Outcome of COP 10

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties adopted decision BC-10/3 on the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention.

This decision was composed of seven sections addressing: 

  1. Entry into force of the Ban Amendment
  2. Developing guidelines for environmentally sound management
  3. Providing further legal clarity
  4. Further strengthening the Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres
  5. Combating illegal traffic more effectively
  6. Assisting developing countries that are facing specific challenges with regard to prohibiting the import of hazardous wastes; and 
  7. Building capacity.

A diverse range of actions is being undertaken by Parties and Signatories; Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres; the Secretariat and other stakeholders to implement the various elements of this decision.

Recent Communications and Requests for Information: 

  1. Request for information from Parties and other Stakeholders on environmentally sound management; 
  2. Questionnaire on providing further legal clarity:
    1. Download the questionnaire for Parties in English, French and Spanish
    2. Download the questionnaire for other stakeholders

 

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

Further strengthening the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres

The Conference of the Parties,

Recognizing that the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres play an important role in training, technical assistance and awareness-raising and that this role should be strengthened,

Noting that many of the proposals included in the recommendations of the country-led initiative ultimately involve initiatives that are best taken at the regional and subregional levels and that the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres are ideally placed to take them forward,

Hence identifying the need to expedite the ongoing review and strengthening of the operation of the centres, 

Requests parties to integrate the following activities into the plan for the development of the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres for the implementation of the Basel Convention:

  1. Convene regional meetings to inform parties about and assist them in ratifying the Ban Amendment or national measures to prohibit imports;
  2. Disseminate guidance on environmentally sound management through their training, assistance and awareness-raising activities;
  3. Develop a programme and deploy activities to bring actors together, to provide training and to coordinate joint actions to combat illegal traffic, with the support of the Secretariat and other stakeholders as appropriate;
  4. Consult parties within their regions and identify the real needs of vulnerable countries and the difficulties that they face in relation to unwanted imports of hazardous wastes;
  5. Take action to secure political and public engagement with the work of the Convention;
  6. Seek further collaboration with other agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector;
  7. Seek out and mobilize relevant expertise in other relevant international and regional organizations.