The Basel Convention came into force in 1992, intends to reduce trans-boundary movements of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs), and ensure their safe disposal as closely as possible to the source of generation.
Secretariat location: Basel, Switzerland
Parties: 187 (Haiti and the United States have signed the Convention but not ratifi ed it). It does not address the movement of radioactive waste.
Rotterdam Convention
Entered into force on 24th February 2004.
It covers pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by Parties and which have been notifi ed by Parties for inclusion in the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
The Convention creates legally binding obligations for the implementation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
Secretariat Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands ” Parties: 161 parties, Non-member states include the United States.
The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Parties: 184 parties to the Convention (183 states and the European Union).Notable non-ratifying states include the United States, Israel, Malaysia, and Italy. “
The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is the designated interim fi nancial mechanism for the Stockholm Convention.
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The “Triple COPs” meeting took place in Geneva,
Basel Convention (COP-14)
Rotterdam Convention (COP-9)
Stockholm Convention (COP-9)
Theme: ‘Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste’.
Outcomes:
In Basel Convention two important issues were mainly discussed and decided i.e. technical guidelines on e-waste and inclusion of plastic waste in Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
A proposal by India to prevent developed countries from dumping their electronic and plastic waste into developing countries was defeated.
An amendment to the Convention that includes plastic waste in a legally-binding framework. However, it does not bar countries from exporting various categories of plastic waste.
In Stockholm Convention COP decided to list “Dicofol” in Annex A (Elimination) without any exemption. The “PFOA”, (Perfl uorooctanoic acid) was also listed with some exemptions in Annex A of Stockholm Convention.
In Rotterdam Convention two new chemicals named Phorate and HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) were added in list for mandatory Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure in international trade.
BRS Convention
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