16 May 2019: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

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May 16th 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

India sets the tone at COP meetings of Basel

Context

• Conference of the Parties (COP) to Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (COP 14) was held.

Basel Convention

• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty.
• The treaty was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).
• It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste.
• The Convention is also intended to
  • Minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated,
  • To ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation, and
  • To assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.

Outcome of the (COP 14)

• In Basel Convention, two important issues were discussed and decided, i.e. technical guidelines on e-waste and inclusion of plastic waste in the PIC procedure.
• The draft technical guidelines stipulated the conditions when used electrical and electronic equipment destined for direct reuse, repair, refurbishment or failure analysis should be considered as non-waste.
• India had major reservations regarding these provisions as in the name of re-use, repair, refurbishment and failure analysis there was a possibility of dumping from the developed world to the developing countries including India.
• The Indian delegation strongly objected the proposed decision on these guidelines during plenary and did not allow it to be passed by the conference of the parties.
• Under the Basel Convention, another major achievement of COP 14 was:
  • The decision to amend the convention to include unsorted, mixed and contaminated plastic waste under PIC (Prior Informed Consent) procedure
  • Improve the regulation of its transboundary movement.
• Further, Basel Convention has also adopted partnership on plastic which was welcomed by the Indian delegation. These steps will help prevent the illegal dumping of plastic wastes in developing countries.
• India has already imposed a complete prohibition of import of solid plastic waste into the country. India has also made an international commitment to phase-out single-use plastic.

UNDRR confers Dr P.K. Mishra with the Sasakawa Award

Context

• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) today conferred Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction to Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India.

Sasakawa Award

• The United Nations Sasakawa Award is the most prestigious international award in the area of Disaster Risk Management.
• It was instituted more than 30 years ago and is jointly organized by the UNDRR and the Nippon Foundation.

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