For ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment: Letters to several States

In May 2019, the Special Rapporteur wrote to several governments urging them to expedite ratification of the "Ban Amendment" to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. This amendment prohibits hazardous waste exports from Member States of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union, and Liechtenstein, to developing countries.

At a time when the People's Republic of China and other States have placed import bans and restrictions on waste from foreign countries, the Special Rapporteur raised his concern about redirection of this waste to various other countries because it stands to exacerbate already-existing environmental and social challenges in these countries.

Letters to states and responses

• Bahamas (OL BHS 1/2019)
• Brazil (OL BRA 7/2019, with response dated 26 Jul 2019)
• Comoros (OL COM 1/2019)
• Costa Rica (OL CRI 2/2019)
• Croatia (OL CRO 2/2019, with response dated 24 Jun 2019)
• Cuba (OL CUB 3/2019)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (OL COD 3/2019)
• Pakistan (OL PAK 3/2019)
• Republic of Korea (KOR 1/2020)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (OL KNA 1/2019)
• Senegal (OL SEN 1/2019)
• Viet Nam (OL VNM 3/2019)

Ban Amendment becomes international law

Following the ratification of Saint Kitts and Nevis on 29 August 2019, and of Croatia on 6 September 2019, the Ban Amendment became international law, and entered into force in December 2019.