Sixième réunion de la conférence des parties à la convention de Minamata sur le mercure (COP-6)

The Minamata Convention entered into force on 16 August 2017, the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. For each State or regional economic integration organization that ratifies, accepts or approves the Convention or accedes thereto after the deposit of this 50th instrument, the Convention will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit by such State or regional economic integration organization of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Hence, in order to be Parties to the Minamata Convention at the time of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, countries and regional economic integration organizations that have not yet done so should deposit their instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the United Nations Secretary-General, who is the depository of the Convention, no later than 4 August 2025. The updated list of Parties can be found on the Convention website.

Comme les années précédentes, l'inscription des délégués se fait en deux étapes :

1. Inscription en ligne : Les noms, titres et coordonnées de vos représentants désignés pour assister à la sixième réunion de la Conférence des Parties doivent être communiqués au Secrétariat à l'aide de la plateforme d'inscription en ligne Kronos qui sera disponible à partir du 7 juillet 2025. Le lien individuel permettant d'accéder à la plateforme d'inscription avec les instructions sera envoyé aux correspondants nationaux pour la Convention de Minamata sur le mercure et/ou aux missions permanentes auprès du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement et des Nations Unies à Genève. Vous êtes invités à vérifier les coordonnées des correspondant nationaux et à informer le Secrétariat de toute mise à jour (si nécessaire). Une liste des correspondants nationaux figure à l'annexe III de la présente lettre.
2. Envoi des pièces justificatives : En outre, les Parties sont priées d'envoyer au Secrétariat à l'MEA-MinamataMeetings [at] un.org (MEA-MinamataMeetings[at]un[dot]org) la lettre officielle de nomination du Ministère des affaires étrangères ou une note verbale de la Mission permanente de la Partie auprès de l'Office des Nations Unies à Genève avec les noms et coordonnées des représentants désignés. Veuillez noter que les documents émis par toute autre entité ne seront pas acceptés.

La date limite pour l'inscription en ligne et l'envoi de la lettre de nomination officielle pour toutes les Parties autres que celles qui demandent un soutien au voyage est le 24 octobre 2025.

Une aide financière peut être fournie pour appuyer la participation d'un délégué par pays en développement remplissant les conditions requises. L'aide au titre des frais de déplacement doit être clairement demandée et le participant désigné pour recevoir une assistance financière doit être clairement indiqué dans la lettre de nomination officielle. La date limite pour l'inscription en ligne et l'envoi de la lettre de nomination officielle pour les délégués parrainés est le 5 septembre 2025.

Il sera possible de s'inscrire sur place au Centre de conférences et il faut s'attendre à des temps d'attente prolongés. Le Secrétariat encourage vivement tous les participants à s'inscrire avant la date limite.

Veuillez noter que la finalisation du processus d'inscription est subordonnée à l’envoi de tous les renseignements requis et à la confirmation ultérieure par le Secrétariat. Les délégués sont invités à ne pas prendre de dispositions de voyage avant d'avoir reçu la confirmation d'inscription du Secrétariat. Une fois l'inscription validée dans Kronos, chaque membre de la délégation recevra un e-mail de confirmation avec des informations et des détails logistiques supplémentaires.

Afin de participer à la prise de décisions à la réunion de la Conférence des Parties, toutes les Parties à la Convention de Minamata devront être dotées de pouvoirs. Les pouvoirs des chefs de délégation, des représentants suppléants et des conseillers sont délivrés par le chef d’État ou de Gouvernement ou par le Ministre des Affaires Étrangères ou, dans le cas d’une organisation régionale d’intégration économique, par l’autorité compétente de cette organisation. Tout changement de composition de la délégation doit être communiqué selon la même procédure.

Des modèles de pouvoirs sont disponibles en arabe, chinois, anglais, français, russe and espagnol.

Les originaux des pouvoirs doivent être transmis au Secrétariat au plus tard 24 heures après l’ouverture de la réunion. Afin de faciliter le processus de validation, les gouvernements sont invités à communiquer une copie de leurs pouvoirs à l’avance, de préférence avant le 17 octobre 2025, à 4 l’adresse suivante :

La Secrétaire exécutive
Secrétariat de la Convention de Minamata sur le mercure
Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement
Avenue de la Paix 8-14, 1211
Geneva 10, Switzerland

S'ils ne les ont pas soumis avant la réunion, les Parties peuvent remettre les pouvoirs originaux de leurs représentants au bureau d'inscription à leur arrivée sur le lieu de la réunion le premier jour de la réunion.

Des copies électroniques des pouvoirs peuvent être envoyées à l'adresse suivante : MEA- MinamataMeetings [at] un.org.

Financial assistance may be available to support the participation of one participant per eligible developing country Party. The assistance will include daily subsistence allowance (DSA) at United Nations rate and round-trip economy ticket. The sponsored participant must be clearly specified in the official nomination letter. 

Important: the deadline for registration in the online platform and for sending the official nomination letter for sponsored delegates is 5 September 2025. 

Once confirmed for participation, the sponsored participants will receive additional instructions on their travel arrangements. Air travel will be arranged according to the United Nations regulations, via the most economical and direct means possible in all cases. Please note that changes to air tickets after they have been issued will not be permitted.

In order to facilitate the payment of subsistence allowance at the venue, sponsored participants will be requested to submit copies of their passport and boarding passes to the Secretariat staff at the location and time indicated during the meeting. For any query related to travel and DSA, sponsored participants are invited to contact the Secretariat at: mea-minamatameetings [at] un.org.

Participants are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements in advance of the meeting and for covering any associated incurred costs. The Secretariat encourages all Parties to make such arrangements at the earliest possible opportunity.

Please note that accommodation support for the non-sponsored governments and NGO representatives participating at the COP-6 may be provided by International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI). Please check CAGI website or contact delegates.cagi [at] etat.ge.ch for more details about the eligibility criteria and the conditions that apply.

An updated list of hotels offering preferential rates to the United Nations is available here.

Il incombe aux participants d’obtenir leur visa d’entrée en Suisse ainsi que les éventuels visas de transit. Une lettre d’appui peut être délivrée par le Secrétariat sur demande.

Rule 6 of the rules of procedure for the Conference of the Parties provides that the United Nations, its specialized agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as any State not party to the Convention and any entity operating the mechanism referred to in paragraph 5 of Article 13 of the Convention, may, upon the invitation of the President, participate in the proceedings of any meeting without the right to vote, unless at least one-third of the Parties present at the meeting object.

Rule 7 of the rules of procedure provides that any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, admitted as an observer may, upon the invitation of the President, participate without the right to vote in the proceedings of any meeting in matters of direct concern to the body or agency they represent, unless at least one-third of the Parties present at the meeting object.

Upon invitation by the President, observers may present their statements orally. The number of oral statements to be delivered at the meeting depends on the time available. With respect to NGOs, preference will be given to those speaking on behalf of groups of organizations or coalitions. Written statements could also be submitted in one of the official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish).

Organizations approved to participate in the previous meetings of the Conference of the Parties do not need to resubmit such application for admission. See organizations listed in documents UNEP/MC/COP.1/INF/16, UNEP/MC/COP.2/INF/19, UNEP/MC/COP.3/INF/27, UNEP/MC/COP.4/INF/28/Rev.1 and UNEP/MC/COP.5/INF/39.

Organizations wishing to obtain observership status should submit to the Secretariat by e-mail: mea-minamatameetings [at] un.org at least two months prior to the opening of the meeting, an application for admission as an observer at meetings of the COP, including information demonstrating it is qualified in matters covered by the Convention. The Secretariat will screen the applications to check their completeness and conformity with the requirements of the Convention. Successful applications will be submitted to COP-6.

Further information with regard to the participation of observers in meetings of the Conference of the Parties may be found on the website.

Media professionals that represent bona fide media organizations (formally registered as a media organization in a country recognized by the United Nations General Assembly) are invited to attend the sixth meeting of the Minamata Convention (COP-6) taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 3 to 7 November 2025. By following the accreditation process, each journalist can be issued with credentials to enable access to the plenary sessions, side events and exhibition area.

Media admittance follows the Guidelines for Media accreditation and access.

Accreditation will be granted upon presentation of valid press credentials, including each of the following:

1. Completed Accreditation Form
2. Letter of assignment on the official letterhead of a media organization signed by the publisher/assignment editor, editor-in-chief or bureau chief, specifying the name and functional title of the journalist. Unsigned letters or e-mails will not be accepted;
3. Photocopy of a valid press card/work pass; and
4. Photocopy of passport/national ID card.

Please submit the Accreditation Form together with the documents listed above as soon as possible to the Secretariat through the Communications and Knowledge Management Officer, Anna García Sans at anna.garcia [at] un.org.

Note that double accreditation is not allowed (e.g. as press and delegate, or as press and nongovernmental organization).

The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Monday, 3 November to 7 November 2025. Regional consultations and other preparatory meetings will take place in the afternoon of Sunday, 2 November 2025.

The meeting will be held at:

Geneva International Conference Centre – Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG)
Rue de Varembé 17. 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Tel.: + 41 (0) 22 791 91 11, Fax: + 41 (0) 22 791 90 64
Website: www.cicg.ch

Internet access

Free wireless internet access is available in all conference and meeting rooms and in the public areas of the CICG.

Restaurants / Catering services

Catering services for lunch will be available at the Geneva International Conference Centre, at the bar and restaurant located on the ground and first-floor levels. Other cafes, restaurants and shops are within walking distance of the meeting venue.

Banking facilities

Banking services are available at the nearby area, the closest one being UBS Switzerland AG Vermont-Nations located at Chemin Camille-Vidart 17b, 1202 Geneva.

Participants are requested to register online in advance of the meeting and obtain their meeting badge at the registration desk at the venue, upon presentation of one of the following valid identification documents, in Latin alphabets:

• Valid national passport issued by a government recognized by the United Nations;
• Valid national ID cards issued by a Schengen State;
• Valid travel document recognized by the UN.

The registration counter is located on the ground floor of the CICG and will have the following opening hours:

• Sunday, 2 November: 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm
• Monday to Friday, 3 November to 7 November: 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm

Access to the meeting venue is subject to the presentation of a valid meeting badge. For security reasons, the display of conference badge is mandatory at all times to get access to the meeting venue and meeting rooms. Any loss of a conference badge should be reported immediately to the registration counter.

Delegates are encouraged to obtain their conference badge/register prior to the morning of 3 November to reduce the queuing and lineups on the day of the official opening.

NOTE: Only the names of duly registered participants will be included in the list of participants of the meeting.

L'ouverture officielle de la COP-6 aura lieu le lundi 3 novembre 2025 à 10 heures. Les sessions plénières de la réunion se tiendront tous les jours de 10 heures à 13 heures et de 15 heures à 18 heures. Les sessions plénières de la réunion seront diffusées en direct en 6 langues et la diffusion en continu sera disponible sur la page web de la COP-6 et sur la chaîne YouTube.

Les Nations Unies ont publié le Code de conduite pour prévenir le harcèlement, y compris le harcèlement sexuel, lors des événements du système des Nations Unies ; cela inclut les réunions, des conférences, des événements parallèles, des ateliers et d'autres événements organisés dans le cadre de la Convention de Minamata sur le mercure. Le Secrétariat de la Convention de Minamata s'engage à c. 5 permettre des événements auxquels tout le monde peut participer dans un environnement inclusif, respectueux et sûr. Les délégués sont invités à se familiariser avec le Code de conduite, qui peut être consulté ici.

The Minamata Convention Secretariat has taken steps to enhance and promote the environmental sustainability of its activities, including in the preparation and conduct of its meetings.

The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-6) will be conducted in accordance with the Secretariat’s environmental sustainability efforts. A number of measures will be put in place to reduce the environmental impact of COP-6 and offset unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions related to it.

The Secretariat will work with the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) and the caterer to reduce the environmental impact of their services. CICG and the caterer have adopted several measures to reduce their environmental footprint. For more information on the environmental measures taken by CICG, please consult the environmental chart of the Foundation for Buildings for International Organizations (FIPOI).

All participants have an essential role to play in reducing the environmental footprint of COP-6, and your support in this important effort is greatly appreciated.

Sustainability measures that will be adopted at the venue

Reducing waste production: COP-6 will aim at reducing wastes, especially plastic waste, at the meeting venue, in collaboration with CICG and the caterer:

1. The use of plastic in containers, bottles, sandwich wraps, cutlery and cups will be minimized and replaced with alternatives. Please see below a table of items that will be available at COP-6, and suggested actions to reduce waste production;
2. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring refillable drinking containers (cups, mugs, bottles) to be used at the Café/Restaurant and hydration stations located throughout the venue;
3. A discount on hot drinks will be offered by the caterer at the Café le 6ème Continent (Ground Floor) and at the Restaurant (First Floor) to the participants who use their own reusable cups;
4. The venue has a recycling programme, and recycling bins are disposed in various locations throughout the venue.

Paperless meeting: The meeting will be paperless and printed documents will not be provided. Pre-session documents will be available on the meeting’s website and in-session documents (such as conference room papers) will be available electronically via the COP-6 webpage. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops or tablets.

Suggested actions for participants to support greening COP-6

Participants who organize their own travel to and from Geneva are encouraged to take the following actions:

1. Calculate the CO2 emissions related to their travels, using the ICAO flight emissions calculator;
2. Offset their emissions, using the United Nations carbon offset platform and sending a copy of the attestation to the Secretariat at mea-minamatameetings [at] un.org to help track progress in offsetting COP-6 emissions;
3. Replace short flights with rail trips, where possible;
4. Opt for direct routes that avoid additional emissions associated with multiple take-offs and landings;
5. Voluntarily lower the flight class to avoid the higher footprint of business class trips;
6. Use sustainable transportation, including buses, biking, walking, or carpooling for local trips where possible;
7. Shift meals to plant-based, locally produced, in-season, or eco-certified alternatives where possible;
8. Seek out accommodations that have a green guest program or have earned an eco-certification;
9. Stay at accommodations that are within walking distance of the meeting venue;
10. Reduce food waste and other waste;
11. Bring refillable drinking containers (cups, mugs, bottles) to be used at the Café/Restaurant and hydration stations;
12. Download any electronic documents for use onsite. Printed copies will not be provided, but participants will be able to recharge their devices;
13. Participate in the venue's recycling program.

The following items will be available at the COP venue. Please consider suggested actions to reduce waste and make COP-6 greener.

Thank you for your effort to #greeningCOP6!

For more information, please contact Maria Irene Rizzo, Associate Expert, at irene.rizzo [at] un.org.

*Some of these actions are drawn from the document “United Nations Ozone Secretariat Event EMS Green Travel and Event Tips”.

Des services de premiers secours et des services médicaux d'urgence sont disponibles au CICG. Les délégués atteints d'une maladie chronique doivent transporter tous les médicaments et articles médicaux nécessaires pendant toute la durée du voyage, dans leur contenant d'origine, clairement étiqueté.

Il est conseillé aux délégués de souscrire une assurance médicale assortie d'une couverture appropriée à l'étranger, comme une assurance accident, maladie, de rapatriement médical et de décès. Les Nations Unies ne couvrent pas l'assurance vie ou l'assurance médicale des participants. Par conséquent, il est de la responsabilité des participants ou de leurs gouvernements de souscrire une assurance adéquate avant de se rendre en Suisse.

Les participants ayant des problèmes de mobilité nécessitant des dispositions spéciales sont invités à contacter le Secrétariat de la Convention de Minamata avant la réunion à l'adresse suivante : mea- minamatameetings [at] un.org

Currency and rate of exchange

Swiss Franc (CHF). Average exchange rates, as of 8 April 2025: 1 CHF ~1.17 USD. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels and restaurants in Switzerland.

Electricity

Participants are kindly requested to bring their own power adaptors.

Voltage: 220 volts.
Frequency: 50 Hz.
Plug/socket: C (CEE 7/16), J.

Time zone

Switzerland is in CET time zone (UTC+1).

Pour de plus amples informations sur la réunion, n'hésitez pas à contacter le Secrétariat, par courrier électronique à l'adresse suivante :MEA-MinamataMeetings [at] un.org, ou consultez notre site web.