The battle for a strong Lokpal

The stage is set for another showdown between Anna Hazare and the ruling UPA alliance at the Centre. As the Gandhian began his three-day fast in Mumbai on December 27 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill, the Lok Sabha began to debate the bill with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tearing into the bill, saying it is flawed and unconstitutional.

The battle for a strong Lokpal

The stage is set for another showdown between Anna Hazare and the ruling UPA alliance at the Centre. As the Gandhian began his three-day fast in Mumbai on December 27 to press for a strong Lokpal Bill, the Lok Sabha began to debate the bill with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tearing into the bill, saying it is flawed and unconstitutional. The Lokpal bill envisages setting up an independent ombudsman who would have the power to investigate and prosecute politicians and civil servants.

Goa Regional Plan 2021: people kept out of planning process

Development plans for cities and regions across India are dogged by one criticism: they keep people, whom the plans are supposed to benefit, out of the planning process. The land use and spatial plans are drawn inside closed rooms by planners, politicians and bureaucrats. The Regional Plan for Goa with a 20 year perspective (RP 2021) is no different, say non-profits, though, authorities claim it provides for a participatory process wherein people are consulted before the plans are finalised.

Rich nations can’t dump toxic waste on poor nations

Basel Convention’s tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) proved the sceptics wrong. It achieved a major breakthrough on the final day when 178 Parties agreed to allow an early entry into force of law of the Basel Ban Amendment.  The Ban Amendment prohibits all export of hazardous wastes, including electronic wastes and obsolete ships from developed to developing countries. [Highlights]

Basel final day: Rich nations can’t dump toxic waste on poor nations

Basel Convention’s tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) proved the sceptics wrong. It achieved a major breakthrough on the final day when 178 Parties agreed to allow an early entry into force of law of the Basel Ban Amendment.  The Ban Amendment prohibits all export of hazardous wastes, including electronic wastes and obsolete ships from developed to developing countries.

Push to strengthen Basel Convention regional centres

With a day to spare, the tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10) to the Basel Convention, currently meeting at Cartagena de Indias, completed nearly 90 per cent of the work that it set out for the conference.

Breakthrough in impasse over toxic export ban

Despite a heavy downpour that flooded the city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, the venue of the ongoing 10th Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Basel Convention,  day 3 of the meet saw full attendance. The day's highlight was the decision on the Ban Amendment, taken at the contact group meeting of the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative (CLI). The initiative was introduced on the first day of the meet; its aim is to improve effectiveness of the Basel Convention.

Hong Kong Convention in way of ban on toxic exports

The second day of the Basel convention saw a few drafts being introduced for discussion. One of them was on e-waste. The European Union emphasised the importance of providing inputs for guidelines on the mercury negotiations, scheduled later in the year, and on defining waste and non-waste.

Nations discuss ban on toxic exports

The meeting of the 10th Conference of Parties (CoP 10) to the Basel Convention, which began in Colombia on October 17, stressed on resolving the legal interpretation of a treaty clause for bringing into force the Ban Amendment.  

Basel Convention: Tenth Conference of Parties begins Monday

The 10th Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Basel Convention, designed to reduce movement of hazardous waste between nations, meets in the city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia in South America from October 17 to 21.