Int'l Chamber of Commerce Undermining Basel

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>> GREENPEACE CLAIMS INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and USA


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>> GREENPEACE CLAIMS INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and USA
SEEK TO UNDERMINE INTERNATIONAL WASTE DUMPING BAN
 
PARIS, March 15 1995 (GP) Calling it the "International Chamber
of Horrors", Greenpeace activists staged a protest in front of
the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) building in Paris
today. 
 
Leaked documents reveal that the ICC with a small number of
powerful governments is trying to undermine the landmark Basel
Convention decision last year to ban all exports of hazardous
wastes from the richer industrialised countries to developing
countries and Eastern Europe.  
 
Further the ICC ($50,000) with the support of the United States
($25,000), Canadian ($50,000), Australian ($30,000) and French
($20,000) governments is sponsoring a 250,000 dollar "workshop"
in Dakar, Senegal and expects to use this workshop to seek a
reversal of the ban.  
 
The Greenpeace protest in which a banner was hung and huge piles
of wastes that were exported from Europe to Asia for recycling
were dumped all around the entrance way, took place on the
opening day of the dubious March 15-17 workshop on the
"applicability" of the ban decision.  
 
The Director for Environment to Senegal, and leader in the effort
to adopt the historic ban decision, Bakary Kante, speaking about
the workshop in New Scientist 18 February 1995 stated: "We are
not reopening the discussion that we had last March, we will
discuss the definition of toxic waste," referring to the 8 year
negotiations which culminated in the 25 March 1994 Basel
consensus Decision (II/12) to ban all exports of hazardous wastes
to non-OECD countries by 1998.  
 
But Greenpeace has obtained leaked documents from the US State
Department and the ICC that reveal that great hopes have been
placed on the ICC sponsored workshop to reverse the ban. 
Additionally, various EU governments have argued against amending
the Basel Convention to formalise the ban until after the Dakar
Workshop takes place.  Such arguments have taken place despite a
unanimous common position of the European governments last March
to adopt and implement the ban.
 
"Clearly, big business is throwing money and influence at
governments all over the world to defeat this landmark victory
for the environment and developmental justice," said Jim Puckett,
Greenpeace International's Toxics Campaign Director.   "They are
fighting for their 'right' to export their toxic waste horror
show to countries least prepared to deal with it, rather than
clean up their act at home," he said.
 
Greenpeace will be attending the Dakar, Senegal in a "good faith"
effort to facilitate the implementation of the ban by working
with industry and government in determining how to decide which
wastes are covered under the ban.  They will be releasing a
Report entitled "Implementing the Basel Ban: The Way Forward"
which highlights a pragmatic approach for defining wastes making
special consideration with respect to the scrap metals industry. 
 
"If the workshop keeps to the subject of how to implement the
ban, we have a lot to offer," said Puckett.  "If it is a sales
campaign to market the export of toxic waste, it must be
universally condemned."
 
 
END
 
For More Information Contact:
 
Pierre Emmanuel Neurohr, Greenpeace France
Phone: 33-1-47-70-46-89
 
Jim Puckett, Kevin Stairs, Greenpeace International
In Senegal, phone: 221-20-21-22, fax: 221-20-30-30
 
For copies of reports, leaked documents: 
 
Anjela Wilkes, Greenpeace International
In Amsterdam, Phone: 31-20-523-6222
 
 
 
 
 
 
Excerpted quotes from leaked documents:
 
"While industry would argue that it is preferable to overturn the
ban, it is agreed that a more realistic outcome is to seek to
persuade G-77 countries to continue environmentally sound trade
in recyclables beyond January 1998 through a multilateral
framework agreement on recyclables and, if necessary, specific
bilateral agreements under the Basel Convention."
 
"The mooted Senegal Regional Seminar on the Basel ban should be
explored at the Open-ended meeting.  Industry should let it be
known that it is willing to participate and should encourage
sympathetic governments to provide funding assistance.  If
approached for funding, industry should indicate willingness to
consider, REQUIRE INPUT TO PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT (emphasis added)
and seek local industry representation through the Senegal
Chamber of Commerce."
 
-- International Chamber of Commerce Options Paper to Undermine
the Ban.  December, 1994.
 
-----
 
"The United States opposes the OECD to non-OECD ban and would not
support this amendment."
 
"At Dakar, US and International Business must be given a fair and
open forum to express their perspectives, which are of interest
nor only from a trade perspective but may offer preferred
environmental solutions."
 
"In sum, an EU decision to support a ban decision amendment would
be unsound from an environmental and a trade perspective."
 
     -- US State Department Communique sent to all EU Countries   
  Urging non-acceptance of Danish Proposal to Amend the     
Convention to formally transpose Ban Decision, March 8,      1995
 
 
 
-------
 
"It will be appropriate for the US to work quietly on some issues
and let other parties (e.g. Senegal on the Ban Decision), take
the lead.  On others, such as ensuring a reasonable forum for
discussion, we have already sent a letter to the COP President." 
 
"USG will demarche Basel party capitals, OECD and non-OECD
members alike, outlining US views about the reasons why an
OECD/non-OECD ban on transboundary movements of hazardous wastes
is not the most environmentally sound approach..."
 
"Most immediate targets of opportunity are...Late February /
early March 1995 Seminar in Senegal to develop additional
information use of and needs for wastes moving for
recycling...Actively participate in February 1995 meeting hosted
by Senegal TO DISCUSS RECONSIDERATION OF THE COP BAN DECISION
(emphasis added)."
 
-- Internal US State Department Memo to Interagency Committee
Regarding Basel Action Plan to Defeat the Ban Decision.  October
17, 1994.
 
-----
 
"The bureau of the Basel COP met the week of May 30 and, in an
unexpected but welcome development, heard from Bakary Kante
(Senegal, who often spoke, along with Sri Lanka, on behalf of the
G-77), that his government was having second thoughts about the
ban decision...their counterpart of our Chamber of Commerce is
keenly interested and intends to make $150,000 available to
sponsor a seminar for government and industry representatives in
early 1995 to further explore the various possible ramifications
of the ban decision."
 
-- Internal US State Department Memo to Interagency Committee on
Options for US position following Basel Second Conference of
Parties. June, 1994.
 
-----
 
"Trade missions should be organised so that delegations from the
US Government and affected industries (or their trade
associations) visit with the economic and trade ministries of
affected non-OECD countries.  It is important that these
ministries are fully aware of the consequences of the March 25
ban Decision.  THEY SHOULD BE URGED TO SEEK A REVERSAL OF THE
DECISION (emphasis added)."
 
--US Chamber of Commerce Strategy to Defeat Ban sent to US
Government, May 18, 1994.
 
ENDS