ASEAN joins hands to prevent illegal transport of hazardous chemical waste

The eighth meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste convened in Hanoi on Wednesday to review cooperation in preventing the illegal cross-border transport of chemicals and hazardous waste under international conventions.

 60 delegates discussed ways to prevent, prepare for, and urgently respond to chemical and hazardous waste incidents.  Vietnam, along with Thailand and Indonesia, has the highest demand for hazardous waste exports to developed countries for recycling.

Meanwhile, Japan, the country with 20 years of experience, in recycling hazardous waste, is willing to share its experience and transfer technology to Vietnam. The provisions of the Basel Convention emphasize that a member country must receive written notice and consultation before exporting hazardous waste.

The results of the meeting will be presented at the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Environment Conference to be held in Indonesia in August.