Work programme (2020–2021)

The work programme 2020-2021 of the Committee was adopted by Decision BC-14/15 and is set out in the annex to that decision. In addition, the Conference of the Parties in the same decision mandated the Committee to undertake two additional tasks under its mandate to review general issues of implementation and compliance under the Convention. The generous financial contribution from Norway is hereby acknowledged. This funding has enabled the Committee to undertake several activities of its work programme.

I.     Review of general issues of compliance and implementation under the Convention

Objective Activity

1. National reporting

Improve timely and complete national reporting under paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the Convention

(a)  Classify and, as appropriate, publish information on Parties’ compliance with their annual national reporting obligations for 2016 and 2017 based on the assumptions, criteria and categories adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth meeting[1] and the targets adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth meeting[2];

(b)  Develop recommendations on the revision of targets referred to in paragraph 13 of decision BC-14/15 for the reports due for 2018 and subsequent years;

(c)  With a view to increasing the completeness and timeliness of national reporting under paragraph 3 of Article 13, explore how individual Parties can integrate national reporting needs under the Basel Convention into the United Nations Development Assistance Framework;

(d)  Monitor the activities undertaken by or with the support of the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres, the United Nations Environment Programme and other entities aimed at assisting Parties to transmit national reports and develop recommendations on improving implementation and compliance with paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the Convention;

(e)  Develop recommendations on how best to make use of the information contained in the national reports as a means of improving timeliness and completeness of national reporting under paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the Basel Convention.

(f)  Consider elaborating and further assessing measures not included under paragraphs 20 (a) and (b) of the terms of reference of the Committee that may be required when a Party has not submitted its national report for two or more years since the report due in 2016, and to report to the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting (see paragraph 19 of decision BC-14/15)

2. Illegal traffic

Prevent and combat illegal traffic

(a) Based on the information provided by Parties in table 9 of their national reports, the forms for confirmed cases of illegal traffic notified to the Secretariat and information provided by relevant international organizations and entities such as the International Criminal Police Organization, World Customs Organization, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations University, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres and European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law, undertake a scoping exercise of the extent of illegal traffic with a view to estimating: (i) how many cases of illegal traffic there are; (ii) with respect to which wastes; (iii) in which regions; and (iv) how they were resolved;

(b) To better assist Parties to enhance coordination between their competent authorities and enforcement entities, taking into account the information set out in document UNEP/CHW.14/23–UNEP/FAO/RC/COP.9/19–UNEP/POPS/COP.9/26, develop a better understanding of the reasons for: (i) any shortcomings in establishing coordination mechanisms; (ii) the limited amount of information on illegal traffic shared with the Secretariat; and (iii) what can be done to enhance coordination and increase the flow of information;

(c) Establish a dialogue with other multilateral environmental agreements with international trade control regimes to learn from their experience;

(d) Review the information provided by Parties in response to question 1 (c) of the reporting format and make recommendations to improve the implementation of paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 4 of the Convention as they relate to preventing and combating illegal traffic;

(e) Review existing cooperative arrangements with international organizations or entities with a mandate regarding preventing and combating illegal traffic (including the International Criminal Police Organization, World Customs Organization, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations University, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres and European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law), including the terms of reference of the Environmental Network for Optimizing Regulatory Compliance on Illegal Traffic (ENFORCE), with a view to strengthening such arrangements;

(f) Explore modalities for disseminating, especially to enforcement entities, existing guidance and technical assistance tools developed under the Convention to assist Parties to prevent and combat illegal traffic;

(g) Oversee the activities undertaken under the Convention to prevent and combat illegal traffic more effectively and develop recommendations to improve implementation and compliance with Article 9 of the Convention.

3. National legislation

Improve implementation of and compliance with paragraph 4 of Article 4 and paragraph 5 of Article 9 of the Convention

(a) Invite Parties to undertake a self-review of their legislation for implementing the Convention, using the legislator’s checklist[3], and to consider general trends;

(b) Monitor progress achieved by Parties in transmitting to the Secretariat texts of national legislation and other measures adopted by them to implement and enforce the Convention;

(c) Monitor requests for information received by the Secretariat from Parties aimed at facilitating the development and review of national legal frameworks, as well as the technical assistance activities of the Secretariat aimed at promoting the implementation of paragraph 4 of Article 4 and paragraph 5 of Article 9 of the Convention;

(d) Monitor activities undertaken by or with the support of the Basel Convention regional and coordinating centres, the United Nations Environment Programme and other entities aimed at assisting Parties to develop legal frameworks for the implementation of the Basel Convention;

(e) Develop recommendations on how to improve implementation of and compliance with paragraph 4 of Article 4 and paragraph 5 of Article 9 of the Convention, taking into account activity 2 (d) of the work programme.

4. Control system

Improve the implementation of and compliance with Article 6 of the Convention.

(a) Review the information provided by Parties in response to questions 3 (g) and 3 (h) of the reporting format;

(b) Finalize guidance on the implementation of paragraph 4 of Article 6 of the Convention[4] by inviting and taking into account any additional comments from Parties and observers, including the World Customs Organization, through consultation with the Open ended Working Group and through targeted exchanges with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, for consideration and possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting.

(c) Invite comments from Parties and others on the guidance to improve the implementation of paragraph 11 of Article 6 of the Convention, on insurance, bond and guarantee[5] by 30 September 2019; review and update the guidance, as needed, for consultation with the Open ended Working Group at its twelfth meeting; and prepare a revised version of the guidance for consideration and possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting (see paragraph 26 of decision BC-14/15).

5. Review and updating

Generally improve the implementation of and compliance with the Convention.

Regularly review the guidance on legal matters developed by the Committee (e.g., the Manual for the Implementation of the Basel Convention, the guide to the control system and the guidance on illegal traffic), based on periodic feedback from users and suggestions from stakeholders and in the light of decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties, and make recommendations to the Conference of the Parties on their updating.

II.     Specific submissions regarding Party implementation and compliance

  1. The Committee shall accord priority to dealing with specific submissions regarding Party implementation and compliance received or initiated in accordance with paragraph 9 of the terms of reference of the mechanism for promoting implementation and compliance.
  2. In relation to the implementation fund, the Committee shall make recommendations to the Executive Secretary on the allocation of the available resources from the implementation fund during the period between the fourteenth and fifteenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties to assist Parties in the context of the facilitation procedure set out in paragraphs 19 and 20 of the terms of reference of the mechanism for promoting implementation and compliance. The resources are intended to fund activities listed in the compliance action plans presented by Parties in relation to specific submissions and approved by the Committee.

-------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Decision BC-13/9, para. 12.

[2] Decision BC-14/15.

[3] See Manual for the Implementation of the Basel Convention, annex I. .

[4] UNEP/CHW.14/INF/26.

[5] UNEP/CHW.14/13/Add.3.