Activities 2024-2025

The activities undertaken by the Expert Working Group on the review of Annexes during the biennium 2024-2025 are based on mandates set out in decision BC-16/15.

By its decision BC-16/15 the Conference of the Parties, among other things:

1. Welcomes the progress made by the expert working group on the review of Annexes I, III and IV in the review of Annexes I and III and takes note of the draft recommendations and findings developed by the group;
2. Requests the expert working group:
   1. To consider the proposals by the European Union to amend Annex IV and certain entries in Annexes II and IX to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal and the recommendations and findings of the expert working group, taking into account decision BC-15/19, the discussions at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the discussions at the thirteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and the discussions at the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, and develop revised amendment proposals on Annex IV for consideration by the Open-ended Working Group at its fourteenth meeting;
   2. To continue to develop draft recommendations on the review of Annexes I and III, taking into account the discussions at the thirteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group, the discussions at the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the written general comments submitted at that meeting, for consideration by the Open-ended Working Group at its fourteenth meeting;
3. Decides to consider at its seventeenth meeting the revised amendment proposals for Annex IV and the draft recommendations on the review of Annexes I and III, taking into account the outcome of the fourteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and any further developments from the expert working group after the fourteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group.

The expert working group convened the first part of its sixth meeting in Geneva on 28 November-1 December 2023. In follow up to this meeting, in a 23 January 2024 letter, the Secretariat made available to Parties and observers the outcomes of the expert working group meeting:

1. Revised amendment proposals on section A of Annex IV to the Convention
2. Revised version of the recommendations on section B of Annex IV (status 2 December 2023)
3. Draft recommendations on the review of Annex I (status 2 December 2023)
4. Draft recommendations on the review of Annex III (status 2 December 2023)

with an invitation to provide comments by 11 March 2024.