A process for the review of Annexes I, III, IV and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention was initiated by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting.
During its twelfth meeting, the Conference of the Parties considered options for further steps towards the consistent interpretation of terminology, including possible voluntary and legally binding options, submitted by the small intersessional group working on legal clarity.
Following its consideration of the matter, the Conference of the Parties, in its decision BC-12/1, among other things:
- Decided to initiate a process for the review of Annexes I, III and IV and related aspects of Annex IX to the Basel Convention, taking as a basis the legally binding options identified in section II of annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52;
- Invited parties and others to submit to the Secretariat by 30 November 2015 their views on the options identified in section II.A and section II.B of annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52;
- Invited parties to inform the Secretariat by 30 November 2015 of their interest in taking the lead on the review of Annex IV and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention identified in section II.A of annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52;
- Invited the lead party, or in its absence requests the Secretariat subject to the availability of resources, to assess the views received from parties and others on options identified in section II.A of annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52 and to prepare recommendations thereon for the consideration of the Open-ended Working Group at its tenth meeting;
- Requested the Secretariat to compile the views received from parties and others in relation to the review of Annexes I, III and IV and related aspects in Annex IX to the Convention above and to submit them to the Open-ended Working Group at its tenth meeting.
Following the meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the Secretariat sent out a call for information. Views received from Parties and others pursuant to decision BC-12/1 are available in the table below.
During its tenth meeting, the Open-ended Working Group considered the views received from Parties and others on the review of Annexes I, III and IV and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention as well as a report on the review of Annex IV and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention. In its decision OEWG-10/8, the Open-ended Working Group, among other things:
- Welcomed with appreciation the offer of Canada to serve as lead country for the review of Annexes I, III, and IV of the Convention and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention until the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
- Invited Parties and others to provide to the Secretariat by 15 July 2016 further views on the options identified in section II of Annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52;
- Invited Canada to develop by 26 August 2016 a concept paper on the review of Annex IV to the Convention and related aspects of Annex IX to the Convention, as well as on the review of Annexes I and III to the Convention, taking into account the options identified in section II of Annex II to document UNEP/CHW.12/INF/52, the views submitted by Parties and others, the report on the review of annex IV and related aspects of Annex IX and the further views received by 15 July 2016;
- Invited Parties, with the support of the Basel Convention regional centres as appropriate, and others to submit to the Secretariat and Canada by 28 October 2016 their views on the concept paper and requests the Secretariat to compile those views and make them available on the website of the Convention; and
- Invited Canada to analyse the views received from Parties and others on the concept paper and to prepare, in consultation with the small intersessional working group on legal clarity, a report thereon for the consideration of the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth meeting.
On 26 August 2016, the concept paper by Canada was made available to Parties and others in the six languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) with an invitation to submit views by 28 October 2016. Four online sessions were organized mid-September 2016 for Canada to present its concept paper (please click here for the presentation of the concept paper made by Canada during these sessions).