Work Programme (2012-2013)

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties adopted the following work Programme of the Committee for Administering the Mechanism for Promoting Implementation and Compliance for the biennium 2012-2013 (annex to decision BC-10/11).

I. Review of general issues of compliance and implementation under the Convention

Objective Activity

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 (Requests the Committee to prepare a first draft of terms of reference for cooperative arrangements on preventing and combating illegal traffic to bring together and improve cooperation and coordination between relevant entities with a specific mandate to deliver capacity-building activities on preventing and combating illegal traffic, such as the World Customs Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, individual parties, the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres, networks and the Secretariat, with a focus on the development of tools and training materials, the hosting of workshops and information exchange) and 5 (Requests the Committee, in the context of its 2012–2013 programme of work, to prepare, in cooperation with relevant entities and for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting, a draft decision including detailed draft terms of reference for the cooperative arrangements, taking into account the comments received 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.

 

II. Specific submissions regarding party implementation and compliance

1. The Committee shall accord priority to dealing with specific submissions regarding party implementation and compliance received or initiated in accordance with paragraph 9 of the terms of reference.

2. In line with the authorization from the Conference of the Parties, the Committee may recommend use of the implementation fund, subject to the availability of resources, to assist parties in the context of the facilitation procedure established under paragraph 20 of the Committee's terms of reference.

3. In relation to the implementation fund, the Committee shall allocate the available resources from the implementation fund in the period between the tenth and eleventh meetings of the Conference of the Parties to assist parties in the context of the facilitation procedure set out in paragraphs 19 and 20 of the terms of reference of the Mechanism for Promoting Implementation and Compliance of the Basel Convention to fund activities listed in the compliance action plans approved by the Committee. In addition, the Committee shall review the directions set out in paragraph 9 of the present decision and make recommendations for revised directions, as appropriate, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting.

4. In relation to the amendment of paragraph 9 (c) of the terms of reference, the Committee shall provide to the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting a report on its evaluation of the effectiveness of the amendment mentioned in paragraph 13 of the present decision, including recommendations.