Further Resources

Procedures and Mechanisms on Implementation and Compliance with the Basel and Rotterdam Conventions
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The Basel Convention mechanism for promoting the implementation and compliance - Celebrating a decade of assistance to Parties 
Arabic: Download The Basel Convention mechanism for promoting the implementation and compliance - Celebrating a decade of assistance to Parties in Arabic - PDF French: Download The Basel Convention mechanism for promoting the implementation and compliance - Celebrating a decade of assistance to Parties in French - PDF
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The Basel Convention Mechanism for promoting implementation and compliance
English: Download The Basel Convention mechanism for promoting the implementation and compliance - Celebrating a decade of assistance to Parties in English - PDF

Membership

A fifteen member Committee administers the Mechanism for Promoting Implementation and Compliance. Committee members are nominated by the Parties, based on equitable geographical representation of the five regional groups of the United Nations, and elected by the Conference of the Parties. They are to serve objectively and in the best interest of the Convention. They shall have expertise relating to the subject matter of the Convention in areas including scientific, technical, socio-economic and/or legal fields. The Committee shall elect its officers – a Chair, three Vice-chairs and a Rapporteur – based on equitable geographical representation of the five regional groups of the United Nations. These officers serve as the Bureau of the Committee.

For more information on the composition and tenure of the Committee, please refer to paragraphs 3 to 8 of the terms of reference of the Committee.

Members and officers of the Committee:

Membership of the Committee since 2003

Ms. Ann De Jonghe

Ms Ann De Jonghe was elected a member of the Committee by the fifteenth meeting of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms De Jonghe works as an environmental policy expert for the "International policy unit" of the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM). OVAM is the Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders (Belgium). The government agency falls under the Flanders’ Minister of Environment and has, since 1981, developed Flanders’ policies on waste management, sustainable materials management, circular economy and the remediation and prevention of soil pollution. OVAM has put in place a range of economic, regulatory and awareness-raising instruments, always in close cooperation with partners and stakeholders. Ms De Jonghe is the Belgian national focal point of the Basel Convention and represents Belgium in the negotiations during the Open-Ended Working Group and the Basel COPs. At home she coordinates the national position on the Basel negotiations but also on the revision on the European Regulation on Waste Transports. While doing so, she works closely together with the other Regions in Belgium (Wallonia and the Brussels Region) and their administrations (customs, policy, judiciary, policy units on waste, …). Before working at OVAM, Ms De Jonghe worked as an expert in international labour law and followed the negotiations at the annual International Labour Conference in Geneva. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations.

Ms. Irina Talamoni

Ms. Irina Talamoni was elected member of the Committee by COP-16 in 2023. She has a wealth of experience in the field of hazardous wastes management and the implementation of the Convention. She is an Industrial Engineer, holding post graduate courses and specializations in the field of health and safety at work, environmental expert assessment, innovation engineering and integration of environment and energy systems. Her academic background is complemented by specific training courses in the field of toxicology, ecotoxicology, classification and management of chemical substances and wastes. She joined the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MESD) of Argentina in 2007 as technical officer in the Directorate of Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes, where she is responsible for, among others, ensuring compliance with national law of hazardous wastes, licensing of hazardous waste handlers in the country and the classification of wastes and related tasks. The MESD is the Competent Authority for the Convention. She participates in the drafting of national legislation related to hazardous wastes and hazardous chemicals, and framework regulations for disposal operations. Also, she is involved in domestic authorization processes of transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes and contributed to the national report under the Convention. She has long followed domestically the work of the Convention and is involved in the work on reviewing the Annexes, the Strategic framework, the PIC procedure and several technical guidelines. She is also engaged at national level in the application of Stockholm and Minamata Conventions from a waste management perspective and is a member of the Stockholm Convention POPRC until May 2024.

 

Ms. Tatiana Tugui

Ms. Tatiana Tugui was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention in 2019. She is an experienced environmental engineer holding a Diploma of Chemistry and Technologies Engineer and a PhD in Environmental Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. She has extensive experience in developing national policy and framework legislation on environment (i.e. elaboration of the Low Emission Strategy, Waste Strategy and Chemicals Program; drafting Waste Law, Chemicals Law, Manama ratification Law, as well as secondary legislations (WEEE, PRTR, packaging, waste shipment, PIC regulation, developing reporting environmental databases). Her excellent knowledge of environmental and climate issues comes from more than ten years at the Ministry of Environment (1995-2008). Since 2008, she is managing complex assignments with progressive responsibilities in project management, providing environmental planning and management, policy and program development to a wide variety of public authorities and private sector at national and international levels. She has experience in the implementation of MEAs into national legislation; particularly the National Profile on Chemical Management, the National Programme on Sound Management of Chemicals, National plan for the implementation of Rio Conventions, NIP for Stockholm Convention, Minamata Convention on Mercury, Pollutant Realizes and Emissions Transfer Protocol, etc. She also acts as Lead Reviewer and Waste expert under the UNFCCC (Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement), being involved in the review activities of the Greenhouse Gas Inventories and National Communication of Annex I Parties, reviewing Biannual Reports and Biannual Transparency Reports.

 

Mr. Sverre Thomas Jahre

Mr. Sverre Thomas Jahre was elected a member of the Committee by the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Jahre graduated as a lawyer from the University of Oslo in 2002 and began working as an associate for the law firm Arntzen de Besche in Oslo before serving as an assistant judge at the South Tröndelag district court. He joined the Ministry of Climate and Environment in 2007 working primarily with hazardous waste, industrial emissions, pollution crime and environmental liability. After visiting the European Commission's DG Climate Action and serving as national expert in the Swedish Ministry of Environment coordinating EU environmental affairs, Mr. Jahre returned to the ministry covering also chemical-related files at national, European and global level. Mr. Jahre has worked on the Basel Convention since 2007 and now leads the Norwegian delegations to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions as well as the Minamata Convention and SAICM. He also covers chemicals and waste-related issues for Norway under UN Environment and UNEA.

 

Dr. Satyendra Kumar

Dr. Satyendra Kumar was elected member of the Committee by COP-15 in 2022. He holds a graduate degree in mechanical engineering, a Masters of Technology in Energy studies and a Doctorate in Policy Making Sustainable Developmental Goals.

Director at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, he has made significant contributions in functional areas such as Wastes and Chemical Management, Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy, Biodiversity Conservation, National Clean Air Programme, Solid Waste Management and Plastic Waste Management. He works in the environment, climate change, energy, chemicals and wastes, prevention of pollution, bio-diversity and bio-safety sectors.

He has been part of policy formulation/design for efficient and effective management of wastes and chemicals across a number of sectors such as solid waste including plastic waste, battery waste, ash from coal/lignite based TPPs, with bringing integrating principles of Extended Producer Responsibility, polluter pays as well as circular economy.

He is part of a team involved in the development of policy approaches/strategies to incorporate resource efficiency/circular economy in a number of waste streams. He also has been part of climate change negotiations and matters relating to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. He brings expertise in environment and energy along with an experience of about 20 years.

He has been involved in the work of a number of MEAs, UNFCC, CBD, UNCCD, BRS Conventions etc. He is India’s Focal Point for the Basel Convention. Under the Minamata Convention, he supports the NFP, is a Member of the ICC and has served as a member of the SIP-Governing Board. He is currently national project manager/ coordinator for implementation of projects under the Basel, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions.

Ms. Patience Nambalirwa Nsereko

Ms Patience Nambalirwa Nsereko was elected a member of the Committee by the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. She holds a MSc in Environment and Natural Resources Management. She worked with the district local government as head of the Environment Department in 2002-2012 and later (2012) joined the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) as an Environmental Monitoring Officer, where she was responsible for among others, ensuring compliance with environmental requirements in the upstream oil and gas sector, and safe treatment and disposal of waste arising from the exploration drilling activities taking place in the country at the time. Currently she heads the department of audits and monitoring in NEMA, where she is responsible for among others, coordinating compliance inspections and environmental auditing of activities likely to cause pollution and ensuring compliance with national and international environmental requirements. She is also responsible for coordinating the licencing of waste handlers in the country and transboundary movements of waste. Ms Nambalirwa Nsereko has been involved in the review and drafting of national legislation on environment management including the revision of the National Environment Act, and attendant regulations, and is currently coordinating the drafting of national regulations for management of hazardous chemicals. She is the National Focal Point for the Stockholm Convention and is currently the project manager/coordinator for implementation of projects under the Stockholm and Basel Conventions.

Ms. Sonja Dünnwald

Dr Sonja Dünnwald was elected a member of the Committee by the sixteenth meeting of the Parties to the Basel Convention. She works as policy officer and legal advisor for the international section of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. She has extensive experience in public international law and closely follows and advises her government in different international environmental processes. Dr Dünnwald has represented Germany in negotiations in the chemicals and waste context, such as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Global Framework on Chemicals and the negotiations to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. In the past, she was in charge of implementing the German Circular Economy Act and addressing legal issues deriving therefrom.

Dr Dünnwald holds an LL.M. (master's degree) in public international law (University College London) and a PhD in public international law (University of Frankfurt). Prior to joining the public service, she worked as dispute resolution lawyer in private practice in Frankfurt and Paris.


 

Mr. Mohammed Khashashneh

Mr. Mohammed Khashashneh was elected to the Committee by the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. He is Director, Hazardous Substances and Waste Management Directorate in the Ministry of Environment of Jordan.

 

Ms. Marie-Pierre Méganck

Ms. Marie-Pierre Méganck was nominated by France on 13 March 2012  to serve on the Committee as the alternate of Ms Anne-Laure Genty until the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Ms Meganck is born in 1961 in Paris (France). After studying french litterature and civilisation she became a civil servant in 1984. She had worked in different institutions:  ministry of public works and spatial planning (1984 -1989, and 2000-2006); ministry of transports (1990-1992 and 1997-2000); and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (1992-1997). In her different functions, she has been involved in the negociation of european regulation for transports by road (lorries and buses); organisation and infrastructures (french and european) for transport by river; european and international standardization (CEN, ISO); and formation of high level engineers (training courses, internship). Since 2007 she is working in the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Developpment, as Head of International and European Affairs Unit, in the general directorate of risk prevention. The general directorate of risk prevention is dealing with all risks: technological, chronical, chemical, wastes, and natural : floods, earthquaters, tempest, landsliding... It is involved in international agreements (UN) on waste, chemical, and disaster risk reduction.

 

Mr. Dessalegne Mesfin Fanta (Vice Chair)

Mr. Dessalegne Mesfin obtained his Masters Degree in Environment for Development in 2007. He graduated from the Law Faculty of Addis Ababa University and obtained LLB. He also pursued a correspondence course in International Environmental Policy and Law. For a couple of years, he worked as Head of the Legal and Certification Service of the then called Ethiopian Authority for Standardization and served as Public Prosecutor on matters dealing with Metrology. He joined the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia (EPA) as an Environmental Policy Analyst and was later appointed as Head of the Environmental Policy and Legislation Department of EPA. Currently, he is Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority and has written and presented numerous studies in the area of environment and development. He also participated in a number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements representing Ethiopia. Mr. Dessalegne served as co-chair of the Legal and Implementation working group of the Basel Convention that was established by COP 6 to the Basel Convention. He also served as Vice President of the Bureau of the First Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. He served as a member of the Steering Committee for the International Expert Meeting on Sustainable Consumption and Production. In addition, he is member of the Steering Committee of the Nile Transboundary Environmental Action Programme and Chair of the Small Grant Programme of the GEF-UNDP/Ethiopia. Mr. Mesfin was elected to the Compliance Committee by the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in June 2008 for two full terms, which will end at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Ms. Jimena Nieto Carrasco

Ms. Jimena Nieto Carrasco was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention where she had already served as chair (2012 - 2015). Mrs. Nieto is a lawyer with an LLM in Public International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, United Kingdom and possesses a Certificat d'études politiques from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. She has extensive experience related to compliance under multilateral environmental agreements. She co-chaired the contact group on Article 15 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and also facilitated negotiations on the same issue under the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions and the Nagoya Protocol. She is currently a member of the Compliance Committee established under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and also serves as a Non Annex I member at the Facilitative Branch of the Kyoto Protocol Compliance Committee. Mrs. Nieto was a civil servant for more than twenty years, working for the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Currently she is a Professor of International Environmental Law, in graduate and postgraduate programmes at three universities in Bogota. She also works as a consultant for AILAC (Colombia´s negotiating group under Climate Change negotiations).

 

Mrs. Irena Sedlackova

Ms. Irena Sedlácková was nominated by the Czech Republic on 1 February 2012  to serve on the Committee as the alternate of Ms. Zdenka Bubenikova until the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Ms Sedlácková works at the Waste Management Department of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic. She is a National Contact Person for the Basel Convention since 2008 and participated in the ninth and tenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. She has experience in the administrative procedure for transboundary movements of wastes and she regularly takes part in border controls of the transboundary movements of waste.

 

Ms. Jennifer Kaijuka Kutesakwe

Jennifer Kutesakwe is an environmental chemist working with the National Environment Management Authority as a Senior Environment Inspector in the Department of Environmental Monitoring and Field Operations. She holds a Master’s degree in Chemistry, a Master of Science degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management and Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. Jennifer has more than 15 years of working experience in the field of environment management focusing on pollution monitoring and control. Her career started off at the National Water Quality and Pollution Control Laboratory where she worked as a water quality chemist under the Ministry of Water and Environment, and later joined the National Environment Management Authority as the Head of the Environmental Laboratory.

She has had various trainings in pollution control technologies and participated in a work-attachment conducted by the UK Environment Agency at their laboratories located in Exeter and Leeds.

She has had various trainings in pollution control technologies and participated in a work-attachment conducted by the UK Environment Agency at their laboratories located in Exeter and Leeds.

Mr. Roy Watkinson (Vice Chair)

Mr. Watkinson was elected to the Compliance Committee by the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in December 2002 and served until the end of the eight meeting of the Conference of the Parties in November 2006. He was elected as Chair of the Compliance Committee in 2003 and presided over the Committee’s four meetings until the expiry of his term of office. He was re-elected to the Compliance Committee by the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. He is a UK expert dealing with UNEP Basel Convention, enforcement and compliance with Multilateral Environmental Agreements and hazardous waste management. As the UK Environment Agency’s Hazardous Waste Policy Manger he initiated a number of projects on controlling transboundary shipments of waste that led to successful prosecutions. He has been UK representative on OECD committees and at the European Union for controlling transboundary movements of wastes. He has contributed to international conferences, working groups and projects in respect of environmental crime prevention, waste regulation and management and ship dismantling – chairing the Basel Convention’s working groups on this issue and the Joint ILO/IMO/BC working group. Mr. Watkinson was elected to the Compliance Committee by the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in June 2008 for two full terms, which will end at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Ms. Virna Milinov

Ms. Virna Milinov was nominated in January 2021 as alternate member for Ms. Gordana Vešligaj, elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Milinov, mag. ing. techn. aliment., graduated from Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. In 2009, she started to work in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction, Zagreb (Croatia) as Expert Adviser for waste management. Currently, Ms. Milinov is working in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia as Senior Expert Adviser in the Directorate for Environmental Impact Assessment and Sustainable Waste Management. From 2009 when she started working in Ministry, on national level she has been performing various tasks related to waste management. Her working experience, among other tasks, includes contaminated site remediation plan/study evaluation and expert opinion on proposed solution; Environmental Protection Study expert opinions for awarding Certificate of compliance of agricultural holdings with minimum national standards and compliance of investments with national and EU standards in the field of environmental protection; consultancy in the process of development of IT application - e-service system/application - electronic procedure for registration of business establishment and obtaining approval for performing service activities; project applications and quality documents evaluation for grant support from the EU Structural Funds Operational program Competitiveness and Cohesion; issuing waste management permits and acts on end of waste status; supervising County competent body activities and documents (acts/decisions). On international level, Ms. Milinov monitors international Conventions, treaties, strategies, policies and guidelines on environment (Rotterdam Convention, Stockholm Convention, Basel Convention, Minamata, SAICM, etc.) and drafts national position proposals. As of 2020, she is member of the Group of Technical Experts in Mercury Waste Thresholds under the Minamata Convention on Mercury and Focal Point for the Basel Convention.

Mr. Raphael Dakouri Zadi

Mr Raphael Dakouri Zadi was elected to the Committee by the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. He is the Point Focal for the Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention and SAICM  in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Cote d'Ivoire.

 

Mr. Artak Khachatryan

Mr. Artak Khachatryan was elected a member of the Committee by the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Khachatryan graduated from the Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia (General Medicine and Residency in General Hygiene), Armenian Institute of Ecology, Economy and Law (Protection of Environment (Ecology)) and Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (PhD. - Migration of PCBs in Hydroecosystems of Armenia). Since 2003, he has participated in many post-qualification training courses in the area of chemicals and waste management, toxicology and cleaner production e.g. Workshop Persistent Toxic Substances Contamination of the European Region; The14th Annual Conference of the ISEA Philadelphia, USA; International Workshop on Management of POPs, Switzerland; 4th CCMS/NATO Workshop Management of Industrial Toxic Wastes and Substances; Advanced monitoring techniques of hazardous wastes, Greece; 5th Summer School Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology RECETOX; SIDA's International Training Programme Strategies for Chemicals Management, Sweden; Meeting of UNIDO-UNEP Network on RECP; Stockholm Convention Regional Training Workshop on PCBs and POPs waste; Regional Capacity Building Workshop on new POPs, the process for reviewing and updating NIPs and reporting requirements under the Stockholm Convention for Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2005, Mr. Khachatryan is working at the Ministry of Nature Protection as the head of Waste Inventory, Classification and Technology Investigation Division at the Waste Research Centre, SNCO. He has wide experience in the area of implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and is currently the Focal Point for the Basel Convention. Mr. Khachatryan is fluent in Armenian, Russian and English, and has a good knowledge of French.

Mr. Adel Shafei Osman

Mr. Adel Shafei Osman, was elected to the committee by the eleventh Conference of Parties, Adel has Egyptian nationality, graduated in 1983 from Cairo University as a chemical engineer. In 1995 he finalised his post-graduate studies in environmental engineering at Achen Technical University (Germany). Adel has a wide scope of experiences in chemicals and waste management gained through 20 years in touch with governmental, public enterprises, private sector, universities, and research institutions in and outside Egypt. He is carrying over the tradition of introducing unprecedented contribution to the Egyptian environmental scene in a number of activities as environment and trade, policy indicators, toxic release inventories, and environmental security.

Currently he is carrying over the post of General Director in charge for the Chemicals and waste cluster, managing the national focal point for Basel convention since 2001, he is involved in many negotiation forums relevant to chemicals and waste cluster including Mercury treaty, and he is a member of the executive board of the quick start programm of SAICM.

Mr Mark Govoni

Mr Mark Govoni was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mark Govoni works as a senior advisor in the Legal Affairs Division of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). He is a lawyer and studied at the Universities of Bern and Vancouver. Furthermore, He is writing a dissertation for a research project on the regulation of natural hazards at the University of Lucerne. His areas of responsibility in the FOEN are the protection against natural hazards and major accidents as well as the transboundary move-ments of wastes. In reference to the latter area of responsibility and in respect to the function of the FOEN as both a ministry and an enforcement agency, his job consists of writing legislative texts as well as dealing with practical problems such as illegal traffic and taking back illegal shipments of waste. To coordinate this work on a European and international level Mr Govoni represents Switzer-land as a member of the IMPEL- (Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law) and the EPA- (Environmental Protection Agencies) network as well as the Basel Convention. For the EPA-Network his activities are limited to the Better Regulation Interest Group (BRIG) and his responsibility within the Basel Convention primarily includes legal and compliance issues.

 

Mr. Ahou Florent Botto

Mr. Ahou Florent Botto was nominated by Cote d’Ivoire on 14 June 2013 to serve on the Committee as the alternate of Mr Zadi Dakoury Raphaël until the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Mr. Botto was born in 1975 in Anyama (Cote d’Ivoire), he graduated in 2004 from International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (Burkina Faso) as Water and Sanitation Engineer. Later, in 2010, he got his Certificate of industrial and hazardous waste management at Kyushu University (Japan).

He began his career in a private enterprise as survey study (2004-2007). He became a civil servant in 2008. His first function was Chief of waste services and he manages since 2011 the national focal point for Basel Convention. Currently he is carrying over the post of Deputy Director in charge of waste management. He is a member of small inter session working group on Pops.

His main interest areas are: municipal solid waste, industrial and hazardous waste management, impacts of unsanitary dumping sites on the environment and human health.

 

Mr. Wilehaldo Cruz

Mr. Wilehaldo Cruz was elected a member of the Committee by the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties and will serve until the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Ms. Datin Paduka Che Asmah Ibrahim

Ms. Datin Paduka Che Asmah Ibrahim was elected a member of the Committee by the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties and will serve until the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Dr. Zulkifli bin Abdul Rahman


Mr. Alberto Santos Capra

Mr. Alberto Santos Capra was elected a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Capra holds a degree in chemistry and postgraduate in health and safety at work, environmental law and solid waste management. He currently works in the Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina covering technical adviser positions in waste management. He is also Coordinator and twice Director of the National Hazardous Waste Office. Mr. Capra is currently the technical Contact Point of the Basel Convention in the country and has a been a legal member of the Bureau of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) representing GRULAC region in the intersessional period COP11-COP12. He has 20 years of experience in environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste, especially on hazardous wastes. He is also a university professor in post-graduate courses in waste management and environmental legislation.



Ms. Tatiana Èšugui

Ms. Tatiana Èšugui was elected a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Tugui has 23 years of experience of working in the field of environment; currently she is working as Manager of Environmental Pollution Prevention Office, performing and coordinating environmental pollution prevention projects. Upon graduation in 1992 of the D. Mendeleyev Institute of Chemical Technology in Moscow, as a chemical engineer in the field of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources, she was engaged as a consultant on waste management within the Ministry of Environment up to 2008 year, working on implementation into national legislation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.  In 2007, Ms. Èšugui obtained Ph.D. in chemical sciences. She has 15 years of experiences in designing and appraising of TA projects in Moldova, financed by GEF and EU, QSP trust Fund, managing complex assignments in the waste and chemical management sector. As a results of implemented projects chemical and waste management policies were developed, such as National Strategy of Waste Management (GD 248 on 10.04.2013), National Programme on Sound Chemical Management (GD 973 form 18.10.2010), draft Waste law and it’s secondary legislation, draft Chemical substances law and it’s secondary legislation.


Ms. Mari-Liis Ummik

Ms. Mari-Liis Ummik was elected a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Ummik studied in Tallinn Technical University and have a Master’s degree in chemical engineering. She has worked as senior officer for the Ministry of the Environment for 7 years. Currently serving as Basel Convention focal point, she has also served as Basel Convention competent authority and have issued the notifications. She is responsible for the hazardous waste related regulations and strategies in Estonia.  Her job is to review and analyse the hazardous waste management in Estonia and to elaborate, draft and amend the national legislation when necessary. She also takes part in elaborating EU legislation when it is related to waste shipment or hazardous waste issues. She is a member of a national hazardous waste licence committee where the hazardous waste licences are issued and other hazardous waste issues are solved. She also conduct training the national Customs and Environmental Inspectorate officers relating to waste shipments.

Ms. Fionna Cumming

Ms. Fionna Cumming BA LLB (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) was elected as a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Cumming works as a senior advisor in the International Environment team of the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment.  She is an enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand (2005) and an enrolled solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales (2010).  She holds a Master of Laws (Environmental Law specialisation) from Auckland University (2014).  She has practiced law in her native New Zealand and in the United Kingdom.  Her responsibilities at the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment include the effective implementation of the Basel Convention.

Dr. Mohamed ElZarka 

Dr. Mohamed ElZarka was elected as a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Dr. ElZarka is Egypt’s focal point in 1993-1999 and from January 2015 to present. He is a Ret. Staff Major General in the Egyptian Army/Chemical Warfare Department (1960-1987); Senior Advisor to the Minister of Scientific Research (1987-1992); Head of the Environmental Sector/Social Fund for Development (1999-2002). Dr. ElZarka is a visiting professor at the Alexandria & Ein Shams University.  He has supervised several national projects on Environmental Protection: Air Pollution, hazardous chemicals and hazardous waste. These projects were funded by USAID, WB, JAICA, DANIDA, CIDA , FINIDA and GEF. He has also conducted several workshops and training courses regionally and nationally, which focused on environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals and wastes in collaboration with UNEP, UNIDO, UNDP and WHO.

Mr. Humphrey Kasiya Mwale

Mr. Humphrey Kasiya Mwale was elected a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Mwale is a Zambian Environmental Lawyer currently working with the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) as Acting Legal Counsel. He has been working in the environmental management field for 15 years and out of 15 years, he has been working in environmental enforcement and regulation. Mr. Mwale has worked as Inspector and Senior Inspector covering a number of thematic areas such as waste management, pesticides and toxic substances, environmental impact assessment and pollution control. Over the years, he has been actively involved in the implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions as well as the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone layer. From 2010 to date, Mr. Mwale has been anchoring the prosecution of environmental crimes in Zambia at ZEMA. Mr. Mwale holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources obtained from the University of Zambia as well as post graduate qualifications in waste management and wastewater management; Bachelor of Laws degree obtained from the University of Zambia; and in addition, a post graduate diploma in International environmental law and diplomacy.

Dra. Yocasta Sixtina Valenzuela Arias

Dra. Yocasta Sixtina Valenzuela Arias was elected a member of the Committee by the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Dra. Valenzuela Arias is currently the Ambassador in charge of Environmental Legislation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Department of International Environmental Agreement at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. She is also a Professor of graduate and Masters of International Environmental Law and International Organizations at the Foreign Relations Ministry High Studies Institute, Global Democracy and Development Foundation (FUNGLODE) Dominican Republic School Judiciary, and national universities. She has conducted several workshops and courses in Legislative Chambers, civil regionally and nationally society organizations and organism. Dra. Valenzuela Arias holds a doctoral degree in law from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (Cum Laude); Diplome de I’Institut Des Hautes Etudes Internationals from the Université de Paris; and Doctorate Droid International Public, also from the Université de Paris.

Mr. Juan Ignacio Simonelli

Mr. Juan Ignacio Simonelli is the Chair of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee. Mr. Simonelli developed his entire career in the Environmental field acting as a consultant, Engineer & Project manager at production operations of diverse associated industrial branches, and world class academic research centers. Currently he is coordinating the technical cabinet at the Environmental Control and Monitoring Secretariat, of Argentina's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. As such, he acts as liaison for the Waste & Chemical Cluster at global negotiations. Mr. Simonelli graduated as B.Sc. and B.Eng. Environmental Sciences, and has an advanced Specialization Degree in Health Safety & Env. Protection (UCA | Arg). Later he pursued a Master in Environmental Management (Yale | US). Mr. Simonelli was selected by Argentina's National Presidential Cabinet as the first Science and Technology Fellow (2013) in Environmental Affairs, for his work bridging academia, private and public levels. He has 10+ years of experience in designing and appraising of projects in the Latin American Region, managing complex assignments in the waste and chemical management sector. He is actually overseeing working on updates of national legislation in Hazardous Waste Environmentally sound management, in accordance to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

Mr. Hamed Alinejad

Mr. Hamed Alinejad was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Alijenad has a B.A. degree in Political Science from Kharazmi University of Tehran in 2015. He also obtained a M.A. in Diplomacy and International Organizations (International Peace and Security branch) from the School of International Relations which is affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since 2018, Mr. Alinejad is the expert of the Chemical Conventions Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is also a member of the Iranian Escort Team in the OPCW Inspections, as well as member and coordinator of the Chemical Safety Committee.

Ms. Nicole Mohammed

Ms. Nicole Mohammed was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms Mohammed is a Legal Adviser in the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and advises on a range multilateral environmental agreements including the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions. She holds a PhD in International Environmental Law from the University of Nottingham and is a recipient of the University’s Centre for Environmental Law scholarship for 2010. Ms Mohammed is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (LLB (Hons.) and the University of Nottingham (LL.M Distinction) and has published on issues relating to participatory resource management and environmental governance. Before starting her PhD in the UK, she practiced as an attorney in Trinidad and Tobago, with a focus on public law, maritime law and environmental law. She has also previously worked as a legal adviser in the Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Management Authority and in the UK Environment Agency (Thames Region,) in the Strategic Environmental Policy Unit.

Mr. Paul Babidou Zarabingui

Mr. Paul Babidou Zarabingui was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr Zarabingui is an engineer in ecology (environmental protection and rational management of natural resources) (Voronej State University in Russia) and has been working for the Ministry of the Environment of Central African Republic since 2007. He has served as head of Department of fragile ecology zones, as Director of natural ecosystem management and Director of promotion of sustainable development, management and partnership; Mr Zarabingui also served as Director General of ecology and sustainable development. He often represents the Ministers responsible for the environment in ceremonies of certain meetings at the national level. Mr Zarabingui is currently Focal point of the Basel, Bamako and Rotterdam Conventions.

Ms. Gordana Vešligaj

Ms. Gordana Vešligaj was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Vešligaj has a university degree in biology - ecology obtained in 1997 at Faculty of Science at University of Zagreb. She started to work in the Ministry of Environment Protection, Physical Planning and Construction (present Ministry of Environment and Energy) of Croatia in the field of waste management in 2006. At the beginning of her work in the Ministry, during Croatia's accession process to EU membership, she was involved in transposition of EU legislation. In 2007 she started to work on transboundary movements of waste and follow the Basel Convention. Ms. Vešligaj is Croatian Basel Convention focal point since 2014. Also, at COP12 she was elected as member of ENFORCE for the period 2016-2017. Currently Ms. Vešligaj participates in the preparations for the Croatian presidency of the EU Council during the first half of 2020 and she will be in charge of chairing meetings of the Working Party on International Environment Issues for Basel Convention.

Mr. Florisvindo Furtado

Mr. Florisvindo Furtado was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Furtado is an Environmental Engineer and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering by the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He started his professional career in 2006 as a High School Teacher working for the Ministry of Education, in Santiago Island – Cabo Verde. He then later joined a Protected Areas Project in Serra Malagueta, where he helped in the creation of the Serra Malagueta Natural Park until its closure in December 2008. From January 2009-2011, Mr. Furtado started working as the head of the environment division in the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture Delegation in Santa Catarina - Santiago Island, making the necessary link between the National Direction of Environment and the local institution, providing funding and support to local NGO’s. In January 2012, he was relocated to the headquarter to integrate a new Department of Environmental Sanitation created to support the implementation of the Water and Sanitation Project financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which was successfully closed in 2017. Mr. Furtado is, since 2016, the Environmental Sanitation Director for Cabo Verde, being responsible for the main Chemicals’ Conventions and the Focal Point for the Basel Convention.

Mr. Flavius Ardelean

Mr. Flavius Ardelean was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Mr. Ardelean has a five years university degree in ecology. He graduated from the Faculty of Ecology in 1999 and since then has been working in the field of environment protection both in the private and public sectors. Mr Ardelean's background experience is in environment impact assessment and waste management. In the past he has worked in the local public administration, being responsible for drafting local plans and strategies in the field of waste and air quality. In 2009, he joined the Ministry of Environment of Romania for four years (2009-2013) acting in the waste management unit, responsible for Basel Convention and transposition of the European Waste Framework Directive into national legislation. During this period he managed the implementation of a LIFE+ project called ELSYS for establishing an electronic system for exchanging data on shipments of waste. Mr. Ardelean left the Ministry of Environment for the private sector in 2014 and re-joined in 2017. Since 2018, he is the Director of the Waste Management Directorate within Ministry of Environment. Mr. Ardelean is familiar with the notification procedures for shipment of waste and has experience in drafting of environmental and waste management policies and strategies.

Ms. Odessa Duncan

Ms. Odessa Duncan was elected a member of the Committee by the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. Ms. Duncan is currently the Senior Environmental Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency in Guyana where she is responsible for Chemical and Waste Management and is the Competent Authority for the Basel Convention. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree - Pass with Distinction (2002): Forestry (major), and a Master of Science - Forest Biology (2010), both from the University of Guyana. She previously held several positions in the Environmental Protection Agency, including Senior Environmental Officer in the Litter Enforcement Unit of the Environmental Management Compliance Division, and Environmental Officer II in the Mining and Forestry Unit of the Environmental Management Permitting Division. Earlier in her career, Ms Duncan accumulated extensive experience on biodiversity and conservation matters having worked at Ground Structure Engineering and Environmental Inc, WWF Guianas, and the World Conservation Monitoring Center.