Assisting developing countries that are facing specific challenges with regard to prohibiting the import of hazardous wastes

Decision BC-10/3: Section F (extract)

National legislative and other measures

Decision BC-10/3 requests, among other things:

  1. Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres to consult with Parties within their regions to identify the needs of such developing countries and the difficulties they face with regard to prohibiting the import of hazardous wastes; and to make this information available to the Secretariat for dissemination to Parties;
  2. The Secretariat to facilitate and encourage greater use of the model national legislation for the development or revision of national legislative and other measures for the prohibition of imports of hazardous wastes.

National lists of prohibited wastes

Decision BC-10/3 also encourages Parties to develop and update national lists of prohibited hazardous wastes, to transmit them to the Secretariat and to cooperate with one another in the development of such lists.

The Secretariat is requested to continue to adopt a proactive approach to collect information under Article 4(1) and Article 13(2) of the Convention, especially the lists of prohibited wastes and to disseminate such lists electronically at six-month intervals.

The lists of prohibited wastes have been made available and at six month intervals updated since in April 2012. Parties are invited to transmit their lists of prohibited wastes to the Secretariat, using the standardized reporting format for transmitting information under paragraphs 1(a) and (b) of Article 4 and paragraphs 2 (c) and (d) of Article 13 of the Convention or the national reporting revised questionnaire on transmission of information.

The Secretariat maintains a database of notifications transmitted to it by Parties on their national definitions of hazardous wastes and on import/export restrictions, which also includes information on national lists of prohibited hazardous wastes.

Trade and environment

Decision BC-10/3 requests the Secretariat to assist Parties towards a better understanding of the relationship between trade and the environment as relating to the transboundary movements of wastes.

 

BC-10/3: Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention

F. Assisting developing countries that are facing specific challenges with regard to prohibiting the import of hazardous wastes

The Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing that parties have the right to prohibit the import of hazardous wastes or other wastes and to define additional wastes as hazardous in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 1 of Article 4 and paragraph 2 of Article 13 of the Basel Convention,

Noting that there remain obstacles to the full use of these provisions by parties that wish to be protected by them,

  1. Requests Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres to consult parties within their regions and to identify the needs of such developing countries and the difficulties that they face and to make this information available to the Secretariat for dissemination to parties;
  2. Requests the Secretariat to facilitate and encourage greater use of the Basel Convention model legislation for the development or revision of national legislative and other measures for the prohibition of imports of hazardous wastes and further encourages parties to make use of this model legislation;
  3. Requests the Secretariat to develop and disseminate material for use through the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres for the purpose of raising awareness of these provisions in their regions;
  4. Encourages parties to develop and update national lists of prohibited hazardous wastes and to transmit them to the Secretariat in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention and to cooperate with one another in the development of such lists;
  5. Encourages the Secretariat to continue to adopt a proactive approach with regard to the collection of the information required under paragraph 1 of Article 4 and paragraph 2 of Article 13, especially the lists of prohibited wastes, and to disseminate such lists electronically to parties at six‑month intervals;
  6. Requests the Secretariat to assist parties to develop national legislation and other measures to protect themselves from unwanted imports of wastes;
  7. Requests the Secretariat to assist parties towards a better understanding of the relationship between trade and the environment as relating to the transboundary movements of wastes.