Statement: Monika Stankiewicz at the first meeting for the GEF-9 replenishment

Today, the Minamata Convention on Mercury has 152 Parties and more will join in the future. Recent communications indicate that over 20 countries have expressed various levels of commitment to ratify the convention in moving forward. Most Parties need to meet their various legally binding requirements of the Convention by 2030.

Therefore, there is a strong expectation that by the end of the ninth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-9) replenishment cycle, major progress will be achieved by Parties to implement the Minamata Convention, with strong support of the GEF.

The focal area on chemicals and waste will be instrumental in reaching this milestone. We are pleased with how the programme for this focal area has been shaped so far. We will submit our detailed comments after this meeting and I hope I will be given the opportunity to speak again at the next replenishment meeting to provide you with more details on the future needs against the progress in implementation of the convention.

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-5) in 2023 supplemented the COP guidance to the GEF, by requesting the GEF to promote synergies with other focal areas, including the biodiversity focal area, in planning for its ninth replenishment period.

One example of potential co-benefits is our recent cooperation with United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat in one country in Africa, on reviewing impacts of artisanal gold mining on land and water with sobering findings indicating serious damage to fragile ecosystems of the Sahara desert. Programmatic directions could be further refined having these linkages in mind.

Regarding Integrated Programmes, I would like to note that mercury and the Minamata Convention are reflected in a few of them. Comparing to the Integrated Programmes in GEF-8, this is a very welcomed development.

More specifically, the Amazon, Congo, and Critical Forest Biomes do reflect that gold mining is one of the main drivers of deforestation. It will be difficult to achieve the 30x30 protected areas target of the Global Biodiversity Framework without addressing mercury use in artisanal gold mining.

The Minamata Convention is the only multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) regulating a certain section of mining through a set of concrete measures, let’s take full advantage of it in our nature conservation efforts. To this end, I would like to propose that the Minamata Convention is explicitly referred to in the Integrated Programme.

Further, we welcome the Sustainable Cities Integrated Programme, which clearly streamlines waste and waste management matters with direct links to hazardous chemicals, including mercury, and the Minamata Convention.

And we also welcome that the Pollution-free Supply Chains Integrated Programme includes focal sectors of direct relevance in terms of mercury - Electronics and Construction, and that it highlights links to the Minamata Convention and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Lastly, in the Minamata Convention work we also promote whole of government and whole of society approaches, including engagement of women, youth and Indigenous Peoples.

We see a need for stronger coordination at the national level. We support a direction to increase engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in GEF, which would be of great advantage to the effective implementation of the Minamata Convention.

This direction is in line with the recent Minamata Convention landmark decision 5/1 entitled "The effects of mercury pollution on Indigenous Peoples and on local communities", which calls for broadening participation of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, in the implementation of projects and programmes undertaken under the Minamata Convention. This is also in line with target 22 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

In just one year, we have already undertaken several activities to implement the decision. For example, the secretariat has undertaken a survey on the needs and priorities of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities with regard to mercury pollution. We received responses from over 170 Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and local communities, from 33 countries.

Let me finalize by expressing my appreciation to the GEF Secretariat and GEF Partnership Programme for offering multiple opportunities to advance this work under the Minamata Convention.