A two day National consultation workshop on Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention) and Facilitation of the Entry into Force of the Ban Amendment commenced today at Salt Conference hall in Male’. The workshop was inaugurated by Minister of State Mr Abdullahi Majeed and Ms Yvonne Ewang from the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions. During the opening remarks Mr Abullahi Majeed stressed the importance of managing hazardous waste and other waste in an environmentally sound manner to ensure protection of the environment and economic prosperity of the country.

He also gave an update on the government efforts to ratify the Ban Amendment and stated that the government is waiting for parliament approval for the Ban Amendment. The consultation was attended by key stakeholders relevant to the national implementation of the Convention. The key objectives of the workshop are to strengthen national efforts to fulfill the national obligation of the Basel convention and raise awareness on the Convention and provide assistance to ratify the Ban Amendment. Maldives being a party to the Basel Convention, exporters of hazardous wastes are required to notify Environmental Protection Agency, prior to the export of hazardous wastes. The Waste Management Regulation enacted in 2013 lists hazardous waste that are controlled in the Maldives and that requires special permission before exporting.

The Ban Amendment of the Basel Convention prohibits export of hazardous wastes from countries listed in Annex VII of the convention (Parties and other States which are members of the OECD, EC, Liechtenstein) to countries not listed therein.