【明報專訊】International collaboration refers to different countries' cooperation on global issues. International collaboration can happen at economic, political, military or social level. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also play a crucial role in helping the underprivileged and addressing social issues.

The Basel Convention

The Basel Convention came into effect in 1992. It is aimed at preventing the illegal transboundary movements of hazardous wastes. However, for a long time it failed to regard plastic waste as a toxic substance. In May 2019, more than 180 countries reached a binding agreement that included plastic waste into the scope of the convention and required signatories to gain the approval of the government of another country before exporting hazardous wastes there. It is expected that the amendment, which will come into force one year later, will prevent rich nations from dumping difficult-to-recycle plastic wastes to poor nations.

The Paris Agreement

The 24th meeting of signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was convened in Poland in December 2018. The governments of nearly 200 countries attended. They adopted the Paris Agreement, which stipulates how different countries should monitor and report the emission of greenhouse gases, what the plans are to reduce emissions and how poor countries' effort to reduce emissions can be subsidized.

New taxes on tech companies

A G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting was convened in Fukuoka, Japan in June 2019. During the meeting, they discussed levying a new tax on tech companies such as Google, Apple, facebook and Amazon. Under the proposal, a G20 member state can tax a company's operations in its country without having to consider the location of the company's headquarters. The G20 hopes that the final deal will be reached in 2020.

Monitoring STDs

According to a report published by the World Health Organisation in June 2019, carriers of sexually transmitted diseases(STDs)excluding HIV and HPV increased by over one million people every day, averaging 1 per 25 people. The WHO said that dating apps had made it easier for people to engage in casual sex. The WHO hopes to improve countries and the world's monitoring of STDs to ensure that reliable information is provided on the infection of STDs.

Translated by Terence Yip

[通通識 第610期]