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BC-VII/3

Basel Convention Partnership Programme

Date: 24-10-2004
Treaty
Basel Convention
Meeting
Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
Type
Decision
Status
Active

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Keywords
Conventions, Trade, International cooperation, Partnership Programme

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The Conference of the Parties
Recalling its decision VI/32,
1.Adopts the work plan of the Basel Convention Partnership Programme for 2005–2006 as contained in the annex to the present decision;
2.Requests the Secretariat, subject to the availability of resources, to continue implementation of the work plan in cooperation with all relevant and interested partners and to keep the Open-ended Working Group and the Conference of the Parties regularly informed on progress as well as initiatives to include new projects in order to adopt a decision on this matter;
3.Encourages Parties and signatories to follow the lead of Australia, Japan and Switzerland in providing funding to the Basel Convention Partnership Programme and becoming actively involved in the programme;
4.Encourages broader civil society, including environmental non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in particular industry, to provide technical and financial support for the Basel Convention Partnership Programme and to become involved in specific activities at the regional, national and international levels.
Annex to decision VII/3 on the Basel Convention Partnership ProgrammeBasel Convention Partnership Programme: 2005–2006 work plan
A. - Background
1.At its sixth meeting, in Geneva in December 2002, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention agreed in decisions VI/32 to develop a work programme for cooperation with industry and business sectors and environmental non-governmental organizations with the aim of developing strategic partnerships relevant to the implementation of the Convention, its amendments and protocols.
2.This document outlines a work programme that responds to that decision. In particular, it:
(a)Takes into account activities for 2003–2004 under the Strategic Plan for the Implementation of the Basel Convention;
(b)Takes into account the Basel Convention regional centres as potential delivery mechanisms for the promotion and nurturing of public-private partnerships that take into consideration regional or subregional specificities;
(c)Supports the aims of the Basel Declaration on Environmentally Sound Management;
(d)Recognizes and complements existing initiatives and projects.
B. - Introduction
3.The worldwide environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes as called for in the Basel Declaration on Environmentally Sound Management requires action at all levels of society. Training, information, communication, methodological tools, capacity-building with financial support, transfer of know-how, knowledge and sound and proven cleaner technologies and processes are driving factors to assist in the concrete implementation of the Basel Declaration.
4.The effective involvement and coordination by all concerned stakeholders is seen as essential for achieving the aims of the Basel Declaration.
5.The challenge is to find and develop practical, sustainable solutions to de-link economic development and the waste it traditionally generates. Alternative development models do exist. Industry and Governments have begun to embrace cleaner production technologies and extend producer liability, which provides built-in incentives for greener, less wasteful production and products.
6.Growth in partnerships is hindered by a broad perception that the Basel Convention deals only with hazardous wastes and/or only with the transboundary movement of such wastes. This is particularly acute when the Convention seeks to engage industry in the end-of-life implications of products which during their life are not hazardous or wastes. Conversely, considerable potential exists for a broader interpretation of the role of the Basel Convention as an instrument contributing to effective life cycle management of materials and products – e.g., in areas of waste minimization, design for environment, cleaner production and changing consumption patterns, as well as management of wastes, including municipal wastes.
C. - General principles
1. - Rights and responsibilities
7.Partnerships cannot create or abrogate rights or responsibilities of Parties under the Basel Convention.
8.The Partnership Programme is under the authority of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention.
2. - United Nations guidelines for cooperation with the business community
9.Irrespective of any situation-specific nature, the Partnership Programme supports and is consistent with the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Global Compact. United Nations guidelines1 stipulate that cooperative arrangements should be guided by the following general principles:1Building Partnerships: Cooperation between the United Nations and the Business Community (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.I.12).
(a)Advance United Nations goals: The objectives need to be articulated clearly and must advance United Nations goals as laid out in the Charter of the United Nations;
(b)Clear delineation of responsibilities and roles: The arrangements must be based on a clear understanding of respective roles and expectations, with accountability and a clear division of responsibilities;
(c)Maintain integrity and independence: Arrangements should not diminish the United Nations’ integrity, independence and impartiality;
(d)No unfair advantage: Every member of the business community should have the opportunity to propose cooperative arrangements, within the parameters of these guidelines. Cooperation should not imply endorsement or preference of a particular business entity or its products or services;
(e)Transparency: Cooperation with the business sector must be transparent. Information on the nature and scope of cooperative arrangements should be available within the organization and to the public at large.
D. - Programme objectives
Terms: Trade
10.Given the size and nature of the waste challenge and the call on both expertise and resources (internal and external), the Basel Convention Partnership Programme is focused on the following objectives:
(a)To initiate and oversee practical project activity in priority areas, with particular regard to the generation, movement and environmentally sound management of waste and active promotion of the transfer and use of cleaner technologies;
(b)To broaden the resource and support base of the Convention, particularly through:
(i)Improved local and regional participation;
(ii)Improved analysis, understanding and political support for the broadest programme perspective of the role of the Basel Convention in the waste challenge;
(iii)Enhanced access to external expertise and resources (for example, from industry, environmental non-governmental organizations, philanthropic organizations and other United Nations agencies and regional and national authorities);
(c)To improve stakeholder participation and communication.
E. - Priority areas
11.The Strategic Plan for the Implementation of the Basel Convention to 2010, adopted at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (December 2002), identifies priority waste streams as including electronic wastes, used lead-acid batteries, used oils, obsolete stocks of pesticides, PCBs, dioxins/furans, by-products from the dismantling of ships, biomedical wastes and healthcare wastes. At the first meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (April–May 2003) it was agreed to fund a new partnership with municipalities for the environmentally sound management of hazardous waste in urban areas2. These priorities are, or may be, included in the Basel Convention Partnership Programme.2Decision OEWG-I/1.
12.Other partnership opportunities will arise periodically that require a timely response from the Secretariat of the Basel Convention. The Secretariat will assess and initiate responses to these opportunities as required.
13.Programme activities encompassed within the above programme objectives are represented in table 1.
F. - Stakeholders
14.The engagement of civil society is a priority for the Partnership Programme. Partnership initiatives should fully involve environmental and other non-governmental organizations, along with industry leaders.
15.The Basel Convention Partnership Programme recognizes old friends but acknowledges that sustained interest in the waste challenge and the broadening programme perspective needed of the Convention will require additional partners.
16.There is also a need to look beyond the traditional environmental non-governmental organizations if the Basel Convention is to succeed in developing strategic alliances with organizations with potentially related agendas (e.g., non-governmental organizations involved in poverty reduction, economic or social development, health promotion or occupational health and safety issues) and foundations involved in broader philanthropic work.
17.Basel Convention regional centres have a key role to play both in promoting the Convention amongst potential partners and in providing capacity-building, training and other services at the regional level.
18.Stakeholders will vary according to the particular project or initiative. The criteria for selection of partners will include:
(a)Demonstrated commitment to the principles, practice and promulgation of the concept of environmentally sound management;
(b)Demonstrated commitment to engage in meaningful dialogue and cooperation with other partners, the Parties and signatories to the Basel Convention, Basel Convention regional centres, and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention;
(c)Demonstrated expertise or standing in the subject of the particular project or initiative;
(d)Demonstrated networking capacity.
19.The involvement of partners will at all times be voluntary.
Table 1Basel Convention Partnership Programme Work plan 2005-2006
ObjectiveProgramme elementsKey activitiesPerformance indicators
1Initiate and oversee practical project activity in priority areas, with particular regard to the generation, movement and environmentally sound management of waste and active promotion of the transfer and use of cleaner technologiesCooperative project development and implementationAwareness‑raisingStakeholder participation1. Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative2. Personal computers3. Obsolete stocks of pesticides in Africa4. Used oils partnership for Africa5. Biological and medical waste6. Used lead-acid batteries7. Partnerships with municipalities for the environmentally sound management of hazardous waste in urban areasEffective partnerships established with relevant stakeholders to support environmentally sound management activities for priority waste streams identified in the strategic plan; Ratification and implementation of the Basel Convention, its protocols, amendments and decisions
2Broaden the resource and support base of the ConventionAwareness raisingFundraisingStakeholder participationDevelop and implement a fundraising programmeIdentify and contact likely donorsImproved local and regional participationImproved analysis, understanding and political supportEnhanced access to external expertise and resources (for example, from industry, environmental non-governmental organizations, philanthropic organizations and other United Nations agencies and regional and national authorities)
3Improve stakeholder participation and communicationStakeholder participationCommunications and public affairs activitiesEstablishment of a Basel Convention partners forum(Aimed at formalizing regular discussion between non-governmental organization partners of the Convention)Improved support from key industry and non-governmental organization leaders for the aims of the Basel ConventionImproved support for Basel Convention regional centresImproved Convention newsletter