Decision II/12

Adopted at the Second Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP2), 25 March 1994, Geneva Switzerland

Decision II/12

The Conference,

Recalling the request of the G-77 countries at the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention in Uruguay, 30 November - 4 December 1992, for the total ban on all exports of hazardous wastes from OECD countries to non-OECD countries;

Recognizing that transboundary movements of hazardous wastes from OECD to non-OECD States have a high risk of not constituting an environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes as required by the Basel Convention;

1. Decides to prohibit immediately all transboundary movements of hazardous wastes which are destined for final disposal from OECD to non-OECD States;

2. Decides also to phase out by 31 December 1997, and prohibit as of that date, all transboundary movements of hazardous wastes which are destined for recycling or recovery operations from OECD to non-OECD States;

3. Decides further that any non-OECD State, not possessing a national hazardous wastes import ban and which allows the import from OECD States of hazardous wastes for recycling or recovery operation until 31 December 1997, should inform the Secretariat of the Basel Convention that it would allow the import from an OECD State of hazardous wastes for recycling or recovery operations by specifying the categories of hazardous wastes which are acceptable for import; the quantities to be imported; the specific recycling/recovery process to be used; and the final destination/disposal of the residues which are derived from recycling/recovery operations;

4. Requests the Parties to report regularly to the Secretariat on the implementation of this decision, including details of the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes allowed under paragraph 3 above. Further requests the Secretariat to prepare a summary and to compile these reports for consideration by the Open-ended Ad Hoc Committee. After considering these reports, the Open-ended Ad Hoc Committee will submit a report based on the input provided by the Secretariat to the Conference of the Parties of the Convention;

5. Requests further the Parties to cooperate and work actively to ensure the effective implementation of this decision.