B3.6.2 The Basel Convention
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes. The Convention has 172 Parties and aims to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation, management, transboundary movements and disposal of hazardous and other wastes.
A central goal of the Basel Convention is “environmentally sound management” (ESM), the aim of which is to protect human health and the environment by minimizing hazardous waste production whenever possible. ESM means addressing the issue through an “integrated life-cycle approach”, which involves strong controls from the generation of a hazardous waste to its storage, transport, treatment, reuse, recycling, recovery and final disposal.
The Basel Convention came into force in 1992.
The Basel Convention (1989) is a global agreement addressing the problems and challenges posed by hazardous waste. Its objectives are to
- minimize the generation of hazardous waste, according to quantity and level of hazardousness;
- dispose hazardous wastes as close to the source of generation as possible; and
- reduce the movement of hazardous waste.
A central goal of the convention is environmentally sound management (EMS) which means addressing the issue through an “integrated life-cycle approach”. This approach involves strong controls from the time the hazardous waste is generated to its storage, transport, treatment, reuse, recycling, recovery, and final disposal.
© 2008 WGEA