At its second meeting, the Conference of the Parties agreed on a number of action items to effectively implement the Minamata Convention and prepare for the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland on 25-29 November 2019. In some areas, submissions are invited by parties and other stakeholders, while in other areas submissions are expected through the members of the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties.
Information should be submitted to the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention, MEA-MinamataSecretariat [at] un.org (MEA-MinamataSecretariat[at]un[dot]org)
Harmonized System codes
COP-2 in its decision MC-2/9, 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.
A draft report was coordinated by the Secretariat in consultation with the Products Partnership, and it was sent to the partners of the Products Partnership on 31 May 2019 for final input and review. The draft report was posted here on 7 June 2019. Parties, signatories and other stakeholders are invited to submit comments by 1 August 2019, including information on the current use of the customs code in relation to mercury-added products.
Submissions from governments
Submissions from other organisations
Mercury Releases to land and water
Pursuant to Decision MC-2/3 a group of technical experts on guidance in relation to mercury releases was established to prepare a report on the identification of significant anthropogenic point source of release categories not addressed in the provisions of the Convention other than article 9, for consideration by COP-3. The list of members and observers of the group is available here. The group will work electronically.
Parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit information related to the identification of relevant point source categories of release by 15 February 2019.
Submissions from governments
Submissions from other organisations
Draft report from the group of technical experts, based on the discussion at its two teleconferences, was posted here on 15 May 2019. Parties, signatories and other stakeholders were invited to submit comments by 15 June 2019. The following comments have been received. The group of technical experts will finalize the report taking into account the comments received.
Submissions from governments
Submissions from other organisations
Mercury waste thresholds
Pursuant to Decision MC-2/2, a group of technical experts on waste thresholds was established to work on a number of technical issues on the establishment of mercury waste thresholds under article 11, for consideration by COP-3. The list of members and observers of the group is available here. The group also invites input from other experts to assist it in its work as appropriate. Parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit relevant information for the intersessional work by 15 February 2019.
Submissions from governments
- Argentina
- Canada
- Chile
- European Union
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Mauritius - Annex A - Annex B
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Uruguay
Submissions from other organisations
- Ms. Melissa Barbanell, International Council on Mining and Metals
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
The group of technical experts met in Osaka, Japan from 27 to 29 May 2019. The meeting documents are available below. (WORD documents)
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/1 Provisional agenda
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/1/Add.1 Annotations to the provisional agenda
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/2 Relevant Convention text and decision on mercury waste
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/3 Compilation of comments on the clarification and refinement of the coverage of each of the three categories of mercury waste listed in paragraph 2 of article 11
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/4 Compilation of comments on the lists of mercury waste
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/5 Compilation of comments on the establishment of mercury waste thresholds
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/5/Add.1 Information relating to analytical methods of mercury in wastes
- UNEP/MC/WT.1/6 Compilation of comments on approaches for establishing thresholds for overburden, waste rock and tailings, except from primary mercury mining
- UNEP/MC/MT.1/7 Report of the meeting
Guidance on the management of contaminated sites
Pursuant to Decision MC-2/8, Parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit comments and information to complement and further improve the draft Guidance submitted to COP-2 (UNEP/MC/COP.2/7) by 15 February 2019, based on which the Secretariat will revise the draft Guidance for consideration by COP-3.
Submissions from governments
- Canada
- Chile
- France: Comments - Specific comments - Case study: Restoration - Chloralkali - Background - Model
- Japan
- Switzerland
- Urugway
Submissions from other organisations
- Secretariat of the Barcelona Convention
- Common Forum on Contaminated Land in Europe: Comments - Specific comments - Decision Tree
- International Council on Mining on Metals
- International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN)
- Prof. Svetoslava Todorova, Syracuse University
Revised draft guidance, developed by the Secretariat taking into account these submissions, was posted here on 17 May 2019. Parties, signatories and other stakeholders were invited to submit comments by 21 June 2019. The following comments have been received. The Secretariat will revise the draft taking into account the submitted comments and in consultation with experts nominated after COP-1.
Submissions from governments
- Argentina
- Canada Overall comments - Specific comments
- Chile
- China
- European Union and its member states
- France
- Iran
- Japan
- Spain
- United States
Submissions from other organisations
Review of financial mechanism
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 by paragraph 11 of article 13 as being necessary for the review of the financial mechanism (paragraph 120 of the COP-2 report UNEP/MC/COP.2/19).In the letter from the Executive Secretary on 3 December 2018, parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit information relevant to the level of funding, the guidance provided by the COP to the entities entrusted to operationalize the financial mechanism and their effectiveness, and their ability to address the changing needs of developing country parties and parties with economies in transition, by 31 May 2019.
Capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer
COP-2 requested the secretariat in its decision MC-2/11 to collect the information received from the existing regional, subregional and national arrangements on their capacity-building and technical assistance to support parties in implementing their obligations under the Minamata Convention. In the letter from the Executive Secretary on 3 December 2018, parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit relevant information by 31 May 2019. Submission deadline was extended until 20 June 2019.
Submissions from governments
Emission of mercury resulting 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 (paragraph 184 of the COP-2 report UNEP/MC/COP.2/19). In the letter from the Executive Secretary on 3 December 2018, parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit relevant information by 31 May 2019. The following submission was received. Submission deadline was extended until 20 June 2019.
Submissions from governments
Effectiveness evaluation
All the information on the Ad-hoc Technical Expert Group on Effectiveness Evaluation is available here.