Development of Technical Guidelines on e-waste

The technical guidelines on transboundary movements of electrical and electronic waste and used electrical and electronic equipment, in particular regarding the distinction between waste and non waste under the Basel Convention, was adopted, on an interim basis, at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties by decision BC-12/5. 

The Conference of the Parties also invited parties and others to use the technical guidelines and to submit, not later than two months before the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, through the Secretariat, comments on their experience in so doing, and to provide comments on the issues mentioned in paragraph 5 of decision BC-12/5, to the Secretariat five months before the opening of the tenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group for consideration at its meeting.

Comments received from Parties and others on the issues mentioned in paragraph 5 of decision BC-12/5 are listed in a table below. 

Information transmitted by Parties on any conditions applicable in relation to used equipment that should normally be considered waste or non-waste (paragraph 8 of decision BC-12/5) is available here.

At its tenth meeting, the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) recognized the need to collect more information on the experiences of Parties in the implementation of the technical guidelines. In this regard, the OEWG in its decision OEWG-10/5, requested the Secretariat to send out a questionnaire, to be developed in consultation with the small intersessional working group, to Parties and others by 29 July 2016, in order to gather information on their experiences in the implementation of the technical guidelines.

Following the OEWG request, the Secretariat has developed, in consultation with the small intersessional working group on e-waste, an online questionnaire, which should be responded by15 January 2017. 

All Focal Points to the Basel Convention were informed about the access to the online questionnaire.

Stakeholders, other than parties, are invited to use the following link to provide answers to the online questionnaire: Questionnaire on the experiences of parties and others in the implementation of the Technical guidelines on transboundary movements of electronic and electrical waste and used electrical and electronic equipment, in particular regarding the distinction between waste and non-waste under the Basel Convention.

Members of the Intersessional Working Group for the Development of Technical Guidelines on E-Wastes (as of 15 January 2015)

Summary record of the physical meeting of the small intersessional working group (SIWG) on E-waste, 19 and 20 January 2015, Konstanz, Germany

By Decicion BC-11/4, Paragraph 5, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention has requested the lead country, if one is selected, or the Secretariat, if one is not, in consultation with the small intersessional working group, to prepare draft revised technical guidelines, taking into account the submissions by Parties and others received by the Secretariat to date and the discussions at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties, for publication on the Convention website by 30 November 2013. As there has no country been willing to take lead, the Secretariat with a consultant’s support has proceeded to revise the abovementioned draft Technical Guidelines as identified as the 23 December 2013 version and presented with the link below.

23 December 2013 Version is published pursuant to paragraph 5 of Decision BC-11/4.

The Secretariat would like to thank Canada, European Union, Japan, Norway, Republic of Central Africa, South Korea and DITTA (Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT and Radiation Therapy Trade Association) for their submission of information related to Paragraph 26(b) of the draft Technical Guidelines as also published on this webpage.

The Secretariat would also remind Parties and others, as requested by the BC-COP-11 by Decision BC-11/4, Paragrpah 6, to submit comments on the draft revised technical guidelines, in particular on the issues referred to in paragraph 26 (b) of the above-mentioned draft technical guidelines to the Secretariat, by 28 February 2014.

The Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, by its decision BC 11/4 on Technical guidelines on transboundary movements of electronic and electrical waste and used electrical and electronic equipment, in particular regarding the distinction between waste and non-waste under the Basel Convention, invited parties and others to submit information, examples of current practices and considerations on the issues referred to in paragraph 26 (b) of the draft technical guidelines9 and their implications to the Secretariat, by 15 September 2013.

By the end of September 2013, the Secretariat has received information from the following parties and other stakeholder:

22 December 2012 Version

22 December 2012 Version is published pursuant to paragraph 7 of Decision OEWG-8/4.

Parties and other stakeholders are invited to provide comments on the abovementioned draft document by 28.02.2013. All comments will be made available on this webpage (Paragraph 8 of Decision OEWG-8/4).

September 2012 version is identified as UNEP/CHW/OEWG.8/INF/9/Rev.1

Additional information requested under Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the approved draft Decision OEWG-8/[...]: Technical Guidelines on Transboundary Movements of Electronic and Electrical Waste (E Waste), in particular regarding the distinction between waste and non-waste

Download the May 2012 version 

Comments received from Parties and Others.

Download the Feburary 2011 version

Comments received from Parties and Others 

Download the September 2010 version

Comments received from Parties and Others 

Terms of reference (May 2010)

Download the Draft Table of Contents

Comments received from Parties and Others.