Delegates at the 15th meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG-15) of the Basel Convention have advanced discussions on electronic waste, textile waste and hazardous waste management, while major divisions persisted over the Convention’s future role in addressing plastic pollution and ship recycling.
Held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 23 to 26 June 2026, the meeting brought together more than 580 participants, including representatives from 147 Parties, to review technical, legal and strategic issues linked to the global movement and management of hazardous waste. While the gathering made progress on strengthening the Convention’s waste control systems, disagreements over plastics and broader regulatory scope meant several key issues were deferred to COP18 in Panama in 2027.
Focus on strengthening the Basel Convention’s PIC system
One of the central outcomes of the meeting was agreement on the need to strengthen the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, the system that requires importing countries to approve shipments of hazardous waste before they cross borders.
Delegates acknowledged that the PIC framework must evolve as new waste streams such as e-waste, textile waste and certain plastic wastes increasingly fall under the Basel Convention’s purview. Switzerland described the PIC system as the “backbone” of the Convention and called for measures to improve efficiency, including updated notification forms, simplified transit procedures and better handling of delayed responses from importing countries.
The European Union supported reforms aimed at reducing procedural bottlenecks, while the African Group, represented by Tanzania, called for clearer rules on response timelines, consent procedures and documentation requirements for hazardous waste shipments.
Textile waste emerges as a major concern
Textile waste emerged as one of the most closely watched topics during the meeting, reflecting growing international concern over the export of damaged, low-quality and unusable clothing to developing countries under the label of second-hand garments.
With global clothing production projected to reach 200 billion garments annually by 2030, several countries, particularly in Africa, warned that rising volumes of textile waste are overwhelming waste management systems and creating environmental and social challenges.
The African Group pushed for used textiles and textile waste to be brought under the Basel Convention’s PIC system, which would require the prior approval of importing countries before such shipments could take place. Tanzania stressed the importance of developing clear technical criteria to distinguish reusable second-hand clothing from waste, while Cameroon also backed stronger oversight of cross-border textile flows.
Not all countries supported immediate regulatory action. Saudi Arabia argued for a broader approach to the issue, while Qatar said governments should first strengthen domestic textile waste management capacity before introducing stricter controls. Qatar also raised concerns about the lack of sufficient scientific evidence regarding plastic residues and nanomaterials in textile waste.
Despite differing views, delegates agreed to continue collecting information and developing technical guidance on textile waste, with the possibility of future regulatory action to be considered at COP18.
Plastic waste remains the most divisive issue
While technical discussions on e-waste and hazardous waste guidelines moved forward with relatively broad support, plastic waste proved to be the most contentious issue of the meeting.
Switzerland, backed by several African countries and small island states, proposed expanding the Basel Convention’s work on plastic waste prevention and environmentally sound plastic waste management. However, countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Russia and the United States argued that such discussions risk overlapping with the ongoing negotiations for a global plastics treaty and may go beyond the Basel Convention’s mandate.
Unable to reach consensus, delegates adopted a compromise decision requesting the Convention Secretariat to compile information on existing Basel Convention activities related to hazardous and other plastic wastes for review at COP18.
Ship recycling and future cooperation
The meeting also addressed ship recycling, acknowledging that the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which entered into force in 2025, represents an important development in global ship dismantling standards.
However, countries agreed that more clarity is needed on how the Hong Kong Convention should interact with the Basel Convention to avoid regulatory gaps or weakened environmental protections. Parties have been invited to submit views on the issue by 30 October 2026, ahead of further discussions at COP18.
Basel Convention prepares for COP18
As the only in-person meeting of Parties before COP18 in Panama in April 2027, OEWG-15 was seen as a critical opportunity to prepare recommendations and identify emerging challenges in waste governance. With the Basel Convention approaching its 40th anniversary in 2029, delegates underscored the need to keep the treaty effective in a rapidly changing waste landscape marked by rising e-waste volumes, fast-growing textile discards and global concern over plastics.
While the Geneva meeting made progress on refining technical guidance and reinforcing waste shipment controls, the unresolved divisions over plastic pollution and the future treatment of textile waste indicate that major policy battles still lie ahead.