Environmental group urges gov’t to ratify Basel Ban Amendment

The Philippines is at risk of being the world’s toxic dumping ground if it does not fast-track its own ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment.

Environmental justice group BAN Toxics is calling on the government anew to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment amid its entry into force, following the recent submission of Croatia’s instrument of ratification to the United Nations.

The amendment, adopted by the parties to the Basel Convention in 1995, prohibits the export of hazardous wastes from member states of the European Union, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Liechtenstein, to poorer countries, regardless of whether they are for recycling or not.

“This is a very historic moment, given what poorer countries had to endure in dealing with the trash dumped by richer countries such as Canada, US, Japan, South Korea and many other developed countries,” BAN Toxics executive director Reynaldo San Juan said.

“The enforcement of the Basel Ban Amendment is environmental justice at work. But in the absence of our own government’s ratification, we are at risk of receiving more toxic wastes because the Basel Ban primarily protects countries (that) ratified it,” he added.

The Philippines is a signatory to the Basel Convention, but it has yet to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment.

“This means that we are in the crosshairs of waste traders from developed countries, and their choices have since become narrower because of the Basel Ban’s enforcement in other developing countries,” San Juan said.

With Croatia’s ratification, a total of 97 countries have now ratified the ban and, most crucially, the necessary three-fourths of the parties that were present and voting in 1995.

The agreement will become a new Article in the Convention and will enter into force for the 97 countries after 90 days, or on Dec. 5 this year.