The Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movements and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region (1995)


The objective of the Waigani Convention is to stop the import of hazardous and radioactive waste into the South Pacific region, to minimise production within the region and to ensure the environmentally sound management and disposal of already existing waste.

The Waigani Convention provides a mechanism to stop waste traders from using the South Pacific as a highway for hazardous waste or as a waste dump. Once a party to the Waigani Convention, a country is eligible for technical and financial assistance to help in the management of hazardous or nuclear waste, thereby creating an effective regional mechanism to facilitate the cleanup of hazardous and radioactive waste.

The Waigani Convention was opened for signature by Members of the South Pacific Forum at Waigani, Papua New Guinea in September 1995.




The tabs in this section of the Handbook provide a description of the Convention, its obligations and the information tools needed to implement it. As well, resources documents and contacts are provided to make the task easier.