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Update on the Minamata Convention on Mercury
GEN Chemicals and Waste Briefing
Geneva, 26 February 2019Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Objective of the Minamata Convention (article 1)
« (…) to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. »
Provisions cover the entire life cycle of mercury, including supply, trade, mercury-added products, industrial processes using mercury, ASGM, emissions to air, releases to land and water, interim storage, waste and contaminated sites.
Minamata Timeline so farAdoption of text and opening for signature: 10-11 October 2013
Entry into Force: 16 August 2017
First Conference of the Parties (Geneva) 24 to 29 September 2017President: Switzerland
Second Conference of the Parties (Geneva) 19 to 23 September 2018President: Switzerland
Third Conference of the Parties (Geneva) 25 to 29 November 2019President: Zambia
Status Update
Current status of RatificationAs of 26 February 2019, 102 Parties have ratified the Minamata Convention.
Saint Lucia, Guinea-Bissau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Sao Tome and Principe, Portugal and Chile deposited their instruments most recently.
Africa – 26 PartiesAsia and the Pacific – 22 PartiesCentral and Eastern Europe – 12 PartiesLatin America and the Caribbean – 22 PartiesWestern Europe and others Group – 19+1 Parties
Article 17.4 – National focal points
Each Party shall designate a national focal point for the exchange of information under the Convention, including with regard to the consent of importing Parties under Article 3
National focal points on the MinamataConvention website
Key Bodies of the Minamata Convention
Minamata COP-3 BureauCOP2 elected the Bureau as follows:President: David Kapindula (Zambia)Vice-Presidents: Alison Dickson (Canada)
María del Mar Solano Trejos (Costa Rica)Karel Bláha (Czechia)*Serge Molly Allo’o Allo’o (Gabon) Mariscia Charles (Guyana)Adel Jahankhah (Islamic Republic of Iran)Mohammed Khashashneh (Jordan)Svetlana Bolocan (Republic of Moldova)Nina Cromnier (Sweden)
Implementation and Compliance Committee
The Implementation and Compliance Committee (ICC) is established to promote implementation of and review compliance with all the provisions of the Minamata Convention (article 15). The mechanism shall be facilitative in nature and pay particular attention to the respective national capabilities and circumstances of Parties.
COP2 approved the Rules of Procedure that the ICC had initially prepared at its first meeting (Geneva, May 2018)
Second meeting of the ICC: 3-4 June 2019, Geneva (tbc)
Members of the Implementation and Compliance Committee
Africa Madagascar Sierra Leone Swaziland
Asia-Pacific China Iran Sri Lanka
CEE Bulgaria replaced by Latvia
Moldova Romania
LAC Brazil Peru (1st year)Ecuador (2nd year)
Mexico (1st year)Argentina (2nd year)
WEOG Netherlands Switzerland USA
Specific International ProgrammeThe Specific International Programme (SIP) to support Capacity-Building and Technical Assistance is a key part of the Financial Mechanism of the Minamata Convention.
2018 First Round of Applications:• Call for Applications to its First Round from 5 June 2018 to 31 August 2018. • 19 Applications were received by the deadline.• The Governing Board selected 5 projects: Argentina, Armenia, Benin, Iran, Lesotho.
2019 Second Round of Applications:• Third Meeting of the Governing Board convened in Geneva (14-15 February 2019) and
agreed on guidelines to launch the Second Round• Second Round opens in early March.• CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday, 7 June 2019
Members of the Governing Board of the Specific International Programme
Africa Ghana Chad
Asia-Pacific Thailand Sri Lanka
CEE Estonia Armenia
LAC Argentina Brazil
WEOG Netherlands Norway
Update on Intersessional Work
TECHNICAL ISSUESReleasesMC-2/3 on Releases
COP-2 set up an intersessional process to identify relevant point source categories of releases on mercury and mercury compounds to land and water, including the establishment of a group of technical experts on guidance in relation to mercury releases.
Next Steps1. Experts have been nominated by 15 January 2019. 2. Group has been established to work electronically. 3. Comments were invited until 15 February 2019.4. Group will submit a report to COP-3.
TECHNICAL ISSUESMercury WasteMC-2/2 on Mercury Waste
COP-2 set up an intersessional process of a group of technical experts on waste thresholds.
Next Steps1. Experts have been nominated by 15 January 2019. 2. Group has been established to work electronically and in person.3. Comments were invited until 15 February 2019.4. Meeting of the Expert Group: 27-29 May 2019 (Osaka)5. Group will submit a report to COP-3.
* Back to back with a workshop on synergies in waste.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Contaminated SitesMC-2/8 on Contaminated Sites
COP-2 invited parties and others to submit additional comments and information, including case studies, on the draft guidance presented at COP-2.
Next Steps1. Comments were invited until 15 February 2019.2. On the basis of submissions the Secretariat will revise the draft guidance for consideration
by COP-3.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Capacity building, technical assistance and technology transferMC-2/11 on Capacity building, technical assistance and technology transfer
COP-2 requested the Secretariat to collection information from the existing regional, sub-regional and national arrangements on their capacity building and technical assistance to support parties in implementing their obligations under the Minamata Convention, and to report thereon at COP-3.
Next Steps1. Comments were invited until 31 May 2019.2. On the basis of submissions the Secretariat will present a report to COP-3.
TECHNICAL ISSUESEffectiveness EvaluationMC-2/10 on Effectiveness Evaluation
COP-2 decided on the need to amend the mandate and membership of the ad-hoc working group and the roadmap of deliverables for COP-3 for the ad hoc working group to continue its work.
Next Steps1. Experts have been nominated/re-nominated by 15 January 2019. 2. Group has been established to work electronically and in person.3. Comments were invited until 15 February 2019.4. Meeting of the Ad hoc Expert Group: 8-12 April 2019 (Geneva)5. Group will submit a report to COP-3.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Emission of Mercury from the Open Burning of Waste
COP-2 requested the Secretariat to continue to collect and make available information relevant to emissions of mercury resulting from the open burning of waste.
Next Steps1. Comments were invited until 31 May 2019.2. The Secretariat will report on the issue at COP-3.
TECHNICAL ISSUESHarmonized System CodesMC-2/9 on Harmonized System Codes
COP-2 requested the Secretariat in collaboration with the Global Mercury Partnership and in consultation with relevant organisations, to suggest approaches for customs codes to identify and distinguish non-mercury-added and mercury-added products listed in annex A to the Convention, including approaches for their possible harmonization.
Next Steps1. Secretariat and the Global Mercury Partnership are working electronically on the first draft of
the report matter. 2. Secretariat and the Global Mercury Partnership have set up a roadmap of work which
includes the circulation of the draft report for comments in may, so that the report can be completed for presentation at COP-3.
POLICY ISSUESSecretariat of the Minamata Convention on MercuryMC-2/1 on SecretariatMC-2/7 on Cooperation between the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention and the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
COP-2 requested the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to continue to deliver the secretariat functions in Geneva.
COP-2 also requested the Executive Director to submit an operative proposal, prepared with the Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, and with the support of the Executive Secretary of the BRS conventions, on a stable framework for sharing services for consideration by the Minamata Conference of the Parties at its third Meeting (November 2019).
POLICY ISSUESArticle 13, paragraph 11Review of the Financial Mechanism of the Minamata Convention
COP-2 requested the Secretariat to compile information to be provided by the Global Environment Facility, the Specific International Programme, Parties and other relevant sources as identified in paragraph 11 of Article 13.
Next Steps1. Contributions were invited by 31 May 2019.2. The Secretariat will make a compilation of the submissions for consideration by COP-3.
Contributions Update
Status of Contributions for 2018COP-1 called for the establishment of three Minamata Convention Trust Funds
1. General Trust Fund 2018: USD 3,916,524
2. Special Trust Fund 2018: USD 3,192,250
3. Specific Trust Fund 2018: USD 1,284,837
USD 3,916,524approved for 2018
USD 3,110,825received
USD 3,192,250agreed for 2018
USD 1,303,467received
USD 1,284,837Received to be programmed in
First Round (2018)
As of 22 February 2019
Status of Contributions for 20191. General Trust Fund 2019: USD 3,843,074
2. Special Trust Fund 2019: USD 4,014,890
3. Specific Trust Fund 2019: USD 2,178,617
USD 3,843,074approved for 2019
USD 256,287received
USD 4,014,890agreed for 2019USD 721,429
pledged/received
USD 2,178,617Received to be programmed in Second Round
(2019)As of 22 February 2019
Status of Contributions for 2018 and 2019
Contributors to the Special Trust Fund for 2018 and 2019Austria, the European Union, Finland, France, Japan, Norway, the Philippines, Sweden and Switzerland
Contributors to the Specific Trust Fund for 2018Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States
Contributors to the Specific Trust Fund for 2019Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the United States
Reporting under the Minamata Convention
Article 21: Reporting
Requirement for all Parties to report to the COP through the Secretariat on measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention, on their effectiveness and on possible challenges in meeting the objectives of the Convention
Reports also to include information called for under specific provisions: Articles 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9
Timing and format were adopted at COP-1: Short reports due every 2 years, and long reports due every 4 years.
Short reports required in relation to primary mining of mercury, identified stocks and sources generating stocks, trade consent, facilities for final disposal.
Parties requested to use adopted format, in any of the 6 UN languages, and encouraged to provide electronic version of their reports
Electronic version of parties’ previous reports to be made available by the Secretariat for subsequent updates
Secretariat to provide information to the COP, including on reporting rate
Coming months: Secretariat to set up online reporting tool to allow first biennial reporting cycle by 31 December 2019
Reporting - format
