The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in 1989 and it came into
force in 1992. It is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement
on hazardous wastes and other wastes. With 181 Parties (as at 18 July 2014),
it has nearly universal membership. The Convention aims to protect human
health and the environment against the adverse eects resulting from the
generation, transboundary movements and management of hazardous
wastes and other wastes.
The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary movements of hazardous
wastes and other wastes and obliges its Parties to ensure that such wastes
are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The
Convention covers toxic, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, ammable, ecotoxic
and infectious wastes. Parties also have an obligation to minimize the quantities
that are transported, to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to their
place of generation and to prevent or minimize the generation of wastes at
source.
14 Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres have been
established under the Basel Convention as at 18 July 2014. The centres are
located in Argentina, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Indonesia, Islamic Republic
of Iran, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovak Republic, South Pacic
Regional Environment Programme (Samoa), South Africa, Trinidad and
Tobago, and Uruguay. They deliver training and technology transfer regarding
management of hazardous wastes and other wastes and the minimization of
their generation, so as to assist and support Parties in their implementation of
the Convention.
www.basel.int
Secretariat of the Basel Convention
International Environment House
15 chemin des Anémones
1219 Châtelaine, Switzerland
Tel : +41 (0) 22 917 82 18
Fax : +41 (0) 22 797 34 54
Designed and printed at United Nations, Geneva — 1400778(E) — August 2014 — 1,000 — UNEP/BRS/2014/3