The Basel Convention

This is the principal agreement for the movement of hazardous waste on which other regional agreements are based. It was developed by the United Nations Development Programme and came into force in 1992. Of the 173 parties to the Convention, only Afghanistan, Haiti and the United States have signed the Convention but have not yet ratified it.

The Convention imposes two kinds of obligations on parties:

  • to control the export and import of hazardous wastes, to provide for notification and consent and to track shipments to environmentally sound disposal
  • to minimise the movement and generation of hazardous wastes and to ensure hazardous wastes are disposed of in an environmentally sound and efficient manner.


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Last updated:15 March 2011