A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

Efforts were made by the Government of Lao
PDR to develop a number of legislations to deal
with hazardous wastes and protect the country
from the import of banned chemicals and
hazardous wastes. An example of such a move
is the creation of the Environmental Protection
Law (EPL) in April 1999. In Article 23 of EPL, it
was stated that “it is forbidden to import,
transport and move all kinds of hazardous
waste through land, water and sky border of the
Lao PDR”.
Other strategies and legal framework adapted
by the Lao Government was the formulation of
“The Hazardous Chemical Strategy to the Year
2020 and Action Plan for the Year 2006-2010” as
starting point in addressing the environmental
There is no specific
legislation or regulation
for the control on the
import of second hand
electrical and other
electronic equipments.
Most of the regulations
on imports do not
include the risk of ewaste
entering the
country as second hand
equipment. Further
issues arising from ewaste
have not been
addressed in the
Environmental
Protection Law of the
government of Laos.
problems related to the import, production,
usage and disposal of hazardous chemicals in
Lao PDR. The country has also been a signatory
to a number of international conventions
regional agreements such as Montreal Protocol
on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(1998), the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants (2006) and Basel and
Rotterdam Convention.
The only related regulation is the decree on the
control, import and export of electrical
equipment in the county. Moreover, the Lao
Government prohibits the import of products,
materials, appliances or vehicle designed to use
the controlled substances from 2006 and the
import of ODS will be prohibited from 2008.
Chapter 3: Country Analysis
85