The Basel Convention explicitly defines hazardous waste and regulates cross-border shipments and disposal. It stresses that primary responsibility for hazardous waste lies with its originator, and stipulates that industrially developed countries must not export hazardous waste to less developed countries.
公約內容主要是對有害廢棄物的定義及其越境處理做出明文規定，並強調有害廢棄物的產生者必須負擔第一責任。同時，巴塞爾公約也規定，工業化國家不得向外輸出有害廢棄物到中低度開發中國家。