Minamata Convention Secretariat at the 66th GEF Council Meeting

09 fév 2024

The Minamata Convention Secretariat participated in the Council Meeting (5-9 February) which focused on over $1 billion funding for climate change, biodiversity, ocean health and pollution.

Monika Stankiewicz at GEF Council 66

Meeting in Washington DC, the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved on Monday 5 February the amount of $916 million for urgent environmental action on biodiversity, climate change, nature renewal, and pollution control around the world. On Thursday 8, the GEF member countries also approved $203 million in high-impact climate adaptation investment for Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and other countries needing to reinforce their food systems, water resources, and warning systems as a result of growing climate change risks.

On Wednesday 7, the Council received reports from the heads of the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), including the Minamata Convention on Mercury that GEF serves. Executive Secretary Mercury Monika Stankiewicz stated:

"I see a clear pathway for the Minamata Convention mandates to be fulfilled not only through the GEF chemicals and waste focal area but also in the context of broader and innovative efforts of integrated programmes, where mercury action is one crucial piece of the puzzle of transformation that the GEF, and we all, aspire to. And this is even more so in light of the remarkable Minamata COP-5 outcomes and in the context of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the new Global Framework on Chemicals. I am confident that our Parties will have high expectations, matching their needs, for GEF-9. Together, we stand ready for a sustainable present and future at GEF-9".

For coverage of the event, visit the IISD ENB website, and watch below the video and social media thread covering the MEA session.

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