El Convenio de Minamata se une a la mesa redonda de alto nivel del EMG para promover soluciones integradas para la contaminación, la biodiversidad y las crisis climáticas

The event convened senior leaders from across the United Nations system and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to explore practical and transformative pathways for implementing chemicals and waste conventions in synergy with broader global frameworks.

This high-level gathering, hosted by UNEP Executive Director and EMG Chair Inger Andersen, emphasized the urgent need to move beyond institutional and thematic silos to tackle the planetary crises of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. During the opening segment, Inger Andersen highlighted that “chemicals are affecting other systemic issues like biodiversity and climate. We need to think about synergies and how we produce and consume. The EMG is the space to build common ground across the UN on pollution.”

Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, underlined the critical importance of integrated chemicals and waste governance to safeguard human health and the environment. “Chemicals and waste management is not just a matter of regulation,” she stated. “It is about protecting people’s health, our planet, biodiversity, and ecosystems. The recognition of substantive linkages between chemicals, climate and biodiversity has grown exponentially.”

Stankiewicz emphasized the Convention's growing efforts to engage civil society and local actors, including the adoption of the first-ever Minamata Convention decision on the effects of mercury pollution on Indigenous Peoples and on local communities. She also highlighted the leadership of women in chemicals policy, following the example of the Women’s Caucus under the Convention on Biological Diversity. “Civil society creates possibilities for synergies and can help achieve our goals,” she concluded.

The roundtable featured contributions from senior representatives of the CITES, Ramsar and Plastic Pollution conventions, UNEP’s Regional Office for Europe, the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, and UNDP and FAO. Discussions centered on aligning the implementation of the BRS Conventions with the Global Framework on Chemicals, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Paris Agreement.

The outcomes of the event will inform future global forums, including UNEA-7 and the upcoming climate COP in Belém, further advancing the momentum for integrated action across MEAs.

For more information on the EMG at the BRS COPs, visit: https://unemg.org/emg-at-the-brs-cops-2025

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