her always positive attitude, and her willingness to assist others whenever needed.
The team of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
2020
Basel Convention Bulletin
Secretariat of the Basel ConventionUNEP/SBCInternational Environment House I13-15 Chemin des AnémonesCH-1219 ChâtelaineGeneva, Switzerland
Contact:Nalini BasavarajInformation Officer
Tel: + 41 22 917 8383 | Fax: + 41 22 797 3454E-mail: nalini.basavaraj@unep.org | www.basel.int
xxxxx xxxFor all Basel Convention publications and other information materials, please visit:
www.basel.intIf you wish to receive printed copies of the Basel Convention publications and other information materials,
please contact the Secretariat at the address given below.
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