1. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) POPs wastes related projects and capacity building activities coordinated through the BCRCs: An overview Nelson Sabogal Senior Programme Officer Secretariat of the Basel Convention Side Event: Implementation of POPs waste related projects and activities through the Basel Convention Regional Centres (BCRCs), 4 May 2006 Cover

2. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Strategic Plan and Ministerial Statement Strategic Plan and Ministerial Statement: The Strategic Plan for the Implementation of the Basel Convention to 2010 was adopted by COP6 (Decision VI/1, 2002) The Ministerial Statement on Partnership for Meeting the Global Waste Challenge, adopted at the occasion of COP7, emphasizes on implementing the Strategic Plan and that priority should be given to capacity building on hazardous waste minimization.

3. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Strategic Plan and Ministerial Statement The Ministerial Statement acknowledges the importance of focusing on four policy directions, namely: hazardous waste minimization, life-cycle approach, integrated waste management, and regional approach.

4. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Strategic Plan and Ministerial Statement The Ministerial Statement identified the following waste streams as requiring priority attention in the context of partnerships. These are: –POPs wastes –E-wastes (electrical and electronic wastes) –Household wastes mixed with hazardous wastes –Biomedical and healthcare wastes –Used lead-acid batteries –Used oils –Ship dismantling Emphasis on partnership with Parties and non-Parties, industries, NGOs, academia, and local governments/municipalities to implement relevant activities and through mobilization of extra budgetary resources

5. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Implementation of the principle « ESM » 1.Development of Technical Guidelines and Training Manuals on specific waste streams, treatment technologies, etc.(General Technical Guidelines for the ESM of wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with POPs, Training manual for the preparation of PCB management plans) 2.Establishment of Regional Centres for Training and Technology Transfer (COP III/19, 1995) 3.The Basel Declaration on Environmentally Sound Management of hazardous wastes (COP V/1, 1999) 4.Strategic Plan for the Implementation of the Basel Convention to 2010 (COP VI/1, 2002) 5.Partnership programmes and projects (since 2002), e.g. Mobile Phones Partnership, e-waste 6.Ministerial Stament on Partnerships (COP VII, 2004) 7.Cooperation with other UN entities, e.g. Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions, World Health Organization (WHO), UNEP, UNIDO, FAO, IMO, ILO,UNITAR

6. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Basel Convention Regional Centres (BCRCs) Main functions: Training, Technology Transfer, Information Exchange, Consulting, Awareness-raising Important role in the implementation of the Basel Convention: Entrusted with the implementation of priority measures of the Strategic Plan Business Plans of the Centres for 2005-2006: Workplan, projects, workshops and seminars, implementation time table, budget, etc. prepared in consultation with countries they serve. Framework Agreements: Eight Framework Agreements have been signed for SPREP, BCCC-Uruguay, BCRCs-Egypt, Indonesia, Trinidad & Tobago, Senegal, Argentina and Islamic Republic of Iran. Carry out projects within the framework of the Strategic Plan.

7. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Basel Convention Operational Network (BCON) At present 14 Regional Centres are in operation: Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay Africa: Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria Asia and Pacific: China, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), SPREP Central and Eastern Europe: Russian Federation, Slovakia

8. Africa and West Asia 1 Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Arab States in Egypt 2 Basel Convention Regional Co-ordinating Centre in Nigeria 3 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Senegal 4 Basel Convention Regional Centre in South Africa 5 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Tehran Asia and Pacific Region 6 Basel Convention Regional Centre in China 7 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Indonesia 8 Pacific Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Joint Implementation of the Basel and Waigani Conventions in the South Pacific region Central and Eastern Europe 9 Basel Convention Regional Centre in the Russian Federation 10 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Slovakia Latin America and the Caribbean 11 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Argentina 12 Basel Convention Regional Centre in El Salvador 13 Basel Convention Regional Centre in Trinidad and Tobago 14 Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for Latin America and Caribbean region in Uruguay

9. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Demonstration and pilot projects on POPs wastes Establishment of a polychlorinated dibenzodioxin (PCDD)/polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) release inventory in a sub-Saharan context, with particular focus on specific local practices, BCRC–Senegal Demonstration of a Regional Approach to ESM of PCB Liquid Wastes and Transformers and Capacitors Containing PCBs, BCRC–Senegal

10. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Demonstration and pilot projects on POPs wastes Regional project for the environmentally sound management of PCBs and PCB containing equipment in Central America, co-funded by the Secretariat and UNEP Chemicals and coordinated by the Basel Convention Regional Centre in El Salvador Project for the preparation of a regional disposal plan for obsolete pesticides in the Caribbean, BCRC- Trinidad and Tobago

11. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Demonstration and pilot projects on POPs wastes Basel Convention Regional Centres in SPREP and Uruguay successfully carried out case studies to evaluate the capacities of these Centres to implement activities envisaged by the Stockholm Convention. The Uruguayan Centre has published the outcome of this study, A Practical Guideline on ESM of obsolete pesticidesin both English and Spanish.

12. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions The BCRCs have been closely involved in the preparation and organization of several workshops on the coordinated implementation of multilateral environmental agreements on chemicals and wastes, namely: Regional Workshop on the implementation of Stockholm Convention and synergies with other chemical related agreements, Cairo, Egypt, 21–24 February 2005 (BCRC-Egypt) Regional Workshop for Arab states on the environmentally sound destruction of POP and decontamination of POP containing waste in the context of the Basel Convention and the Stockholm Convention, 28–31 August 2005 in Amman, Jordan (Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the BCRC-Egypt)

13. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions Subregional workshop on the coordinated implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions) on chemicals and wastes in English speaking African countries, Pretoria, South Africa, 17–19 September 2003. (Basel Convention Regional Centre in South Africa) Regional Workshop on POPs laboratory database for African countries, 10–12 August 2005, Pretoria (BCRC–South Africa)

14. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions Pacific regional workshop on the national implementation plan for the Stockholm Convention held in parallel with the Basel and Waigani conventions workshop for competent authorities on the use of the control system and the awareness-raising workshop on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for non- governmental organizations, 26–30 May 2003, Nadi, Fiji. (SPREP)

15. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions Workshop on the strengthening of co-operation based on chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions, Prague, 13 – 17 March 2004 (BCRC-Slovak Republic) Regional Workshop for the preparation of a regional approach for the environmentally sound management of POPs as wastes in selected Central and Eastern European countries, Bratislava, 26-28 May 2004 (BCRC-Slovak Republic)

16. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions Regional Workshop on BAT and BEP in the Context of the Stockholm and Basel Conventions and Regional Consultation on the Business Plan and Institutional Arrangements of the Basel Convention Regional Center of South America in Argentina, 21 26 October 2002 Regional Workshop on POPs Destruction Technologies on the environmentally sound destruction of POP and decontamination of POP containing waste in the context of the Basel Convention and the Stockholm Convention, Sao Paolo, Brazil, 7-10 December 2004 (BCRC-Argentina) Regional Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean countries on the draft BAT/BEP Guidelines under the Stockholm Convention: 2 - 4 February 2005 (BCRC-Argentina)

17. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) Workshops on the coordinated implementation of Stockholm and Basel Conventions Regional workshop on the coordinated implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo, Uruguay, 28–30 January 2004. (Basel Convention Coordinating Centre in Uruguay) Regional Workshop for the evaluation of existing capacities and those necessary for the analysis of persistent organic pollutants in Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo, 5–9 September 2005 (BCRC-Uruguay)

18. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) For Further Information Visit the Basel Conventions Website: www.basel.int Thank you