At its seventeenth meeting, held from 28 April to 9 May 2025 in Geneva, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention adopted decision BC-17/11 on the further consideration of plastic waste.
Through decision BC-17/11, the Conference of the Parties invited Parties and others to provide comments on the amendments to Annexes II, VIII and IX to the Basel Convention adopted in decision BC-14/12 (the plastic waste amendments), particularly regarding their implementation, challenges and impacts. The Secretariat compiled the information received and submitted it to the Open-ended Working Group for consideration at its fifteenth meeting (UNEP/CHW/OEWG.15/INF/19/Rev.1).
The fifteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group, held from 23 to 26 June 2026 in Geneva, considered the information received and possible further activities that could be conducted under the Basel Convention. In decision OEWG-15/11, the Open-ended Working Group took note of the comments submitted on the implementation, challenges and impacts of the plastic waste amendments and requested the Secretariat to undertake additional work for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighteenth meeting.
Work to be undertaken following COP-17 and OEWG-15
The Secretariat is undertaking two complementary activities pursuant to decisions BC-17/11 and OEWG-15/11:
1. Draft report on the further consideration of plastic waste
Pursuant to paragraph 3 of decision BC-17/11, the Secretariat is preparing, subject to the availability of resources, a draft report for submission to the Conference of the Parties at its eighteenth meeting, taking into account the outcome of the consideration of the matter by the Open-ended Working Group. The draft report will be made available on the Convention website by 31 October 2026.
Once the draft report is made available, Parties and others will be invited to provide comments by 18 January 2027. The Secretariat will compile the comments received and submit the compilation, together with the draft report, to the Conference of the Parties for consideration at its eighteenth meeting. A further invitation to comment will be issued following publication of the draft report by 31 October 2026.
2. Compilation of existing activities on hazardous and other plastic waste
In addition, through paragraph 2 of decision OEWG-15/11, the Open-ended Working Group requested the Secretariat to prepare a compilation of existing activities on hazardous and other plastic waste carried out in accordance with Article 4 of the Basel Convention, and to submit the compilation to the Conference of the Parties for consideration at its eighteenth meeting.
To support the preparation of this compilation, the Secretariat will undertake a targeted information-gathering exercise on existing activities relating to hazardous and other plastic waste carried out in accordance with Article 4 of the Convention. The information collected will be compiled and presented for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighteenth meeting.
Further information on this exercise, including the information to be requested, the format for submissions and the deadline for responses, will be made available on this page in due course.
Relevant documents, submissions and further invitations for information will also be made available on this page as the work progresses.