Online from 05 to 09 October 2020 (part I) and from 01 to 03 February 2021
Highlights of the fourth meeting of the EWG on RA: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Switzerland as well as globally, it was not feasible to organize the fourth meeting of the expert working group on the review of Annexes to the Basel Convention as initially planned as a face-to-face meeting in Geneva, from 5 to 9 October 2020. Initial sessions of the meeting therefore took place online, from 5 to 9 October 2020, and will be complemented by supplementary sessions scheduled from 01- to 03 February 2021 as well as subsequent online or face to face sessions as needed.
5 to 9 October 2020 sessions
During its 5 to 9 October 2020 sessions, the expert working group focused its deliberations on matters that need to be finalized by the end of 2020, namely in relation to possible amendment proposals to Annex IV and the two e-waste entries in Annex VIII (entry A1180) and IX (entry B1110), while postponing to later sessions the review of Annexes I and III, including the work in relation to plastics. Accordingly, the EWG focused its October 2020 sessions on revising its 15 January 2020 recommendations on the review of Annexes for possible amendment proposals to Annex IV and to entries A1180 and B1110 in Annexes VIII and IX to the Basel Convention, and findings on the consequential implications of the review of Annex IV to the Convention in light of comment thereon received by Parties and observers by 15 April 2020 and in the context of the online segment of the twelfth meeting of the Open-ended working group.
As reflected in the meeting report of the 5-9 October 2020 sessions of its fourth meeting, available in the table below, the EWG did not consider sections I to III of the introduction to its 15 January 2020 recommendations and findings, nor did it consider the first six paragraphs of Appendix I thereof. Accordingly, revisions were only brought to the general introduction of Annex IV, the captions and introductory texts for both parts of Annex IV, the existing operations and the new proposed operations for Annex IV, and the e-waste entries A1180 ad B1110.
The holding of further sessions (timing and format) was also considered by the EWG during its October meeting taking into account the evolution of the pandemic, and the co-chairs were entrusted to make a proposal to the EWG for such sessions.
1 to 3 February 2021 sessions
The EWG will meet for resumed online sessions from 1 to 3 February 2021 to continue with its work on the review of Annex IV and the e-waste entries A 1180 and B1110. The EWG is expected to have an exchange of views on amendment proposals received from the European Union and from Ghana and Switzerland, and to finalize consideration of its recommendations on the review of Annexes for possible amendment proposals to Annex IV and to entries A1180 and B1110 in Annexes VIII and IX to the Basel Convention, and findings on the consequential implications of the review of Annex IV to the Convention. The EWG is also expected to consider dates for resuming its work prior to the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties with a view to progressing its work on the review of Annexes I and III.
Organizer: The October 2020 and February 2021 sessions of the fourth meeting of the EWG were organized by the Secretariat.
Working language: English