Pursuant to decision BC-10/10, as at 31.07.2012, the Secretariat had received suggestions for lists of wastes to be included in the WCO Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System from two parties (United Kingdom and Peru). As follow-up, with a consultancy support, the Secretariat has prepared the necessary documentation as per WCO HSC requirements and submitted the proposals to the WCO Secretariat on 15.02.2013. The proposals were presented and discussed during the 51st session of the WCO Harmonized System Committee on 12.03.2013 in Brussels. The WCO HSC welcomed the BC’s proposals for a series of evaluation process.
By section VI of its decision VI/29, on international cooperation, the Conference of the Parties requested the Secretariat to move forward, under the guidance of the Open-ended Working Group, with the issue of identification of the wastes covered by the Convention in the third Harmonized System review cycle. Accordingly, the Secretariat submitted proposals to the World Customs Organization regarding the separate identification of substances subject to the Convention in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (“the Harmonized System”). Pursuant to decisions VII/12, VII/38 and VIII/20, work on separate identification of certain wastes in Annexes VIII and IX to the Convention in the Harmonized System continued. The link provided information on the status of work with the WCO in this respect.