ID :
10910
Thu, 06/26/2008 - 14:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10910
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MINISTERS STARTING HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS AT BASEL CONVENTION MEETING IN BALI
Nusa Dua, Bali, June 26 (ANTARA) - At least 15 environmental affairs ministers were expected on Thursday to start high-level discussions at the ongoing Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-9) to the Basel Convention which has been going on at Nusa Dua, Bali, since June 23, 2008.
The meeting which will close on Friday (June 27) arrived at the final stage of discussions despite the persistence of some disagreements, especially on waste import-export bans, according to Agus Purnomo, head of the Indonesian delegation here on Thursday.
"An amendment providing for import-export bans is expected to be included only in the president's summary but negotiations on the issue are not likely end in an agreement," he said.
The deadlock in discussing the waste import-export bans issue was due to contradictions between the interests of developing countries and those of developed countries, he said. Therefore, the meeting was expected not to yield a binding decision.
But Indonesia at least had shown to the world it has tried and invited other countries to agree on waste import-export bans, although the meeting might not reach an agreement on the matter, he said.
However, Indonesia would not give up and would continue to lobby other countries, he added.
The conference in Bali discussed five issues, namely waste handling, legal aspects of waste import bans, strengthening cooperation with other related conventions, regional cooperation in strengthening the Basel Convention's position, and holding a world forum on waste management related to human health.
As an archipelagic country located strategically Indonesia is prone to smuggling and illegal shipment of hazardous wastes.
The conference is expected to yield an agreement on cooperation in and regulation of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and waste disposal in the respective countries.
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is the most comprehensive global environmental treaty on hazardous and other wastes. The Convention was adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992.
It has 170 member countries (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. Indonesia ratified the Convention in 1993.
The meeting which will close on Friday (June 27) arrived at the final stage of discussions despite the persistence of some disagreements, especially on waste import-export bans, according to Agus Purnomo, head of the Indonesian delegation here on Thursday.
"An amendment providing for import-export bans is expected to be included only in the president's summary but negotiations on the issue are not likely end in an agreement," he said.
The deadlock in discussing the waste import-export bans issue was due to contradictions between the interests of developing countries and those of developed countries, he said. Therefore, the meeting was expected not to yield a binding decision.
But Indonesia at least had shown to the world it has tried and invited other countries to agree on waste import-export bans, although the meeting might not reach an agreement on the matter, he said.
However, Indonesia would not give up and would continue to lobby other countries, he added.
The conference in Bali discussed five issues, namely waste handling, legal aspects of waste import bans, strengthening cooperation with other related conventions, regional cooperation in strengthening the Basel Convention's position, and holding a world forum on waste management related to human health.
As an archipelagic country located strategically Indonesia is prone to smuggling and illegal shipment of hazardous wastes.
The conference is expected to yield an agreement on cooperation in and regulation of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and waste disposal in the respective countries.
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is the most comprehensive global environmental treaty on hazardous and other wastes. The Convention was adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992.
It has 170 member countries (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. Indonesia ratified the Convention in 1993.
