Jakarta, 31 May 2024 – From 29 to 31 May, the Unwaste project conducted its second regional meeting, jointly organized by UNODC and the United Nations Environment Programme, to discuss the recommendations of its recently published flagship reports.
The four Unwaste reports explore how criminal actors exploit the legal waste trade and regulatory and enforcement loopholes for financial gain. During the meeting, 65 delegates from five ASEAN member countries, from European Union Member States, and experts from international organizations mapped the required actions of a coherent regional approach to waste trafficking and the transition to a circular economy.
Organizing the event in Indonesia held particular significance because the country is one of the main importers of waste in the region and has been leading national and regional efforts to counter the illicit flows of waste. “Tackling illegal waste trafficking requires a coordinated, multifaceted approach,” acknowledged Ahmad Gunawan Widjaksono, Director of Hazardous and Non-hazardous Waste Management in Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry. “It demands unwavering resolve, sustained investment and unwavering international cooperation. Together, we have the power to turn the tide against waste trafficking and reclaim our environment.”
The regional meeting offered a strategic opportunity to collect suggestions and potential solutions for strengthening the defense against illegal waste trafficking. The delegates and experts overwhelming agreed that information-sharing and inter-agency cooperation are imperative, along with preventive strategies and building up the capacities among ASEAN Member States.
As a major waste trader, the European Union is making important efforts to control the movement of waste and stop the illegal shipments at the origin. “The EU recently adopted its new Waste Shipment Regulation, which will help to make sure that waste does not pose problems in third countries,” explained Henriette Faergemann, First Counsellor at the EU Delegation to Indonesia. “Countries that wish to continue to receive secondary raw materials from the EU have to signal their interest and provide documentation that they have adequate treatment facilities.”
The Jakarta meeting took place a year after the first joint regional meeting and was successful in building on and reinforcing synergies between actors and initiatives within the region and to maximize the collaborative efforts to tackle waste trafficking.
“This week’s discussions underscore the commitment of ASEAN countries, the EU and regional and international organizations to prevent and combat waste trafficking through concrete, coordinated actions while considering the importance of legal waste trade within the circular economy framework,” stressed Ioana Cotutiu, Unwaste Project Coordinator, UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The discussions set the path for a coherent regional approach against the illegal trafficking of waste into and across the ASEAN region.
The Unwaste project is implemented by the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme, and benefits from the financial support of the European Union.
