Second segment of the Minamata Convention COP-4 (21-25 March): Here is what to expect

13 Mar 2022

The second segment of the fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4.2) will take place in person in Bali, Indonesia, from 21 to 25 March 2022.

Minamata Convention COP-4.2

The second segment of the fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4.2) will take place in person in Bali, Indonesia, from 21 to 25 March 2022.

Registered participants will be able to follow online the proceedings of the meeting. Registered delegates of parties who are not represented by in-person delegate(s) in Bali, will be able to actively participate in the proceeding of the meeting through the online Interactio platform. There is also a contingency plan for COVID-19 related issues with delegates to allow them to participate online actively.

The COP plenary sessions will be conducted with interpretation in the 6 UN languages, with its opening ceremony to be broadcast on YouTube on 21 March from 10h00 to 10h40 local time (UTC+8).

Some highlights of the Conference will be:
COP Plenary: During plenary sessions, the official meeting documents will be discussed in order for the COP to make decisions on matters such as:

  • An ambitious work programme for the next year, as well as,
  • To advance in Convention processes, including strong implementation support to parties in conjunction with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) next replenishment cycle, and
  • Preparing for the first full national reporting on the implementation of the Convention.

There are two main substantive items to be spotlighted:

  • Review of Annexes A and B on mercury-added products and manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are used. The Secretariat received three proposals for amendments to the Convention in time for COP-4 (by the European Union, by Africa, and by Canada and Switzerland). They might be adopted at the meeting.
  • Effectiveness evaluation: at COP-4.1 in November 2021, parties stressed the importance of the effectiveness evaluation to the Convention as a crucial element in meeting the main objective of protecting human health and the environment from toxic mercury. This urgent issue (the deadline to begin the first effectiveness evaluation is August 2023) requires a robust framework based on scientific evidence and data transparency. Discussions on this matter continued intensively during the intersessional period to be consolidated in this second segment of COP-4.

The complete list of COP-4 documents can be found on the Convention's website. 

Bali Declaration: The Government of Indonesia seeks support from parties to the Minamata Convention to the Bali Declaration on Combatting Global Illegal Trade of Mercury. This non-binding political declaration has undergone two out of three written consulting stages and is due to be concluded at COP-4.2. A launching ceremony will take place on Monday 21 March 2022 in the Plenary Room at lunchtime from 13h00–14h00 local time (UTC+8).

GEF Panel Discussion: on Tuesday 22 March, 13h15–15h00 local time (UTC+8): "Integration – to end the use and emissions of mercury." This panel discussion will explore integration to address mercury in multiple sectors, how the Convention's implementation promotes integration, and how we can build projects and programs at the national level to integrate more fully. It will be moderated by Chizuru Aoki, Lead Environmental Specialist at GEF, and will feature the following confirmed panelists: 
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, GEF CEO and chairperson, Carlos Martin-Novella, BRS Deputy Executive Secretary, and Monika Stankiewicz, Minamata Convention Executive Secretary.

Among the high-level speakers, COP-4.2 will include:

  • Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry (Republic of Indonesia)
  • Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme
  • Rosa Vivien Ratnawati, President of COP-4 (Republic of Indonesia)
  • Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
  • Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The resumed segment of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury will be pivotal for the future work of the Convention and the protection of human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first segment was held online from 1 to 5 November 2021.

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