Thirteenth meeting of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee

Geneva, Switzerland from 07 to 10 September 2018 and supplementary online session on 30 October 2018

Venue: Room Aare, International Environment House II, 7-9 chemin de Balexert, CH-1219 Châtelaine

Summary of outcomes: The Committee considered 10 specific submissions, general issues of implementation and compliance, and its draft 2020-2021 work programme.

With respect to the specific submissions, 9 Parties attended the meeting and the Committee adopted 6 decisions whereby it concluded that the matter of concern had been resolved. This concerned submissions regarding Cabo Verde, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Libya, Oman and Turkmenistan. In its decision pertaining to the self-submission by Central African Republic, the Committee approved this Party’s compliance action plan and recommended that the Executive Secretary use resources in the implementation fund of up to USD 20’000.- to fund activities listed in the plan. With respect to the extended Secretariat trigger, the Committee recommended to the Conference of the Parties that it not confirm the extension of the Secretariat’s trigger pertaining to national definitions of hazardous wastes, import/exports restrictions and prohibitions, and updated information with respect to country contacts, national definitions of hazardous wastes, import/exports restrictions and prohibitions.

Under its general review mandate, the Committee, among other things, reviewed the classification of Parties’ compliance performance with national reporting for 2014 and 2015, review a benchmark national report and developed a set of recommendations on how to improve the timeliness and completeness of reporting for the consideration of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The Committee also continued its consideration of four draft guidance documents that were consulted with OEWG-11, namely the guide on the development of legal frameworks, guidance on improving national reporting, guidance on insurance, bond and guarantee and guidance on transit transboundary movements. With respect to the development of legal frameworks and preventing and combating illegal traffic, the Committee also developed a set of recommendations on how to improve implementation for the consideration of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Finally, the Committee considered a report on the review of the operation of the implementation fund, including links with the Secretariat’s technical assistance plan (document UNEP/CHW.13/INF/36), notably in relation to access to technical and financial support.

The Committee also prepared its draft 2020-2021 work programme which was consulted with Parties in advance of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

On Monday 10 September, the Committee suspended its thirteenth meeting. The meeting was resumed through a supplementary online session on 30 October 2018. At that time, the Committee continued its consideration of five specific submissions regarding Bhutan, Eritrea, Liberia, Oman and Togo. The Committee also finalized the guide on the development of legal frameworks, the guidance on improving national reporting, the benchmark national report and the guidance on insurance, bond and guarantee. All four guidance documents will be made available for consideration and possible adoption to the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

The face-to-face meeting of the Committee took place back-to-back to the eleventh meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and was chaired by Mr. Juan Simonelli (Argentina). The Government of Switzerland provided generous financial support to enable the participation of representatives concerned by a submission to participate in the meeting.

During its thirteenth meeting, the Committee invited Parties and others to provide comments, please visit the "Call for information and follow-up to ICC-13" page.

Organizer: Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Working Language: English

Meeting documents

  • Working documents
  • Information documents

Photo gallery

Thirteenth meeting of the Basel Convention Implementation and Compliance Committee - September 7-10, 2018, Geneva, Switzerland