COP-16 Cooperation Day: a whole-of-society-approach

The Minamata Convention Secretariat joined other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), UN organizations and other stakeholders on Cooperation Day to enhance collaboration between conventions concerning issues of common interest in biodiversity and pollution. It was emphasized on this day that there was a need for a united approach and actions among the different MEAs in order to ensure the protection of the environment and also find solutions to the common challenges, including mercury pollution.

In her opening remarks, the Minamata Convention Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz said: "It is clear here in Cali that we Multilateral Environmental Agreements can and should speak with one voice about the issues that are the most important ones, which is the whole-of-society approach and whole of the government approach. This is a focus on people who are the most disproportionately affected by climate change, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and pollution, including mercury pollution."

Stankiewicz also underscored the key role of different stakeholders in working together to end mercury pollution, with a focus on people who are disproportionately affected by the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

"There are so many civil society groups here in Cali, Indigenous peoples, women, youth groups, NGOs, local communities, and they are all highly concerned about mercury pollution and they are all very active to address it and we have this very great opportunity to build new great partnership and to bring them all to the Minamata Convention work," she stated.

Stakeholders gathered to discuss how cooperation works in a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach in integrating global strategies on biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and pollution.

Read here the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) coverage of the day at the UN Biodiversity COP-16.