Slide 1
The Basel Convention and its
application to ship recycling
Ship Recycling Technology &
Knowledge Transfer Workshop
14 – 16 July 2010, Izmir, Turkey
Slide 2
The Basel Convention on the Control
of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
• Adopted on 22 March 1989
• Entered into force on 5 May
1992
• 172 Parties to the Convention
as at June 2010, covering the
five UN Regional Groups
Slide 3
Main Goal of the Convention
To protect, by strict control, human health
and the environment against the adverse
effects resulting from the generation and
management of hazardous wastes
and
other wastes
Slide 4
Which means…
• Strong controls have
to be applied from the
moment of generation
of hazardous waste to
its storage, transport,
treatment, reuse,
recycling, recovery
and final disposal
Slide 5
Pillars of the Convention
I. Environmentally
sound
management
(ESM) of
hazardous wastes
and other wastes
II. Regulation of
transboundary
movement of
hazardous wastes
and other wastes:
“PIC procedure”
AND Control and Enforcement mechanisms
(to deliver the above)
Slide 6
Basel and the ship recycling issue (1)
• On BC agenda since
late 1990s
• Noted need to
improve standard of
ship dismantling
worldwide
• Technical Guidelines
on ship dismantling
adopted in 2002
Slide 7
Basel and the ship recycling issue (2)
Decision VII/26
(COP 7 in 2004):
“a ship may become
waste as defined in
Article 2 of the Basel
Convention and at
the same time may
be defined as a ship
under other
international rules”
Slide 8
Basel and the ship recycling issue (3)
• IMO Assembly resolution
in 2005: New legallybinding instrument on
Ship Recycling
• At COP 8 (2006) / COP 9
(2008):
“Invites the IMO to ensure
the draft ship recycling
convention establishes an
equivalent level of control
as that established under
the Basel Convention…”
Slide 9
Basel and the ship recycling issue (4)
Parties to carry out a
preliminary assessment
on whether the Hong
Kong Convention
establishes an equivalent
level of control and
enforcement as that
established under the
Basel Convention after
having developed the
criteria necessary for
such assessment
(Decision IX/30)
Slide 10
Assessment of Equivalency: The Process (1)
• Began in May 2010
• Step one - development of criteria:
– Taking into account:
• The special characteristics of ships and
international shipping;
• The principles of the Basel Convention and the
relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties;
• The comments submitted by Parties and other
relevant stakeholders, as appropriate.
Slide 11
Assessment of Equivalency: The Process (2)
• Result - development of criteria in four
broad categories:
– Scope and applicability
– Control
– Enforcement
– Exchange of information by Parties /
cooperation and coordination
Slide 12
Assessment of Equivalency: The Process (3)
• Step two - preliminary assessment
• Result - [comments] compiled
• Next step - Parties and other relevant
stakeholders to:
– Review the criteria developed
– Identify relevant articles, regulations and
decisions in each Convention
– Conduct their own preliminary assessments
Slide 13
Assessment of Equivalency: The Process (4)
• October 2011 COP 10:
assessments
submitted “for
consideration
and action, as
appropriate”
Slide 14
Assessment of Equivalency: Potential
Outcomes (1)
• Basel Convention Parties may or may not
take action following completion of the
equivalency process
– No action: treaties co-exist
– Action: theoretically - COP decision (further
work, temporary or final clarification) or
amendment to the Basel Convention?
Slide 15
Assessment of Equivalency: Potential
Outcomes (2)
• Further considerations:
– ships excluded from the Hong Kong Convention
– Basel Convention Parties not Parties to the Hong
Kong Convention
– downstream disposal facilities and management of
wastes in an environmentally sound manner
– Technical Guidelines and Training Manuals on
specific waste streams, treatment technologies, etc.
Slide 16
Environmentally Sound Management under
the Basel Convention
• Enhance the implementation and enforcement of
the Basel Convention
– ESM of downstream waste management
– As transposed into national legislation:
• Waste management regulations
• Hazardous waste regulations
• Pakistan national legislation:
– Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997
– Hazardous Substance Rules
– And?
Slide 17
Elements for control
Downstream waste management
WASTE GENERATOR
DEFINITION OR
CLASSIFICATION OF
WASTE
1
2
5
5
*
TRANSPORTATION
FACILITIES
Source: David C Wilson 1999
Regulatory
Tools for
Control
Slide 18
Steps to enhance implementation and
enforcement of Basel (1)
I. Legal and institutional framework
• Quantify the problem
– Quantities of hazardous wastes generated or imported
determined through a National Inventory of Hazardous
waste
• Determine waste policy / strategy
• Strengthen / develop national legislation
– Model national legislation
– Checklist for the legislator
Slide 19
Steps to enhance implementation and
enforcement of Basel (2)
• Institutional strengthening
– training and awareness raising of those involved in the
chain of control and enforcement
• regulators, enforcement officers, etc.
• Also include relevant stakeholders including waste generators,
disposal workers including those handling and transporting
waste, etc.
• Systems for monitoring, action in case of breach
• Traceability of waste management operations –
from “generator”, to “transporter”, to “disposer”
Slide 20
Steps to enhance implementation and
enforcement of Basel (3)
II. Infrastructure development
• According to needs e.g. incineration, landfill, etc.
– Basel Convention technical guidelines for disposal
operations and priority waste streams
• How to develop?
– External funding (donors), public private partnerships…
Slide 21
Thank you
For further information
Visit the Basel Convention’s Website:
www.basel.int/ships
Tel: [+41 22] 917 8331
Fax: [+41 22] 797 3454
Email: susan.wingfield@unep.org