Important technical and legal steps have been taken by two subsidiary bodies of the Basel Convention during meetings held back-to-back with UNEA-2.

The 10th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Convention took place from 30 May to 2 June and focused on, amongst other implementation issues, the development of guidelines that promote the environmentally sound management of wastes and on improving national reporting.

Decisions were passed relating to guidelines on the three newly-listed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention, and on e-waste - the fastest growing waste stream in the world today.

Some 12 submissions were meanwhile considered at the Convention’s Implementation and Compliance Committee (ICC) meeting from 4-6 June. Guidance on illegal traffic and steps to improve national reporting and boost national legal frameworks were also further developed, among other issues under the Committee’s work programme.

The UNEP-administered Basel Convention covers the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal and has 183 Parties.

For more information please contact charles.avis@brsmeas.org