The "Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal" was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland. It is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes, and aims to protect human health and the environment. The Convention emphasizes the principle of "generator responsibility" (i.e. "polluter pays" principle) for disposal of wastes, and requires parties to minimize the environmental effects of the movement and disposal of hazardous waste.

Initially, the Convention's principal focus was on the elaboration of controls on the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, which is the movement of such wastes across international frontiers, and the development of criteria for environmentally sound management of the wastes. More recently, the work of the Convention has emphasized full implementation of treaty commitments and minimization of hazardous waste generation. The Secretariat for the Basel Convention is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

For more information on the Basel Convention, please visit: http://www.basel.int/.