Geneva and The Hague, 26 May 2004

The Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the OPCW Technical Secretariat Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Working Level Cooperation

On 26 May 2004, the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Mr Rogelio Pfirter, and the Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention, Mrs Sachiko Kuwabara-Yamamoto, signed at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on working-level cooperation between the two Secretariats.

Through the MOU both Secretariats have agreed to establish a working level cooperation on matters of common interest relating to enhanced national implementation of both Conventions, whilst keeping in mind their distinctly separate mandates, to share expertise to avoid duplication of efforts, to explore synergies between their international cooperation projects and capacity building activities where the two Secretariats can complement each other’s expertise and limited resources. Both sides will review the implementation of the MOU periodically and agreed that, should a broader agreement between the two Organisations be deemed useful at a later stage, this matter will be duly brought for consideration to their respective policy-making organs.

Mrs Sachiko Kuwabara-Yamamoto, the Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention Secretariat said: “Both Secretariats will build and strengthen their relations through this collaborative effort and we are thrilled by the role the thirteen Basel Convention Regional Centers around the world will play in the furtherance of expertise and cooperation at the regional level.”

Speaking at the signing ceremony, OPCW Director-General Mr Rogelio Pfirter emphasised that the signing of “the MOU is an important initiative through which both Secretariats can effectively cooperate to achieve the goals of each Convention.”

The Basel Convention deals with issues relating to the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Its principal aim is to monitor and control the movement of hazardous waste across international boundaries and to dispose of hazardous wastes in an environmentally safe manner.

The Chemical Weapons Convention aims to eliminate chemical weapons and to prevent their re-emergence, to implement a credible non-proliferation regime, to provide international assistance and protection in the event of the use, or threat of use, of chemical weapons, and to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of chemistry.