UNITED
NATIONSBC
UNEP/CHW.14/INF/16/Rev.1
Distr.: General
11 June 2019English only

Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention
on the Control of Transboundary Movements ofHazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Fourteenth meeting
Geneva, 29 April–10 May 2019
Agenda item 4 (b) (v)Matters related to the implementation of the Convention:scientific and technical matters: marine plastic litter andmicroplastics

Terms of reference for the Basel Convention Partnership on
Plastic Waste and workplan for the working group of thePartnership on Plastic Waste for the biennium 2020–2021
Note by the Secretariat
At its fourteenth meeting, the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Controlof Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, in its decision BC-14/13,
established a working group of the Basel Convention Partnership on Plastic Waste, adopted the termsof reference for the Partnership and requested the working group to implement the workplan for thebiennium 2020−2021. The terms of reference and the workplan as referenced in decision BC-14/13 are
set out in annexes I and II to the present note, respectively. The present note, including its annexes, has
not been formally edited.

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Annex I
Terms of reference for the Basel Convention Partnership on Plastic
Waste
I. Goal1.
The goal of the Partnership is to improve and promote the environmentally sound managementof plastic waste at the global, regional and national levels and prevent and minimize their generation
so as to, among other things, reduce significantly and in the long-term eliminate the discharge ofplastic waste and microplastics into the environment, in particular the marine environment.

II. Scope
2.
The Partnership covers all plastic waste, including wastes containing plastics, generated
nationally and disposed of at the national level as well as those which are imported or exported for
disposal operations, taking into account the entire life cycle of plastics.

III. Overall tasks
3.

The overall tasks of the Partnership are the following:(a) Collect information and undertake analysis on environmental, health, economic andsocial impacts of global, regional and national policy frameworks and strategies relevant toprevention, minimization, collection and environmentally sound management of plastic waste;(b) Identify the gaps and barriers to the prevention, minimization, collection andenvironmentally sound management of plastic waste and identify best practices, lessons learnt andpossible solutions to the same;(c)
Promote the development of policy, regulation and strategies on the prevention andminimization of plastic waste, in particular in relation to single-use plastics, inter alia, via better
design and innovation to improve durability, reusability, repairability and recyclability of plastics andto avoid hazardous substances in plastics and on environmentally sound management of plastic waste,taking into account the entire life cycle of plastics;(d) Advance the prevention, minimization, collection and environmentally soundmanagement of plastic waste;(e)

Undertake pilot projects which support the delivery of the other overall tasks;(f)Collect, analyse and consider possibilities to improve information on transboundary
movements of plastic waste;(g) Facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building, technical advice, and technology
transfer to strengthen and implement policies, strategies, public-private initiatives for the prevention,
minimization, collection and environmentally sound management of plastic waste;(h) Undertake and/or contribute to outreach, education and awareness raising activities towidely disseminate the information and knowledge gathered and generated through the activities of
the Partnership;(i)

Encourage and promote relevant innovation, research and development.

IV. Working principles
4.

The working principles of the Partnership are the following:(a)
To promote action and dialogue among governments, regional and local authorities,
Regional Seas Programmes, intergovernmental organizations, private sector, non-governmentalorganizations and academia on initiatives that could be carried out in different regions;(b)
To foster best practice solutions showing concrete and practical results consistent with
the Basel Convention;(c)
To coordinate and cooperate as appropriate, in relation to the goal referred to above,with other activities under the Convention, including the Partnership on Household Waste and the2

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updating of the technical guidelines on plastic waste, as well as with bodies and activities outside theConvention such as the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and other initiatives, and build on theexisting body of knowledge on best practices, successes and challenges, realized at the local, regionaland global levels.

V. Duration
5.
The Partnership working group shall be disbanded upon completion of the activities under its
workplan approved by the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention unless the Conference of
the Parties decides to extend the mandate. The Partnership working group may be disbanded by the
Conference of the Parties at any time.

VI. Organization
6.

The Partnership shall be organized as follows:(a)Working group of the Partnership established by the Conference of the Parties to theBasel Convention in its decision BC-14/13;(b)Project groups established by the working group.

VII. Working group
A.

Operation of the working group
7.
The working group of the Partnership shall operate under the guidance of and reports to theOpen-ended Working Group and the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, through theSecretariat.
8.
The rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention apply mutatis
mutandis to the working group, unless otherwise provided in the present terms of reference.
9.
The working group is responsible for overseeing organizational matters pertaining to theimplementation of the activities of the Partnership, in particular the following:(a)Oversee and ensure timely implementation of the workplan approved by the
Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention;(b)
Set priorities based on the workplan and prepare a draft workplan of the Partnership forthe next biennium as needed;(c)
Establish project groups as necessary, to work on specific tasks to assist in theundertaking of activities falling within the mandate of the working group;(d)
Coordinate activities within the Partnership, in particular between the project groups
and the working group;(e)Oversee activities of the project groups, and play an active role in conflict resolution;(f)

Review and approve work products and reports prepared by project groups;(g)Take the lead in awareness raising, outreach, coordination and resource mobilization in
relation to activities undertaken by the project groups;(h)Partnership;

Prepare appropriate and sustainable financial arrangement proposals for the(i)Liaise with the Secretariat to provide financial reports on the Partnership funds retainedin the Basel Convention Technical Cooperation Trust Fund and prepare an annual budget for thePartnership;(j)
Liaise with the Secretariat to conclude relevant legal instruments with partners on
financial arrangements as needed;(k)Report through the Secretariat progress on the implementation of the workplan of thePartnership to the Open-ended Working Group and the Conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention.
10.
Members of the working group should meet at least once a year, face-to-face or by electronicmeans, subject to the availability of resources.
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11.
The working group coordinates and collaborates, as appropriate, on activities with otherorganizations and initiatives to establish synergies and prevent duplication.

B.

Membership
12.
Participation in the Partnership is voluntary. Membership of the working group is open to
Parties to the Basel Convention and others dealing with the different aspects of prevention,
minimization and management of plastic waste as well as the Basel and Stockholm Conventions
Regional and Coordinating Centres and the Regional Seas Programmes, which have specific expertiseand experience required for the activities of the Partnership, and which satisfy the following criteria:(a) Demonstrated commitment to the principles, practice and promulgation of the conceptof environmentally sound management pursuant to the Basel Convention;(b) Demonstrated commitment to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue andcooperation with other partners;(c)Demonstrated expertise or standing in the subject of the particular project or initiative;(d) Demonstrated disposition to be proactive, collaborative, and solution-oriented withrespect to the goal of the Partnership;(e) Demonstrated commitment and ability to provide annual membership pledges inaccordance with the financial arrangements in paragraph 30 below as a prerequisite for membership in
the working group;(f) Demonstrated networking capacity and commitment to follow the procedures andpractices provided in the present terms of reference.
13.
Parties and others may nominate initial members of the working group fulfilling the above
criteria to the Secretariat. Initial admission to the working group shall be subject to confirmation by
the Secretariat that the criteria have been met. The Secretariat maintains the roster of membership andshall make it available on the website of the Convention.
14.
Subsequently, admission and suspension of membership to the working group shall be decided
by the working group. Any entity that is not a Party or an observer wishing to be admitted as amember of the working group should apply for observer status in accordance with the relevant
procedure and be admitted as such.1
15.
Members of the working group should seek to achieve a membership that includes a diversity
and balance of gender, stakeholders and geographic regions.

C.

Officers
16.
The working group elects among its members two co-chairs, one of which must come from a
Party to the Convention, and such other officers as it deems necessary, with due regard to equitable
geographical balance, gender balance and the diversity in the working group membership.
17.

The responsibilities of the Officers include:(a)Prepare and conduct meetings of the working group, including deciding on the dates,
form and venue of the meetings, prepare a draft agenda for consideration by the working group, decide
whether experts should be invited to attend specific meetings and prepare minutes of meetings;(b)
Prepare a draft list of tasks with timelines, based on the available resources, the termsof reference and the workplan adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention andthe guidance from the Open-ended Working Group, for consideration and adoption by the working
group;(c)Coordinate the working group’s activities, including between the meetings of theworking group;(d)Secretariat;

Liaise between the working group and the project groups, and, if required, the(e)Assist the working group in its responsibilities as required by the working group;(f)

Assist in attracting new members to the Partnership;

1 http://www.basel.int/Procedures/AdmissionofObservers/tabid/3658/Default.aspx.

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UNEP/CHW.14/INF/16/Rev.1(g)
Report at meetings of the Open-ended Working Group and the Conference of theParties to the Basel Convention on the activities of the working group.
18.
If an officer resigns or is otherwise unable to continue with its functions, the working groupwill consider the need to elect a replacement.

D.

Invited experts and observers
19.
Officers may decide to invite non-member experts possessing specialized technical knowledge
on an issue to be discussed at a meeting to participate in that meeting, or parts thereof.
20.
Non-member Parties or observers to the Basel Convention wishing to participate in meetingsof the working group to observe meetings or parts thereof in consideration of joining the Partnershipshould address, through the Secretariat, a duly motivated request to the working group. The working
group considers the request. Such non-members may be invited to participate in the working group as
observers for a limited time up to six months.
21.
Invited experts and observers are also be requested to comply with the terms of reference, asapplicable to them.

VIII. Project groups
22.
The working group may establish project groups, as necessary, to work on specific tasks toassist in the undertaking of activities falling within the mandate of the working group.
23.
The working group will decide on the size, mandate, duration and terms of reference of the
project groups on a case by case basis.
24.
Project groups shall report on their work at each meeting of the working group, through the
project group Chairs.
25.
All work products prepared by project groups are subject to review and approval by theworking group.
26.
Once a project group has completed the objective assigned to it by and reported to the working
group, the project group shall be disbanded, unless decided otherwise by the working group.

IX. Secretariat
27.

The Secretariat of the Basel Convention shall be the secretariat of the Partnership.

28.
The functions of the Secretariat shall be to facilitate the activities of the Partnership asnecessary, in accordance with Article 16 of the Basel Convention and relevant decisions adopted by
the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention.

X. Financial arrangements
29.
Contributions from the members of the working group shall be held in trust for the Partnershipin the Basel Convention Technical Cooperation Trust Fund.
30.
Contributions from members of the working group shall be made promptly as follows, and at
the latest, twelve months from the date of approval of the budget by the working group: 2(a)Parties, signatories, other governments and governmental organizations: Parties,
signatories, other governments and governmental organizations could make voluntary contributions to
the Basel Convention Technical Cooperation Trust Fund, and could target them towards thePartnership generally or towards specific projects of the Partnership;(b) Business/industry, non-governmental organizations, academia: Individualcompanies, industry associations, non-governmental organizations and academia will provide anannual subscription based on proposed sliding scales of assessment set out in Table 1 below;
representatives of industry bodies or associations, individual companies, and non-governmentorganizations will be able to participate as partners in the Partnership meetings and teleconferences
2 Participation of experts should be flexible enough to allow them to contribute to specific discussions at the

project group level where their organization has not paid a membership fee. In such situations, the expert
concerned should submit to the working group, through the Secretariat, a request for participation in writing. The
working group decides on the participation of the expert on a case-by-case basis.
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provided that their body has paid the appropriate annual subscription, based on the proposed sliding
scale of assessment set out in Table 1 below.
(c) Intergovernmental organizations, United Nations bodies and Regional Centres:Intergovernmental organizations, United Nations bodies and Basel and Stockholm Conventions
Regional and Coordinating Centres are welcome to make in-kind and financial contributions towards
the Partnership generally or towards specific projects of the Partnership. No annual subscription would
apply to these organisations;(d) Invited experts and observers: Experts and observers invited by the Officers of theworking group can participate in the working group for a limited time at no charge.
Table 1: Sliding scales of assessment for annual subscriptions to the Partnership
Total asset or budget (USD)
Annual contribution (USD)
Over 2 billion

20,000100 million to 2 billion

10,000

1 million to 100 million

5,000

Below 1 million

500

XI. Public information
31.
Information released on behalf of the Partnership shall be agreed to by all members of theworking group. Such information shall be released through the Secretariat.

XII. Intellectual property rights
32.
Nothing in connection with the Partnership operations shall be construed as granting or
implying rights to, or interest in, intellectual property of the members of the working group of thePartnership. However, in the event that the members foresee that intellectual property that can beprotected shall be created in relation to a particular activity, project or programme to be carried out
under this Partnership, the members shall negotiate and agree on terms of its ownership.
33.
Existing intellectual property rights frameworks shall be respected in the conduct of thePartnership’s tasks and activities.

XIII. Publications, names, emblems or logos
34.
Members of the working group shall not use the names, emblems or logos, and any
abbreviations thereof, of the Basel Convention, of the United Nations Environment Programme and of
the United Nations in their own publications without the prior written authorization of each of thoseorganizations in relation to each specific use.
35.
In no event shall authorization to use the United Nations’ or the United Nations Environment
Programme’s or the Basel Convention’s respective names or emblems or logos be granted forcommercial purposes; or be deemed to suggest an endorsement of any of the working group members’
products, business practices or services by the United Nations, the United Nations Environment
Programme or the Secretariat.

XIV. Liability
36.
Each member of the working group will be responsible for dealing with any claims or demands
arising out of its actions or omissions, and those of its respective personnel.
37.
Neither the Partnership nor any of the members of the working group shall be held liable forany direct, incidental, consequential, indirect or punitive damages arising out of any activity, policy,
and or other action undertaken by any party, including partners, in the context of the Partnership andits functioning.
38.
The United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Conference of theParties to the Basel Convention and the Secretariat, their officials, personnel and representatives, shallbe held harmless and shall not be responsible for dealing with any legal action, suit, claim, demandand liability of any nature or kind, which may arise from or attributable to the operation of thisPartnership or of the working group, or activities implemented there under.

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39.
Nothing under the Partnership shall be deemed a waiver of any privileges and immunities of
the United Nations, of the United Nations Environment Programme, and of the Secretariat.

XV. Overriding authority of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel
Convention
40.
The Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention shall have overriding authority over all
activities under the Partnership.

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Annex II
Workplan for the working group of the Partnership on Plastic
Waste for the biennium 2020–2021
The following activities are to be undertaken by the working group of the Partnership on
Plastic Waste and any project groups established thereunder, in close cooperation with other activities
under the Basel Convention and other organizations, as appropriate, so as to enhance synergies,
increase efficiency and avoid duplication of efforts:
Topic

Activities

I. Policy andregulatory framework

1. Collect information and undertake analysis on barriers, solutions, lessons
learned and best practices for the prevention, minimization andenvironmentally sound management and controlling of transboundary
movement of plastic waste at the national and regional levels;
2. Consider how information and data could be gathered, within the scopeof the Convention, about the generation, disposal and, where relevant,transboundary movements of plastic waste, including the development ofvoluntary indicators relevant to all stakeholders;
3. Develop and undertake pilot projects and capacity-building activities ondeveloping, improving and implementing policy, strategies and regulations
for the prevention, minimization and environmentally sound managementof plastic waste at the global, regional and national levels, taking into
account the entire life cycle of plastics, for example relating to single-use
plastics, fishing gear and recycling as well as better design and innovation
to improve reusability, repairability and recyclability of plastics.

II. Environmentallysound management ofplastic waste

1. Develop and undertake pilot projects and capacity-building activities on
the prevention, minimization, collection and environmentally soundmanagement of plastic waste at the national and regional levels, including
to enhance public participation;
2. Collect information and identify national, regional and international
initiatives and actors that can provide capacity building, technical advice,and technology transfer on activities related to the prevention, minimizationand environmentally sound management of plastic waste;
3. Examine the existing guidelines and guidance materials developed underthe Basel Convention to identify gaps and to make suggestions to the
OEWG or the COP on any relevant and appropriate guidance that might benecessary to ensure that issues concerning plastic waste are covered.

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Topic

Activities

III. Private sector andothers collaboration

1. Collect information and explore options for increasing the durability,
reusability, repairability and recyclability of plastics and objects constructedfrom or containing plastics, in particular in the design phase, addressing thelack of information about the specific composition of different sub-streamsof plastic waste and identifying how technical and other barriers torecycling could be reduced;
2. Collect information and explore how the quality of recycled plastic could
be maintained as high as possible through as many circular operations as
possible and to explore how value chains could be established to improvethe economic viability of separation, collection and recycling of plastic
waste;
3. Collect information and explore the use of agreements and approaches
between relevant competent authorities and the private sector (such as
extended producer responsibility schemes) to prevent and minimise plastic
waste and to improve the collection and recycling of plastic waste;
4. Develop and undertake pilot projects on engaging the private sector in theenvironmentally sound management of plastic waste, taking into accountthe entire lifecycle of plastics, for example to support technological anddesign solutions to improve durability, reusability, refurbishment andrecyclability of plastics, drawing for example on the experience of
producers, manufactures, retailers and scientific members of thePartnership.

IV. Outreach,education andawareness-raising

1. Undertake or contribute to outreach, education and awareness-raising
activities on prevention, minimization and environmentally soundmanagement of plastic waste, in collaboration with other organisations,civil society organisations and the private sector and, where available,
making use of the information materials referred to in point 2 below;
2. Develop information materials on the abovementioned areas, for example
on:(i) Good practices with regard to prevention, minimization andenvironmentally sound management of plastic waste;(ii) Policy schemes established to deal with plastic waste, such as
relevant extended producer responsibility schemes;(iii) Leakage of plastic waste including microplastics during thetransport and the transboundary movements of wastes and fromwaste management facilities.
(iv) Re-usable alternatives to single used plastic;(v) The impact of and possible solutions for littering, in particularon land;(vi) Approaches to incentivise responsible consumer behaviour inrelation to single use plastic.

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