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Art.15 |
ARTICLE 15 Conference of the Parties |
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Art.15.1 |
1. A Conference of the Parties, made up of Ministers having the environment as their mandate, is hereby established. The first meeting of the Conference of the parties shall be convened by the Secretary General of the OAU not later than one year after the entry into force of this Convention. Thereafter, ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties shall be held at regular intervals to be determined by the Conference at its first meeting. |
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Art.15.2 |
2. The Conference of the Parties to this Convention shall adopt rules of procedure for itself and for any subsidiary body it may establish, as well as financial rules to determine in particular the financial rules to determine in particular the financial participation of the Parties to this Convention. |
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Art.15.3 |
3. The Parties to this Convention at their first meeting shall consider any additional measures needed to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities with respect to the protection and the preservation of the marine and inland waters environments in the context of this Convention. |
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Art.15.4 |
4. The Conference of the Parties shall keep under continued review and evaluation the effective implementation of this Convention, and in addition, shall: |
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Art.15.4.a |
(a) promote the harmonization of appropriate policies, strategies and measures for minimizing harm to human health and the environment by hazardous wastes; |
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Art.15.4.b |
(b) consider and adopt amendments to this Convention and its annexes, taking into consideration, inter alia, available scientific, technical, economic and environmental information; |
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Art.15.4.c |
(c) consider and undertake any additional action that may be required for the achievement of the purpose of this Convention in the light of experience gained in its operation and in the operation of the agreements and arrangements envisaged in Article 11 of this Convention; |
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Art.15.4.d |
(d) consider and adopt protocols as required; |
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Art.15.4.e |
(e) establish such subsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary for the implementation of this Convention; and |
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Art.15.4.f |
(f) make decisions for the peaceful settlement of disputes arising from the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, if need be, according to international law. |
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Art.15.5 |
5. Organizations may be represented as observers at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, qualified in fields relating to hazardous wastes which has informed the Secretariat, may be represented as an observer at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The admission and participation of observers shall be subject to the rules of procedure adopted by the Conference of the Parties. |
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Art.16 |
ARTICLE 16 Secretariat |
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Art.16.1 |
1. The functions of the Secretariat shall be: |
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Art.16.1.a |
(a) to arrange for, and service, meetings provided for in Articles 15 and 17 of this Convention; |
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Art.16.1.b |
(b) to prepare and transmit reports based upon information received in accordance with Articles 3, 4, 6, 11 and 13 of this Convention as well as upon information derived from meetings of subsidiary bodies established under Article 15 of this Convention as well as upon as appropriate information provided by relevant inter-governmental and non-governmental entities; |
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Art.16.1.c |
(c) to prepare reports on its activities carried out in the implementation of its functions under this Convention and present them to the Conference of the Parties; |
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Art.16.1.d |
(d) to ensure the necessary co-ordination with relevant international bodies, and in particular to enter into such administrative and contractual arrangements as may be required for the effective discharge of its functions; |
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Art.16.1.e |
(e) to communicate with focal points, competent authorities and Dumpwatch established by the Parties in accordance with Article 5 of this Convention as well as appropriate inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations which may provide assistance in the implementation of this Convention; |
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Art.16.1.f |
(f) to compile information concerning approved national sites and facilities of Parties to this Convention available for the disposal and treatment of their hazardous wastes and to circulate this information; |
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Art.16.1.g |
(g) to receive and convey information from and to Parties on: |
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Art.16.1.g.ix |
- sources of technical assistance and training; |
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Art.16.1.g.iix |
- available technical and scientific know-how; |
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Art.16.1.g.iiix |
- sources of advice and expertise; and |
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Art.16.1.g.ivx |
- availability of resources; |
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Art.16.1.g.vx |
This information will assist them in, |
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Art.16.1.g.vix |
- the management of the notification system of this Convention; |
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Art.16.1.g.viix |
- environmentally sound clean production methods relating to hazardous wastes, such as clean production technologies; |
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Art.16.1.g.viiix |
- the assessment of disposal capabilities and sites; |
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Art.16.1.g.ixx |
- the monitoring of hazardous wastes; and |
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Art.16.1.g.xx |
- emergency responses; |
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Art.16.1.h |
(h) to provide Parties to this Convention with information on consultants or consulting firms having the necessary technical competence in the field, which can assist them with examining a notification for a transboundary movement, the concurrence of a shipment of hazardous wastes with the relevant notification, and/ or whether the proposed disposal facilities for hazardous wastes are environmentally sound, when they have reason to believe that the wastes in question will not be managed in an environmentally sound manner. Any such examinations would not be at the expense of the Secretariat; |
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Art.16.1.i |
(i) to assist Parties to this Convention in their identification of cases of illegal traffic and to circulate immediately to the Parties concerned any information it has received regarding illegal traffic; |
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Art.16.1.j |
(j) to co-operate with Parties to this Convention and with relevant and competent international organizations and agencies in the provision of experts and equipment for the purpose of rapid assistance to States in the event of an emergency situation; and |
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Art.16.1.k |
(k) to perform such other functions relevant to the purposes of this Convention as may be determined by the Conference of the Parties to this Convention. |
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Art.16.2 |
2. The Secretariat's functions shall be carried out on an interim basis by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) jointly with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) until the completion of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties held pursuant to Article 15 of this Convention. At this meeting, the Conference of the Parties shall also evaluate the implementation by the interim Secretariat of the functions assigned to it, in particular under paragraph 1 above, and decide upon the structures appropriate for those functions. |
