2010 will mark some important steps for the International Solid Waste Association – Helena Bergman speaks to ISWA president Atilio Savino about the future.
How do you plan to use your position as president during this period of change?
As I mentioned in my presidential speech to the General Assembly last October, my period as president of ISWA started off with an unprecedented financial crisis which affected the world economy. This financial slowdown had impacts on ISWA and its members. Today, looking back at last year, it was a difficult year in general. However, it gave ISWA a year to slow down which allowed the organization to prepare itself for the future.
And in spite of this general slowdown, ISWA organised a number of successful events. I would like to mention two of them. In November 2009, ISWA organised an internal leadership meeting (with members of the ISWA Board and STC). The outcome from this meeting was positive and constructive contributing to the future ISWA work programme. And the other achievement strengthening the ISWA technical profile was the ISWA White Paper on Climate Change.
ISWA is turning 40 year this year so it is a good time for reflection…
I would like to cite from an article that was written for ISWA’s 30-year celebration. It said, ‘The 1970s was the Age of Enlightenment, the 80s the Age of Understanding and the 90s the Age of Regulation.’ And to that I would like to add that the first decade of the 20th Century was the Age of Complexity and the coming decade I would like to define for ISWA as Age of Action. For 40 years ISWA has been representing the waste sector, and in the same time the association has undergone important development. And today ISWA is ready for the future.
Let us now focus on the future…
ISWA is entering a new era with the agreement with the city of Vienna entering into force. The agreement gives ISWA a grant that will be used for ISWA activities and strengthening of ISWA technical profile. With the move into the new offices ISWA now has the stability to continue the development of the general secretariat and to recruit the necessary staff to serve the ISWA membership and fulfil the ISWA objectives.
What do you foresee in the development of ISWA?
Coming from outside Europe one of my objectives is to ensure an exchange of experience and knowledge from north to south and within the south. ISWA has been struggling with its image of being too Eurocentric. Organisational changes have been made to ensure a more global ISWA through the RDNs.
The recapitulation of the development of the waste sector as mentioned above – understanding – regulation – complexity and action – clearly shows the steps in the development of waste management into a mature stage. Mature waste sectors are mainly found in the most developed countries. Among ISWA members there is an enormous experience of the development towards a mature waste sector. ISWA can play an important role in sharing this experience and knowledge since most countries in the world are still in the early development phase. We can also see that ISWA membership is expanding geographically. This is a good sign of ISWA becoming truly international.
At the same time this increased participation of countries in development does not exclude ISWA addressing issues of importance for the more mature markets – as technology innovation and development, fine-tuning of financial and legal instruments, communication and information. I see ISWA as a forum for everyone interested in professional waste management and where active members also will participate to create the agenda both for ISWA and for the global waste industry. The work of the ISWA Taskforce on Greenhouse Gases was a good example of where the waste industry at large joined to discuss a topic of interest for everyone.
How will external factors change ISWA?
I think ISWA is lucky in the sense that in this period we can also see changes within the UN and its agencies. There is a shift in their way of working with industry and NGOs. ISWA is being viewed as a potential partner to cooperate with, and an efficient means to cooperate with industry. The issue of waste management is also currently on the agenda for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. This is a good opportunity for ISWA to position itself as a credible partner. And I will personally attend a major UN event to talk about innovative approaches in waste management.
Unfortunate events, such as natural disasters, have also made it obvious that ISWA has a role to play to support waste management efforts both in the relief and reconstruction phase of a disaster. ISWA is linking with other global forces both within and outside of the UN system.
Interviewer for the International Solid Waste Association
Helena Bergman, ISWA Project Manager
e-mail: hb@iswa.dk
