Leading world economies will no longer be able to export hazardous waste to poorer nations unless they obtain the latter's consent, a spokesman from the UN environment agency said Tuesday.

"UNEP is pleased to announce a historic agreement ending a 15-year deadlock over banning north-south movement of hazardous waste," Michael Stanley-Jones told a press conference.

"Representatives of 118 members of the Basel Convention, the global treaty on waste management, have reached a historic agreement unblocking an amendment that will ban the export of hazardous wastes from OECD to non-OECD countries, known as the Ban Amendment," he said.

The deal was done late last week, during the closing day of the meeting of the parties to the Basel Convention in Colombia.

The Basel Convention is aimed at protecting developing countries from unwanted dumping of waste in their territories.