The Bamako Convention is a treaty of African nations prohibiting the import of any hazardous waste. The convention was negotiated by twelve nations of the Organisation of African Unity at Bamako, Mali in January, 1991, which came into force in 1998. Radioactive waste was also covered under hazardous waste category. The treaty intended to protect human health and the environment from dangers posed by hazardous wastes by reducing their generation to a minimum in terms of quantity or hazard potential.
The motivation for the Bamako convention arose from the following factors:
(i) The failure of the Basel Convention to prohibit trade of hazardous waste to less developed countries.
(ii) The realization that many developed nations were exporting toxic wastes to Africa.
(iii) To minimize and control transboundary movements of hazardous wastes within the African continent.
(iv) To prohibit all ocean and inland water dumping or incineration of hazardous wastes.
(v) To ensure that disposal of wastes is conducted in an environmentally sound manner.
