Workshop on Combating Illegal Hazardous Waste Trade Through Seaports
A Seaport Environmental Security Network Capacity Building Workshop

Accra, Ghana - 22-23 June 2009

23 June 2009, Accra, Ghana — The International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE), with support from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, and in close collaboration with the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Customs Excise and Preventive Service, and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, organised a Workshop on Combating Illegal Hazardous Waste Trade Through Seaports, 22-23 June 2009, in Accra, Ghana.

Aims of the Seaport Environmental Security Network (SESN)

As one of the initiatives of the Seaport Environmental Security Network of INECE, the objectives of the Accra Workshop were:

• to identify capacity building needs related to port inspections;
• to discuss means to address these needs, such as training materials and sharing of information and expertise;
• to exchange operational inspection and enforcement activities and approaches between countries;
• and to strengthen cooperation amongst competent authorities like Custom Services, Environmental Agencies, Ports Authorities and other government officials at the national and international level.

The Workshop hosted around 70 participants from African countries, Europe, Asia and America, as well as representatives from several international and regional organisations. This broad interest reflects the truly international nature of the issue of illicit shipment of hazardous waste streams through seaport. In order to control, inspect, detect and counteract such practices, effective domestic and international cooperation is essential. But also on a regional scale, such as in West Africa, joint efforts are required in order to conduct successful campaigns against illegal waste shipments.

Workshop Elements

Important elements of the Workshop comprised first of all a visit to Tema port to witness and reflect on practical administrative, technical and physical control of imported waste in sea containers. Secondly country and region-specific reports on operational approaches to and results of inspection activities and presentations about supportive programs of international organizations. And finally a discussion on ways to stimulate effective inter-agency collaboration on the national level. Workshop presentations are available online at http://inece.org/seaport/accra/

Mr. Gerard Wolters, Co-Chair of INECE, said the momentum is there to coordinate and combine the various international initiatives that are currently undertaken in the area of combating illegal shipments of waste. For example, joining efforts with the Europen IMPEL TFS network.

Outcomes

The outcomes and follow-up of the Workshop are:

1. Develop a proposal for organizing an "international hazardous waste inspection and awareness week at seaports" with inspection activities, training, and awareness exercises held simultaneously in several participating countries.
2. Support and enhance further capacity building. To this end, INECE will specifically identify and collect suitable training materials regarding the issue of identifying and combating illegal waste shipments. Information on and reference to such material will be made available through the INECE website.
3. Promote regional cooperation on joint issues of inspection, detection and enforcement of illegal waste shipments in West-Africa. Participants of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria will take initiatives to start a regional working group that will offer a platform for relevant practitioners and authorities in the region to share information, to exchange expertise and to develop and promote good practices and procedures.
4. Stimulate and support initiatives regarding the WCO-UNODC Container Control Programme which are aimed at making detecting and counteracting of waste trafficking an integral part of the activities of the joint port control program. If feasible, a pilot of this development will be set up in Tema-port.
5. Evaluate opportunities for a 3rd Workshop on Combating Illegal Hazardous Waste Trade Through Seaports in 2010, depending on available funding. The location of this workshop is subject to further consideration.

For more information on the Seaport Environmental Security Network, the Accra workshop, and related topics or to participate in the follow-up activities to this workshop, please visit http://inece.org/seaport/ or contact SESN project officer Danielle Grabiel at INECE Secretariat (dgrabiel at inece.org).