Why in news?
The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP-14) was held in Geneva, Switzerland.
- About the convention:
- Basel Convention deals with the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
- It is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent the transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).
- However, it does not address the movement of radioactive waste
- The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management and to assist LDCs in the environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.
- It was adopted in 1989 and entered into force on 5 May 1992.
- Parties are 187.
- It is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
- Haiti and the United States have signed the Convention but have not ratified it.
- The joint meetings of three conventions on chemicals and waste – COP 14 to Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held along with the ninth meeting of the COP to Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (COP 9) and the ninth meeting of the COP to Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP 9)took place.
- The theme of the meetings this year – “Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste”.
- In COP 14 to Basel Convention, technical guidelines on e-waste and inclusion of plastic waste in the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure were decided. Decision was taken to amend the convention to include unsorted, mixed and contaminated plastic waste under PIC procedure and improve the regulation of its Trans boundary movement. This is a significant step taken towards addressing plastic pollution.
- Under the Stockholm Convention, the COP decided to list “Dicofol” in Annex A without any exemption.
- Under the Rotterdam Convention, two new chemicals (Phorate and HBCD) were added in the list for mandatory PIC procedure in international trade.
