The Minamata Secretariat hosted a webinar on the Third Round of applications to the Specific International Programme in four separate sessions in English, French and Spanish on 19 and 20 January 2021.

To support eligible parties in the development of their applications, these online events were a great opportunity for the participants to discuss important considerations when drafting and submitting project proposals.

The video recordings of the online events can be watched here:

• English session on 19 January
• French session on 19 January
• Spanish session on 20 January

• English slides
• French slides
• Spanish slides

The Third Round of applications opened on 15 December 2020 to projects that can range in size from USD 50,000 to USD 250,000. Eligible Parties are requested to consult the application guidelines on how to prepare applications, and are invited to submit them by Thursday, 18 March 2021.

The Third Round is made possible with generous donor contributions to the Specific Trust Fund from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

On 5 January, the Government of Italy deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the 127th Party to the Minamata Convention and the first country to join in the new year 2021.

As part of the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to countries to ratify and implement the Minamata Convention, the government of Myanmar has presented the translation of the Convention text in its official language. 

With an initial print run of a thousand copies to be distributed throughout the country in January 2021, this translated booklet will be used as reference document in all official processes concerning the Convention implementation in Myanmar.

UNEP also supported Cambodia, Pakistan and the Philippines to draft their Minamata Initial Assessments that include mercury inventories, analysis of existing legal and institutional arrangements to control the life cycle of mercury, and identification of capacity-building needs.

UNEP is also working, through planetGOLD projects, toward eliminating mercury in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) sector in Asian countries such as The Philippines, Indonesia and Mongolia.

Building on this work, the Philippines, on 8 July 2020, and Pakistan, on 16 December 2020, ratified the Convention, bringing to 126 the number of Parties to the Minamata Convention committed to combating the harmful effects of mercury.

On 16 December 2020, the Government of Pakistan deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the 126th Party to the Minamata Convention.

On 15 December, the Minamata Convention Secretariat took part in the eleventh meeting of the Global Mercury Partnership Advisory Group (PAG11). The meeting was an opportunity to exchange on future priorities, discuss progress and next steps, including the preparations for the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (Bali, Indonesia, 1 to 5 November 2021).

On 16 December, the Minamata Convention Secretariat participated in a Chemicals and Waste briefing organized within the framework of the Geneva Environment Network (GEN). The online event reviewed the outcomes of the work and key activities of 2020, and presented the latest information on the priorities and main conferences scheduled for 2021.

The Third Round of applications to the Specific International Programme opened on 15 December 2020. Eligible Parties are invited to apply for projects that can range in size from USD50,000 to USD250,000. Applications are due by Thursday, 18 March 2021.

The Specific International Programme directly supports eligible Party governments in strengthening their capacity to implement the Minamata Convention. Please consult the application guidelines for the Third Round closely on how to prepare applications.

Prospective applicants can register for webinars to know how to apply in English, French and Spanish on the 19 and 20 January.

The Third Round is made possible with generous donor contributions to the Specific Trust Fund from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

The Governing Board’s decision to launch the Third Round was taken at its fifth meeting in November 2020. To know more about the projects approved in previous rounds and the Governing Board, visit the Specific International Programme webpage.

Submissions of initial views on indicators on effectiveness available on online workspace. This is in support of intersessional work on indicators for effectiveness evaluation (MC-3/10).

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention attended the 59th Council Meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which due to COVID-19 restrictions was held online from December 7 to December 11, 2020. The GEF Trust Fund is one of the two components of the financial mechanism of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which supports developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition in implementing their obligations under the Convention.

Minamata Convention Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz thanked Council members and the GEF Secretariat for their strong engagement in the Convention. Her full remarks can be found here.

For the 7th replenishment period (2018-2022), $206 million was allocated to support Minamata Convention Parties to phase out, reduce and eliminate mercury in priority sectors. The initiatives funded so far include Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs) and artisanal and small-scale gold mining (AGSM) National Action Plans (NAPs), as well as projects designed to support implementation of particular articles of the Convention. Some GEF projects are carried out under broader programmatic approaches, such as the GEF ISLANDS (Implementing Sustainable and Low and Non-Chemical Development in SIDS) and the PlanetGOLD programme.

The Council Meeting also benefitted from the valuable participation of other Executive Secretaries of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs): Elizabeth Mrema (Convention on Biological Diversity), Ibrahim Thiaw (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) and Rolph Payet (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions).

More information on the financial mechanism of which the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF) is part, and the Minamata Convention as a whole, can be found here.

Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz’s full remarks at the GEF 59th Council Meeting

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention invites project proposals on "Market survey and capacity building in Asia and the Pacific".

This project will be implemented under the programme funded by the European Union to help working on mercury-added products and effectiveness evaluation. This call for proposal is issued as part of the piloting of the UNEP's Partnership Policy and Procedure, which is currently reviewed in view of broadly involving partners in UNEP's work in an effective and accountable manner.

This call for proposal is open until 23 December 2020. For details please see the call for proposals, which includes an application form.

Parties shall not allow, by taking appropriate measures, the manufacture, import or export of mercury-added products listed in Part I of Annex A after 2020.

On 1 December, Minamata Online held the last event of the season, its information session on “Socioeconomic impact of mercury pollution”.

This online event, part of the “mercury” stream, was co-organized by the Minamata Convention Secretariat and the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP). One of the purposes of the Minamata Online series was to bridge the scientific community and international policy, and this session extended this goal to social sciences. Experts presented their work on socio-economic aspects of environmental pollution and discussed how social sciences can inform the decision making, in the context of the Minamata Convention.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 150 participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Jozef Pacyna, Professor, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
• Leonardo Trasande, Director, NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards
• Jon Stenning, Head of Environment, Cambridge Econometrics
• Milan Ščasný, Senior Lecturer, Charles University – Environment Center & Institute of Economic Studies, Czech Republic
• Myriam Tobollik, Scientist, German Environment Agency
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, was held weekly from September to December. Attendance was free for each session and a second season would be announced on our website early next year. In the meantime, the calendar of the previous sessions, including their presentations and video recordings, can be found here.

More information:

• Presentation
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is inviting Parties and interested stakeholders to submit, by December 13th, scientific, technical and policy information on gender and mercury.

On 26 November, Minamata Online held an information session on “Article 12: Contaminated Sites”.

This online event, part of the “implementation review and support” stream, outlined how the Minamata Convention sets out obligations with respect to the management of contaminates sites (Article 12) and how it provides relevant technical guidance. The session also included presentation on case studies on conceptual models, remediation technologies, monitoring and risk management.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 46 participants in the morning session and 72 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy and Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Rocío Millán, Research Center for Energy, Environment and Technology – CIEMAT
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

To know more, please read the "Guidance on the Management of Contaminated Sites", which is available on the Minamata Convention website in 6 languages.

• Arabic: https://bit.ly/ARgmcs
• Chinese: https://bit.ly/CHgmcs
• English: https://bit.ly/ENgmcs
• French: https://bit.ly/FRgmcs
• Russian: https://bit.ly/RUSgmcs
• Spanish: https://bit.ly/ESgmcs

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and the registration for the last event on 1 December is open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 17 November, Minamata Online held an information session on “Multimedia modelling of global mercury movement”.

This online science session, part of the “mercury science” stream, was co-organized by the Minamata Convention Secretariat, UNEP Global Mercury Partnership and ICMGP. It aimed to bridge the scientific community and international policy on the opportunities that multimedia modelling covering air, water, biota and humans provides for assessing the state of the environment and the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 130 participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Teeraporn Wiriwutikorn, Co-chair, Global Mercury Partnership Advisory Group
• Nicola Pirrone, Research Director, CNR –Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Italy
• David Evers, Executive Director and Chief Scientist of Biodiversity Research Institute
• Oleg Travnikov, Senior Scientist, Project Leader, Meteorological Synthesizing Centre -East of EMEP, UNECE/CLRTAP
• Nkanyiso Mbatha, Doctor, University of Zululand
• Elsie Sunderland, Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Chemistry, Harvard University
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until 1 December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the upcoming events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

Presentations:
• Nicola Pirrone
• David Evers
• Oleg Travnikov
• Nkanyiso Mbatha
• Elsie Sunderland

• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 12 November, Minamata Online held two information sessions on “Article 11: Mercury Wastes”. These virtual sessions, part of the “implementation review and support” stream, outlined how the Minamata Convention sets out obligations regarding the management of mercury wastes (Article 11).

The panelists also defined how the Minamata Convention interacts with the Basel Convention and its mercury waste technical guidelines. Additionally, these sessions provided information on waste management efforts undertaken by the Secretariat, UNEP, and the Global Mercury Partnership.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 54 participants in the morning session and 95 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy and Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Marianne Bailey, Programme Officer for Capacity-building and Technical Assistance, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Melisa Lim, Programme Officer, Focal Point to Central and Eastern Europe and Small Islands Developing States, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
• Takafumi Anan, Associate Expert, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Stéphanie Laruelle, Programme Management Officer, Chemicals and Health Branch, United Nations Environment Programme

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the November events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

By October 2020, 91 national reports have been received (achieving a 79.8% rate for the first reporting cycle). New reports received will be posted on this website when available.

On 17 November, the Minamata Secretariat, in collaboration with UNEP Global Mercury Partnership and ICMGP, will hold a science session on the opportunities that multimedia modelling covering air, water, biota and humans provides for assessing the state of the environment and the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.

On 4 November 2020, the Government of Qatar deposited its instrument of accession, thereby becoming the 125th Party to the Minamata Convention.

On 5 November, Minamata Online held an information session on “Mercury emissions: Estimation and projection”. This online science session, part of the “mercury science” stream, presented available information on estimated mercury emissions of release to the environment and their future projection.

Presentations included the existing global, regional and national emission inventories, and scenario analysis for future projection of chemicals pollution as well as other areas such as climate change. There was also a panel discussion on approaches for emission estimation and projection to contribute to policy making.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 54 participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Jozef Pacyna, Professor, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
• Simon Wilson, Deputy Executive Secretary, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
• Shuxiao Wang, Professor, Tsinghua University, Director of State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, China
• Rico Euripidou, Environmental Health Campaigner, GroundWork, Friends of the Earth South Africa and Zero Mercury Working Group
• Toshihiko Masui, Head, Center for Social and Environmental Systems Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan
• Noelle Selin, Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the November events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations:
  • Jozef Pacyna
  • Simon Wilson
  • Shuxiao Wang
  • Rico Euripidou
  • Toshihiko Masui
  • Noelle Selin
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 22 October, Minamata Online held an information session on “Article 8 Emissions”. This session outlined how the Minamata Convention sets out obligations regarding the control and reduction of mercury and mercury compounds to the atmosphere (Article 8 and Annex D).

This session, part of the “implementation review and support” stream, described the Guidance on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices adopted at COP-1 and provided some current information on implementation of Article 8.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 54 participants in the morning session and 78 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Marianne Bailey, Programme Officer for Capacity-building and Technical Assistance, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Lesley Sloss, Senior Analyst and Event Lead at IEA Clean Coal Centre; Co-lead for the coal area of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the November events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 3 November, Minamata Online held a special briefing on the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is scheduled to take place from 1 to 5 November 2021 in Bali, Indonesia. The event, facilitated by the Geneva Environment Network, included a panel discussion to mark the third anniversary of the Convention and information about COP4. More about the event details on the GEN website.

Moderated by Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, the event gave the opportunity to its panelists to share their vision on advancing the mercury agenda in the run up to COP-4, and on strengthening collaboration among Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in particular in the context of climate change.

Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz welcomed the participants, pointing out that “the world has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. We see the Convention as a solution to build back better, especially for the most vulnerable communities, such as millions working in small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and still using mercury in their practices, indigenous people and communities relying on marine food, pregnant women and children who are at particular risk to be exposed to toxic mercury”.

COP-4 President Rosa Vivien Ratnawati of Indonesia outlined her vision for the successful work on mercury and COP-4, stating that “124 countries have ratified the Convention, joining us to demonstrate our common desire to work for the environment and people by reducing the risk of mercury pollution. Commitment, coordination and communication are key, particularly in the current pandemic”.

H.E. Franz Perrez, Ambassador for the Environment of Switzerland, shared his perspectives on the impact of environmental conventions, including the Minamata Convention, saying that “in just a few years, this young Convention is beginning to phase out mining, and products and processes utilizing mercury. Multilateral environmental agreements like the Minamata Convention make a difference. They are beneficial for the environment, for the health, for many people, and they contribute to the economy. The global environment would be in worse shape without them”.

H.E. Amb. Miriam Shearman, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, addressed linkages and complementarities among multilateral environmental agreements in the context of climate change, stressing that “chemicals and climate change are intimately linked, and consequently policy action in one area has the potential to deliver core benefits in the other, to improve the environment within a generation”.

Monika MacDevette, Chief of Chemicals and Health Branch at UNEP, presented recent work towards closer programmatic collaboration between multilateral environmental agreements and UNEP, underlining that “UNEP presents a very powerful platform for concerted efforts among the chemicals related multilateral environmental agreements and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) to foster our efforts in a mutually reinforcing manner to deliver on our mandates toward common goals on the environment”. After sharing some of the work that UNEP undertakes in partnership with, and in support of implementation of the Minamata Convention, she added that “as always, we stand ready with our colleagues to make COP-4 a resounding success”.

In the second part of the session, the Minamata Secretariat presented an overall timeline for preparation of COP-4, upcoming meetings and opportunities for Parties and stakeholders to contribute to the intersessional work in the run-up to COP4. Led by Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy and Coordination Officer and Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Management Officer, the presentation highlighted the various areas of work under preparation for COP4 to continue efforts to address the global issues of mercury and promote implementation of the Convention.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 256 participants, who were given the opportunity to ask questions after the panel discussion and at the end of the session.

The complete list of panelists was the following:

• Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, Director General for Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Substances Management, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, COP4 President
• E. Amb. Franz Perrez, Ambassadorfor the Environment, Switzerland
• E. Amb. Miriam Shearman, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva
• Monika MacDevette, Chief, Chemicals and Health Branch, United Nations Environment Programme
• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy and Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at building better understanding of the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the November events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 15 October, Minamata Online held an information session on mercury material flow focusing on waste stream. Presentations included the approaches taken in understanding national mercury flow in waste stream and available knowledge from waste management sector. There was a panel discussion on how to improve the knowledge on mercury material flow in waste stream.

This session was part of the “mercury science” stream, the second event after the 29 September “Supply, demand and trade” webinar.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 102 participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Misuzu Asari, Associate Professor, Kyoto University
• Qingru Wu, Professor, Tsinghua University
• Gabriela Medina, Director, Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre, for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, Uruguay
• Alexander Romanov, Deputy Director,Scientific Research Institute for atmospheric air protection (SRI Atmosphere JSC)
• Melissa Barbanell, Barbanell Environmental Law & Consulting on behalf of the International Council on Mining and Metals
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the October events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations:
  • Misuzu Asari
  • Qingru Wu
  • Gabriela Medina
  • Alexander Romanov
  • Melissa Barbanell
  • Eisaku Toda
  • UNEP’s contribution to waste flows
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 5 October 2020, the Government of the Republic of Tanzania deposited its instrument of ratificacion, thereby becoming the 124th Party to the Minamata Convention.

On 8 October, Minamata Online held an information session on “Article 3 Trade”. This webinar outlined how the Minamata Convention sets out obligations regarding the trade in mercury (Article 3, MC-1/2). The event, like the 24 September “Art21 Reporting and Art15 ICC” session, was part of the “implementation review and support” stream, and it also provided information on the evolution of mercury trade flows.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 53 participants in the morning session and 86 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Marianne Bailey, Programme Officer for Capacity-building and Technical Assistance, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Gabi Eigenmann, Minamata Policy Expert, Department of Environment, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
• Lara Ognibene, Legal/Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the October events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 29 September, Minamata Online held an information session on “Mercury material flow: Supply, demand and trade”.

The first session under the “mercury science” stream, this webinar presented information on mercury material flow focusing on supply, demand and trade in mercury. Experts provided updated information after the publication of UNEP Mercury Supply, Trade and Demand report, studies on illicit trade, and national studies on mercury material flow. There was as well a panel discussion on how to improve the knowledge on mercury material flow.

The event saw a virtual attendance of over a hundred participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Peter Maxson, Director, Concorde East/West SPRL 
• Barbara Hendus, Program Officer Extractives & Conservation, IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands 
• Okechukwu Jonathan Okonkwo, Professor Emeritus, Tshwane University of Technology
• Thomas Groeneveld, Special Assistant, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Joy Leaner, Co-chair, International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant 2022
• Ken Davis, Programme Management Officer, UN Environment Programme
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

On the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, the Minamata Convention reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and, now more than ever, the need for strong, close work among all our Parties and stakeholders to ensure a better future free from the adverse effects of mercury.

In order to better illustrate the journey so far and the future we want, we make available an infographic timeline with a small sample of the Convention’s multilateral work.

On 24 September, Minamata Online held two information sessions on “Implementation review and support Art. 21 Reporting, and Art. 15 Implementation and Compliance Committee”.

This event, the first session of the “implementation review and support” stream, outlined the obligations under the Minamata Convention on reporting (Article 22 and MC-1/8) and the overall functioning of the Implementation and Compliance Committee (Article 15, MC-1/, MC-2/ and MC-3/9).

The event saw a virtual attendance of 53 participants in the morning session and 71 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Marianne Bailey, Programme Officer for Capacity-building and Technical Assistance, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Lara Ognibene, Legal/Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the last September events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentation
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

On 15 September, Minamata Online held an invitation-only session where identified experts gathered digitally to contribute to the monitoring guidance for effectiveness evaluation, under the COP-4 preparation stream. The webinar introduced the roadmap for developing monitoring guidance, its background information and draft annotated outline, and it shared expectations for the experts contributing to the drafting.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 65 participants and counted with the following panelists:

• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Garth Martin, Brewill Supplies and Consulting, South Africa
• Dave Evers, Biodiversity Research Institute
• Nil Basu, McGill University
• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

More information:

On 17 September, Minamata Online held an information session on the proposed indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention. This session on the COP-4 preparation stream, a continuation of the monitoring guidance webinar joined by identified experts on the 15 September, was held twice on the same day to facilitate the access to participants from all over the world.

As mandated by COP-3, this event introduced the three-step process of intersessional work to be done for the first effectiveness evaluation, and provided Parties with information for their preparation of their initial views on the proposed indicators. More information about the intersessional work towards the first effectiveness evaluation of the Minamata Convention here.

The event saw a virtual attendance of 70 participants in the morning session and 115 in the afternoon, and counted with the following panelists:

• Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Claudia ten Have, Senior Policy Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Michael J Spilsbury, Director, Evaluation Office, UN Environment Programme
• Eisaku Toda, Senior Programme Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury

The recording of the webinar is available here.

This weekly digital series, aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects, will be held weekly until December. Attendance is free for each session and registrations for the September events are open. More information about Minamata Online, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

More information:

• Presentations:
• Agenda
• Mike Spilsbury
• Minamata Secretariat
• Video recording
• Minamata Online

Starting in September and until December, the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury will hold a weekly series of free online sessions aimed at better understanding the Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects. Titled Minamata Online, this digital initiative strengthens the continuation of learning and collaboration among parties and stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention Monika Stankiewicz stated, in her letter to the parties, that “sharing knowledge and best practices has always been at the very heart of the Minamata Convention and I, and the entire Secretariat are honored to carry this spirit to the digital space and help to build back better”. She added that “Minamata Online is poised to be a source of knowledge and support, especially to the parties from developing countries and countries with economies in transition”.

With a duration of 60 to 90 minutes, these 13 sessions will be arranged according to three streams: implementation review and support, mercury science, and preparation for the Conference of the Parties (COP4) . In order to facilitate the access to the events, some of the sessions will be held twice on the same day according to different time zones, and video recordings will be made openly available afterwards.

The first session, which will take place twice on Thursday, 17 September, will focus on effectiveness evaluation indicators. Other dates will cover topics ranging from national reporting, to mercury trade, to mercury emissions, to waste and contaminated sites, as well as the mercury material flows, multimedia modeling of global mercury movement and the socio-economic impacts of mercury pollution. An invitation-only session with identified experts will happen on the 15^th ahead of the official launch.

This digital engagement has been developed in collaboration with the Global Mercury Partnership (GMP), the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP) and the Geneva Environment Network (GEN). Targeted to government officials, scientists, NGOs, and other stakeholders, attendance is free for each session and registrations for the September events are now open.

More information, the season’s calendar and registration details can be found here.

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The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. It draws attention to a global and ubiquitous metal that, while naturally occurring, has broad uses in everyday objects and is released to the atmosphere, soil and water from a variety of sources.

* The next meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4), which is the governing body that advances, reviews and evaluates the implementation of the Convention, will take place next year in Bali.

On 2 September, experts from chemicals and waste conventions, Regional Seas Conventions and UNEP explored together the key role of science in tracking progress in reaching environmental goals.

The moderator of the event, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Monika Stankiewicz, highlighted that “sharing lessons learnt from measuring progress in achieving our environmental goals, whether concerning marine litter, mercury  or other hazardous substances, will contribute greatly to developing and improving the evaluation of how effective our conventions are.”

The side event, organized by the Minamata Convention Secretariat, was held during the online segment of the 12th Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Basel Convention (OEWG-12) and saw a virtual attendance of 137 participants. The following panelists exchanged their experiences and perspectives on a fit-for-purpose effectiveness evaluation system which is based on best available science:

• Michael J Spilsbury, Director of the Evaluation Office, UNEP
• Ana-Maria Witt, Programme Officer from the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
• Jerker Tamelander, Coordinator of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)
• Dominic Pattinson, Executive Secretary of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention).

The parties to the Minamata Convention are currently in a process of preparing for the  first effectiveness evaluation of the Convention to be done by 2023. As agreed by the third Conference of the Parties in 2019, the work is ongoing to develop monitoring guidance to maintain harmonized, comparable information on mercury levels in the environment, and a report on mercury trade, supply and demand, including mercury waste flows and stocks. The next Conference of the Parties, to be held in November 2021 in Bali, Indonesia, will consider and decide on the next steps of the effectiveness evaluation process.

The recording of the side-event is available here.

Join Minamata Online, a new series of weekly webinars, to learn more about the convention and mercury science. 

More information:

• Presentations:
  
  - Monika Stankiewicz
  - Mike J Spilsbury
  - Ana-Maria Witt
  - Jerker Tamelander
  - Dominic Pattinson
• Video recording
• OEWG12 main event
• Minamata Online

To mark the 3rd anniversary of the Minamata Convention, two lifelong sufferers of the Minamata Disease raise their voices once more to call for commitment so that mercury poisoning of the magnitude experienced by those living around the Minamata Bay more than 60 years ago, will not be repeated ever again.

Ms. Shinobu Sakamoto and Mr. Koichiro Matsunaga were born along the Minamata Bay where mercury from wastewater at a local company had been discharged from some decades. Both were dramatically affected as the mercury that accumulated had entered the food stream to affect the local population, including their mothers who in turn passed the conditions for Minamata Disease during their pregnancy to their children.

Many people in Minamata, in southwest Japan, suffered, and many died, from this serious neurological disease.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, signed in 2013 in Kumamoto, Japan, in the presence of some of these longtime sufferers and their family members, in its preamble recognises the substantial lessons learned from this environmental disaster, and calls for global action for such a tragedy never to be repeated again.

On 16 of August 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force. Since then, 123 Parties have ratified the Convention for joint action to make mercury history.

Today, the by now aging Ms. Sakamoto and Mr. Matsunaga are raising their voices once again to call to current and future generations so that such a tragedy is not repeated.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury Promotion Network has also sent a letter to different embassies encouraging to ratify the Convention.

Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Convention, reflects on its impact emphasizing how together we can #MakeMercuryHistory

Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP, Monika Stankiewicz, the Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, and Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, the Minamata COP4 President convey their message for the 3rd anniversary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

As the Minamata Convention on Mercury turns 3, the Programme Management Officer Marianne Bailey draws attention to the role of ASGM National Action Plans in global efforts to advance sustainable development & transitions to formal economy.

To continue to serve the Minamata Parties at a time of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Minamata Secretariat has focused on strengthening networks and support its Parties and key constituencies through digital means.

Minamata Online is a new series of digital engagement to provide an opportunity for government officials, scientists, NGOs, and other stakeholders to better understand the Minamata Convention's provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects. The sessions are arranged according to three streams: implementation support and review, mercury science, and COP-4 preparations.

Starting on Thursday, 17 September, each digital session will delve into a particular topic on a weekly basis until December. The thirteen sessions will cover topics ranging from national reporting, to mercury trade, to mercury emissions, to waste and contaminated sites, as well as the mercury material flows, multimedia modeling of global mercury movement and the socio-economic impacts of mercury pollution. One session will also mark the 365-day countdown to COP4.

The sessions are 1-1.5 hours long, and some will be held twice on the same day to accommodate different time zones. Each session will be announced individually, and registration will be available on the Minamata Convention website http://www.mercuryconvention.org/

Save the date now, checking the Minamata Online calendar!

Our collaboration partners for Minamata Online are the Global Mercury Partnership (GMP), the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP), and the Geneva Environment Network (GEN).

This programme is built on the pilot sessions on mercury-added products held in July 2020. Please see for more information:  Intersessional work on products and processes and The 2020 deadline for phasing out mercury-added products 

In addition to the European Union’s contribution of 500,000 euros for the work programme for technical assistance and capacity building on mercury trade and emissions, the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention received another 500,000 euros to support the work on mercury-added products and effectiveness evaluation.

The new contribution has three components. The first component supports the intersessional work on the review of Annexes A and B. The original intention was to support a face-to-face meeting of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts, but since the meeting was not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contribution will be spent to support market studies on mercury-added products.

The second component is technical assistance and capacity-building to assist Parties in fulfilling its 2020 obligation to phase out manufacturing, import and export of mercury-added products. Several partners will be trained on developing and implementing domestic policy measures for the phase-out, and will provide hands-on assistance to developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition. For further information, please see the concept note for this component.

The third component supports the intersessional work on effectiveness evaluation. The current plan is to support a meeting on the effectiveness evaluation indicators and analyze information relevant to proposed indicators. Further details will be discussed in early 2021 taking into account the situation of travel restrictions.

From their homes, Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury are commemorating its third anniversary. Some of the COP4 Bureau Members sent their personal message of hope to work together on this journey to #MakeMercuryHistory

On 8 July 2020, the Government of the Philippines deposited its instrument of ratificacion, thereby becoming the 123rd Party to the Minamata Convention.

The Minamata Secretariat convened two online information sessions on the 7 July on the progress of the intersessional process to review the list of products and processes using mercury, with a call for submission of information.

The first session was held at 10:00 Geneva time, and the second at 16:00 Geneva time, to cover all time zones. With nearly 92 participants in the morning session and 99 in the afternoon, these online events included information on the intersessional work related to products and processes, more specifically review of Annexes A and B, dental amalgam and custom codes.

Through an overview of  COP3 decisions, the current situation and the roadmap for each area of work, the Secretariat shared the information received so far on these provisions from Parties and others on progress made towards meeting the extended deadline by 31 July. A Q&A session followed the presentation. 

The Minamata Convention controls the full life cycle of mercury, from its supply to its trade, use, emissions, releases, storage, and the management of waste and contaminated sites. "The control on the use of mercury in products and industrial processes is one of the critical building blocks of the Convention", stressed the Executive Secretary of the Convention, Monika Stankiewicz.

Article 4 of the Convention obliges the Parties to phase out the manufacture, import and export of mercury-added products listed in Annex A. Article 5 describes the measures that Parties must take on manufacturing processes using mercury listed in Annex B.

More information:

• Presentation
• Video recording
• Summary of questions and answers
• Intersessional work and submissions for COP4

Meetings held and planned under the Minamata Convention in the 2020-2021 biennium and run-up to COP4 are listed here. The calendar presented will be updated regularly as additional online meetings may be added.

On 2 July, the Secretariat convened information sessions to highlight the 2020 deadline for mercury-added products under the Minamata Convention, and provide essential information to assist Parties in their implementation of Article 4 in this regard.

To cover all time zones, the first session was held at 10:00 Geneva time, and the second at 16:00 Geneva time. With nearly 100 participants in the morning session and 87 in the afternoon, these information sessions covered the Convention's provisions to reduce mercury in products and manufacturing processes as formulated in Article 4 and Annex A. The Secretariat also introduced the provisions of Article 6 on exemptions available to a Party upon request. Furthermore, the Secretariat shared the information received so far on these provisions, and from Parties and others on progress made towards meeting the deadline. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session.

In the introduction, the Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, Monika Stankiewicz, emphasized that "in negotiating the Convention, countries took bold steps forward so that Parties would commit to reducing the amount of mercury available for use and in global circulation. One such bold step is to phase-out products that contain mercury".

Under Article 4, the Convention sets out to reduce mercury demand in products through a combination of measures which phase out mercury uses in many key products, phase down mercury use in dental amalgam, and discourage the manufacture of new products using mercury.

Annex A, Part 1 of the Convention, lists the mercury-added products for which, by 2020, the manufacture and import or export of the product shall not be allowed. These include specific batteries, switches and relays, fluorescent lamps, cosmetics, pesticides, thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, and other measuring devices where mercury is intentionally added. 

Article 6 provides a mechanism for Parties to be granted more time to meet their obligations under Article 4. Mercury-added products accounted for about 25% of global mercury use in 2015, according to the UNEP report on Supply, Trade and Demand, and they create significant waste management challenges for countries.

More information:

• Presentation
• Video recording
• Summary of questions and answers
• Information on the exemptions received
• Information received by the Secretariat in support of Article 17

On 23 June 2020, the Government of the Sultanate of Oman deposited its instrument of accession, thereby becoming the 122nd Party to the Minamata Convention.

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury convened an online information session on the plan to develop guidance on monitoring for evaluating the effectiveness of the Convention.

On 26 May 2020, the Government of Albania deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the 120th Party to the Minamata Convention.

Join live this Thursday 28 May at 9 AM CEST the new Geneva Environment Dialogues special COVID-19 series, to discuss the Minamata Convention Intersessional Work towards COP-4, with the Executive Secretary and other colleagues.