Work Programme (2012-2013)     

1. National reporting

Improve timely and complete national reporting under paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the Convention

(a)  Classify and publish parties' individual compliance performance with regard to the annual national reporting obligations for 2009‑2011, based on the criteria, categories and targets approved by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting;

(b)  Update the DVD entitled "Training tool for improving national reporting by parties to the Basel Convention" by adding the benchmark report, in the six official languages of the United Nations, and produce additional copies of the tool;

(c)  Develop guidance on the development of inventories;

(d)  Develop further electronic tools to improve national reporting, such as web‑based seminars and online training courses;

(e)  Guide and review the Secretariat's training activities on improving national reporting, their potential impact on the improvement in national reporting by parties, and lessons learned from training activities for the updating of existing or the development of new tools;

(f)  Establish a dialogue with other multilateral environmental agreement compliance bodies dealing with national reporting issues.

2. National legislation

Improve implementation of and compliance with paragraph 4 of Article 4 and paragraph 5 of Article 9 of the Convention

Identify parties' needs for assistance, assess the adequacy of existing tools and training activities to meet those needs and develop a legal capacity‑building strategy under the Convention to improve the implementation of and compliance with paragraph 4 of Article 4 and paragraph 5 of Article 9 of the Convention.

3. Illegal traffic

Prevent and combat illegal traffic

(a)  Undertake the activities mentioned in paragraphs 3 and 5 of the present decision pertaining to the development of draft terms of reference for the cooperative arrangements on preventing and combating illegal traffic;

(b)  Review parties' implementation of and compliance with the take-back provision set forth in paragraph 2 of Article 9 of the Convention, including the difficulties faced by parties, and develop a guidance document based on best practices and suggesting a harmonized approach to the implementation of this provision;

(c)  Guide and review the Secretariat's development of tools and training activities for Customs and other enforcement officials.

4. Insurance, bond, guarantee

Improve the implementation of and compliance with paragraph 11 of Article 6 of the Convention

Develop guidance on how to implement paragraph 11 of Article 6 of the Convention.

5. Control system

Improve the implementation of and compliance with Article 6 of the Convention

(a) Update the guide to the control system adopted in 1998, taking into account the current difficulties faced by countries in implementing the control system;

(b) Develop an interactive tool on the Convention website to make available to all parties the information needed to complete the forms for the notification and movement documents and other relevant associated information.