Regional Project Inception Workshop – Update of National Implementation Plans (NIPs), Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Inventories and Related Capacity Development for Eight Countries in the Caribbean

As part of the continued implementation of the five (5) year regional project, Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Caribbean, the services of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) was procured for a two (2) year period in support of fulfilment of Output 1.1 of the project: ‘Updated NIPs including the conduct of in-country inventories of new POPs added to the Stockholm Convention’. To this end, a Regional Inception Workshop was hosted by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region (BCRC-Caribbean) at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, Port of Spain, Trinidad from November 8^th to 10^th, 2016, with the primary function of formally initiating CARPHA’s duties.  

Workshop participants at the Regional Project Inception Workshop.
Ms. Gardiner is pictured in the front row, fifth from the right.

The key objectives of this Workshop, which was facilitated by the team from CARPHA, were to:

Introduce CARPHA to the regional project team; Provide an update on the status of implementation of existing NIP action plans; Present CARPHA’s draft work implementation plan for updating the NIPs, POPs inventories and Capacity Development; and to Train the regional project team on the assessment of newly listed POPs.

The Project Steering Committee members, that is, the Chairperson and National Project Coordinator from each of the eight participating countries, as well as CARPHA’s Thematic Task Team were the key attendees at this session. On the opening day each country was invited to present on the national status of their NIP, the legal and regulatory situation of POPs, the status of their POPs inventory, and a general overview of chemical and waste management in their country.

Ms. Gardiner, the Chairperson of the national Project Working Committee.

 presenting on behalf of the delegation from Trinidad and Tobago

Tenth Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Basel Convention

The tenth meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG-10) of the Basel Convention on Controlling transboundary movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was held from 30^th May to June 2^nd, 2016 at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. 

As a Party to the Basel Convention, Trinidad and Tobago participated and was represented by Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Engineering Specialist of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division. Also in attendance were Dominica who represented the CARICOM Sub-Region along with Trinidad and Tobago as well as observers from Non-Party states, representatives from Basel Convention Regional Centres, academia, industry, IGOs and NGOs. 

Ms. Gardiner (second from the left) participating at the OEWG-10 in Kenya on May 20th—June 2nd, 2016.

Matters discussed included:

• technical guidelines on environmentally sound management of waste
• guidelines for the national reporting on e-waste, used lead batteries and waste oil
• the Cartagena Declaration  with emphasis on technology transfer as proffered by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC)
• the proposed partnership on household waste, and the developments with the World Customs Organisation (*This was important as Trinidad and Tobago has embarked on an exercise to establish an Import and Export Licensing System)

The proceedings at OEWG-10 was a useful platform to monitor the progress of implementation of the decisions adopted at the twelfth meeting of the COP (COP-12), while setting the framework for prioritizing action in preparation for the upcoming COP. As an active participant at this forum, Trinidad and Tobago is in an advantageous position to build on the momentum created and have more profound engagements at upcoming COP in 2017.

National Legislative Ammendments in accordance with the Basel Convention

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, was developed in response to concerns internationally, involving the dramatic rise in the illegal shipment of hazardous waste from developed countries for disposal in developing countries and Eastern Europe. Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the Basel Convention in 1994, and as such the country is obligated to ensure that such waste is managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

The country has experienced ad hoc incidents involving the unauthorised entry of hazardous chemicals and waste into the country. Although these were fortunately detected by the Customs and Excise Division, as they were in contravention with a list of permissible substances on their check system, all the hazardous substances as listed under the Basel Convention are not currently included in that system. Thus, the country remains at risk for future illegal trafficking of hazardous waste.

In response to this issue, the EPPD initiated a series of mechanisms to make amendments to the Import and Export Negative Lists, which would by extension give the force of law nationally to the implementation of the Basel Convention. More specifically, the objective is to establish an Import and Export Licensing System, through the inclusion of those Basel Convention hazardous wastes that are of major concern locally on to the Import and Export Negative Lists respectively.

This will serve two main functions:

•  the restriction of the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes across the country’s borders and;
•  the creation of a regulatory mechanism to monitor and control by way of documentation of the  hazardous waste being transported. 

Consultations have been ongoing with key stakeholders, namely the Customs and Excise Division, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) as the Competent Authority under the Basel Convention and the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Thus far progress has been positive and the key stakeholders have been very active and accommodating. It is anticipated that the final steps on this matter would be implemented in the not too distant future.

 

Meetings of the COP to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

 

The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-12), the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-7) and the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-7) were held back-to-back from 4^th to 15^th May, 2015. 

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which was represented by Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Engineering Specialist, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources participated as a Party to these three multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), which are commonly referred to as the BRS Conventions. Trinidad and Tobago was amongst  one hundred and sixty-four (164) country Parties in attendance. 

Ms. Gardiner (far left) and Dr. Ahmad Khan; Director, Basel Regional Convention Centre for the Caribbean (far right) participating in the Contact Group on Technical  Assistance and  Financial  Resources

The theme of this year’s COP was ‘From Science to Action, Working for a Safer  Tomorrow’.  The two weeks of discussions at the 2015 Meeting of the BRS COPs focused on inter alia, proposals for the organisation of the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and  Stockholm Conventions; joint activities for the biennium 2016-2017, budget for the biennium 2016-2017, strategies to improve performance of the respective Conventions and the outcome of strategic issues within the various Conventions.

Trinidad and Tobago reiterated the Government’s commitment towards the operationalisation of the    Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean, and by extension signaled to the Caribbean region and the  international community, the level of commitment of the country towards the implementation of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions.