Geneva

Sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-6)

Geneva, Switzerland, 03 Nov 2025 - 07 Nov 2025
Meeting Information

The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-6) will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 3 to 7 November 2025. During COP-5, the Conference of the Parties elected Osvaldo Álvarez (Chile) as the President of COP-6.

This page will be updated as new information becomes available.


For previous highlights on the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, please click on the link below.

Documents
Regional Meetings
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Minamata Background
From the Executive Secretary
MC/COP6/2025/59
| 02 May 2025

Invitation to the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury

I have the honour to invite your Government to the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-6) to be held from 3 to 7 November 2025, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), 17 rue de Varembé, Geneva, Switzerland.

Intersessional Work

Intersessional work and Submissions for COP-6

The Conference of the Parties had its fifth meeting from 30 October to 3 November 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland, and agreed on a number of action items. The Executive Secretary sent a letter to Parties and observers on 22 January 2024 to call for information to follow up on these action items.

The progress on these action items can be found on the individual pages linked below. Links will be added as information becomes available.

Indigenous peoples and local communities

Decision MC-5/1

Noting with concern that Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, are particularly vulnerable to mercury exposure and are among the first to face the serious health and environmental effects resulting from mercury pollution owing to their close relationship with the environment and its resources, and welcoming the role of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, and particularly the engagement of women and girls, who have faced the effects of mercury with resilience, in achieving the objective of the Minamata Convention and the targets and goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the COP noted the importance of broadening participation of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, in the implementation of projects and programmes undertaken under the Minamata Convention and encouraged parties to support, as appropriate, participation of Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, as well as local communities and other relevant stakeholders, in meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and in other related processes.

The Secretariat is currently seeking to enlarge its network and improve the active engagement of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, in implementation of projects and programmes undertaken under the Minamata Convention and to prepare a report on the needs and priorities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities with regard to the effects of mercury on their health, livelihoods, culture and knowledge.

Paragraph 7 of Decision MC-5/7, the Conference of the Parties requested the Secretariat, subject to the availability of resources, to prepare a supplemental section of the guidance document on developing a national action plan to reduce and, where feasible, eliminate mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, on the effective engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of national action plans (supplemental guidance). 

During the intersessional period, the Secretariat prepared an initial draft of the supplemental guidance through the generous financial support of Australia and Norway.  

Parties, Indigenous Peoples and local community organizations, and relevant stakeholders are invited to submit inputs to the draft supplemental guidance by using this comment form and email it to the Secretariat (mea-minamatasecretariat [at] un.org) by Wednesday, 30 April 2025.  

Mercury supply sources and trade

Decision MC-5/2

The Secretariat is carrying out the following activities to implement the above-mentioned decision in 2024:

Thanks to the generous contribution of the EU and Spain, the Secretariat is developing guidance to assist parties in identifying, managing and reducing mercury trade from primary mercury mining.

EU funds are also enabling the Secretariat to support Parties in better understanding the trade provisions, their interrelation with other articles of the Convention, and the use of trade forms through online webinars and resources to be developed with partners such as UN System Staff College, InforMEA and the World Customs Organization.

The Secretariat is currently fundraising to draft an update to the existing guidance on stocks adopted in decision MC-1/2 to include types of action that could be taken to fulfil the continuing obligation to endeavour to identify stocks and sources.

In decision MC-5/2 on mercury supply sources and trade, COP-5 invited Parties to submit to the Secretariat, by 25 March 2025, information on experiences and challenges faced in the implementation of Article 3 as well as information on activities undertaken in relation to the Bali Declaration on combating illegal trade in mercury to be compiled by the Secretariat for consideration by COP-6. Submissions are welcome at mea-minamatasecretariat [at] un.org.

The following submissions have been received:

Study of the global supply, production, trade and use of mercury compounds (decision MC-5/3)

COP-5 adopted decision MC-5/3 requesting the Secretariat to: (a) initiate a study of the global supply, production, trade and use of mercury compounds; and (b) present the report to the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting for consideration.

In response to the above-mentioned request and thanks to the generous contribution of Canada and Spain, the Secretariat  developed this draft study. Parties and stakeholders are invited to submit comments and input using this form and email it to the Secretariat (mea-minamatasecretariat [at] un.org ) by Wednesday, 5 March 2025.

Annexes A and B (products and processes)

Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production (Decision MC-5/6)

Parties and relevant organizations were invited to submit, on a voluntary basis, information on technically and economically feasible alternatives to the use of mercury and mercury compounds in vinyl chloride monomer production, in accordance with Paragraph 8 of Article 5 and Paragraph 1 of Article 17 of the Convention, by 31 March 2025. Submitted information is posted below. The submission deadline has been extended to 30 April 2025. As the Secretariat have been informed of further submissions from parties to come, it will wait until 14 May 2025.

Cosmetics (Decision MC-5/5)

The Executive Secretary sent a letter to Parties and observers to invite the submission of information by 30 June 2024 using the submission format. The submissions received have been uploaded here. A draft report compiling and synthesizing the submitted information is available here, with Annex 1 (excel table) here. Parties and relevant stakeholders are invited to review and comment on the draft, using this comment form by Monday 28 April 2025.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining

Those Parties who have notified the Secretariat pursuant to Article 7.3 and have not yet submitted their ASGM National Action Plan are invited to do so at their earliest convenience. Submitted NAPs are published here. Those Parties who have submitted a National Action Plan are reminded of the obligation to provide a review every three years of the progress made in implementing obligations under Article 7 and to include such reviews in reports submitted pursuant to Article 21. The deadline for the next full national reports is 31 December 2025.

The Secretariat was requested by the COP to develop supplemental NAP guidance on the effective engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of NAPs. Parties, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders and stakeholders will be invited, in 2024, to provide information that can inform the development of the supplemental guidance.

Emissions of mercury

Parties with experience in using the guidance adopted by the COP pursuant to Article 8 (8) and (9) are encouraged to provide the Secretariat with information on such experience. Submissions will be posted on this web page. Information submitted by 31 March 2025 will be compiled for COP-6.

Mercury waste

Parties are invited to submit information regarding their waste management regulations and programmes as mentioned in Article 11 (3) (a), with a focus on matters not addressed by the technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds under the Basel Convention, by 31 October 2024. The following submissions have been received. The Secretariat is to collect and organize the information and make it available by 1 January 2025.

Financial mechanism

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is collecting proposals in relation to providing surge capacity in servicing the COP-6 and developing the report on relevant Convention obligations and deadlines and the extent to which such obligations and deadlines are being met by Parties. The deadline for submissions is 23 May 2025. Details can be found here.

First effectiveness evaluation

Decision MC-14

For the work between COP-4 and COP-5, please visit here.

Effectiveness evaluation Group (EEG)

At its fifth meeting, in decision MC-5/14, the COP established the Effectiveness Evaluation Group (EEG) to work in accordance with the terms of reference outlined in annex I to the decision and agreed to consider the outcome of the first effectiveness evaluation of the Convention at its seventh meeting tentatively scheduled to take place in 2027. In the same decision, the COP adopted the indicators for the first effectiveness evaluation as contained in annex II to the decision.

In accordance with its terms of reference, the EEG is composed of 25 participants from Parties, comprising five representatives of Parties from each of the five United Nations regions, and nominated by the regions. The list of EEG members can be accessed here.

The co-chairs of the Open-ended Scientific Group (see below) and the Chair of the Implementation and Compliance Committee will be invited to participate in the EEG as observers. Moreover, five observers from developed and developing countries will also be invited, drawing from civil society, Indigenous organizations, local community organizations, intergovernmental organizations, industry and the Global Mercury Partnership, to contribute to the work of the EEG. Additional observers may be invited on an ad hoc basis.

The Effectiveness Evaluation Group will work online and will hold up to two face-to-face meetings. The first meeting of the Effectiveness Evaluation Group was held online on 25 June 2024. During the first meeting, the EEG elected its co-Chairs: Ms. Itsuki Kuroda, from Japan, and Mr. Linroy Christian, from Antigua and Barbuda, and agreed on a tentative timeline for the work to be carried out during the current intersessional period, including tentative dates for meetings, milestones and review by Parties.

The second and third meetings of the EEG took place online on 4 September and 5 December 2024, respectively.

The documents for the EEG meetings are available through its online workspace.

 

Open-Ended Scientific Group

The Open-Ended Scientific Group was established pursuant to Decision  MC-4/11. The current list of OESG members and experts in the roster to contribute to its work is available here. Parties that have not nominated a member may wish to submit a nomination by sending the nomination form to the Secretariat. Parties and stakeholders may also wish to nominate experts to the roster by completing an online form, or using the same nomination form available above  . 

The OESG has developed plans for its work to develop data summaries, and called for expressions of intent to provide mercury monitoring, emission and releases data from parties and stakeholders. The Secretariat has received 106 expressions of interest as of May 2024. 

The Secretariat has made a contract with the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) to establish a data repository and to receive and compile the data. On behalf of the OESG, BRI is reaching out to the contact points indicated in the expressions of intent to invite the submission of data to the repository, together with a data use authorization form in which submitters may specify the condition of data use as appropriate.  

The OESG, noting the current data gap, renewed its call for expression of interest to submit data. Parties and stakeholders are encouraged to submit their expression of interest through an online form is preparing to collect these data, as well as to call for additional expressions of intent. 

In relation to the collection and analysis of mercury emissions and releases data, the Secretariat convened a global workshop on comparability of mercury emission and release data in Cape Town, South Africa, on 18-19 July 2024, with the financial support from the European Union. (See the concept note). The report of the work on emission/release inventories is available here.

The OESG plans its second face-to-face meeting in Minamata, Japan, from 17 to 21 March 2025. Letters have been sent to the members and experts in the roster, inviting them to inform the Secretariat about their plan for participation by 25 November 2024.

 

Gender

Gender action plan (decision MC-5/15)

Parties and stakeholders are invited to engage in priority activities of the gender action plan for the 2024-2025 biennium.

The Secretariat is carrying out the following priority activities as part of the implementation of the Gender action Plan for the 2024-2025 biennium:

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Secretariat organized the first webinar of the 2024 Minamata Online series on the theme “Mainstreaming gender in capacity-building projects: practical approaches”. This webinar showcased how gender considerations are integrated by the Specific International Programme, the Global Environment Facility and the Special Programme on Institutional Strengthening for the Chemicals Cluster into application criteria for funding, application guidelines, project applications, reporting forms and project evaluation processes. The delivery of the webinar is one of the priority activities for this biennium under the Minamata Convention Gender Action Plan.

Thanks to the generous support of Finland, the Secretariat is also planning the delivery of two other gender priority activities in 2024: the review of gender elements in existing national action plans and the development of case studies on the gender dimensions of projects funded by the SIP.

The Secretariat is aslo reviewing, according to gender considerations, national reports submitted by parties under article 21 to identify measures related to the control of mercury-added products used primarily by women and children, such as cosmetics and dental amalgam.

Biodiversity

In decision MC-5/17, the COP encouraged Parties and invited other Governments and local and subnational governments, as well as relevant organizations and stakeholders, as appropriate, to:

  • Promote research on the impacts of mercury on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services;
  • Reflect national mercury reduction and control targets in their revised or updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;
  • Share the experience gained to promote coordination and integration of biodiversity- and mercury-related priorities through policy development and implementation, including lessons learned and challenges faced;
  • Disseminate information on actions that can generate co‑benefits for the Minamata Convention and the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Secretariat was requested to support Parties and other stakeholders in sharing their experience and to compile and synthesize the information gathered and prepare a draft road map, including possible actions and indicators, to support Parties in demonstrating and maximizing the co-benefits arising from the implementation of the Minamata Convention and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting.

Accordingly, the Secretariat has been undertaking the following activities:

  1. Webinars for the National Focal Points to the biodiversity and chemicals and waste Conventions and other government officials have been organized (in April and September 2024) together with the CBD Secretariat and BRS Secretariat. A third webinar is being planned. 

  2. The draft road map mandated in decision MC-5/17 is being developed for submission to COP-6.

  3. Technical document to guide integration of actions to reduce mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining into revised or updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans is under preparation. The draft of the document will be made available for review by Parties and other stakeholders during April. 

Previous intersessional work

Information for participants
Becoming a Party at the time of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties

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.

Registration and travel assistance

As in previous years, the registration of delegates is a two-step process:

  1. Online registration: The names, titles and contact information of your designated representatives to attend the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties should be communicated to the Secretariat using Kronos online registration platform that will be available from 7 July 2025. The individual link to access the registration platform with the instructions will be sent to National Focal Points for the Minamata Convention on Mercury and/or Permanent Missions to the United Nations Environment Programme and to the United Nations in Geneva. You are kindly invited to check the contact details of the NFPs and notify the Secretariat about any update (if needed). A list of national focal points is enclosed in Annex III to this letter.
  2. Submission of supporting documents: Furthermore, Parties are requested to send to the Secretariat at MEA-MinamataMeetings [at] un.org (MEA-MinamataMeetings[at]un[dot]org) the official nomination letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Note verbale from the Permanent Mission of the Party to the United Nations Office at Geneva with the names and contact details of the designated representatives. Please note that documents issued by any other entity will not be accepted.

The deadline for online registration and for sending the official nomination letter for all Parties other than those requesting travel support is 24 October 2025.

Financial assistance may be available to support the participation of one delegate per eligible developing country Party. The travel support must be clearly requested and sponsored participant must be clearly specified in the official nomination letter. The deadline for online registration and for sending the official nomination letter for sponsored delegates is 5 September 2025.

On-site registration at the Conference Centre will be possible and extended waiting times need to be expected. The Secretariat strongly encourages all participants to register prior to the deadline.

Please note that the completion of the registration process is subject to the submission of all required information and subsequent confirmation by the Secretariat. Delegates are invited not to make any travel arrangements before receiving the registration confirmation from the Secretariat. Once the registration is validated in Kronos, each member of the delegation will receive a confirmation email with further logistical information and details.

Credentials for Parties to the Minamata Convention

In order to take part in decision-making at the meeting, Parties must be accredited. Credentials for the head of delegation, alternate representatives and advisers are issued either by the Head of State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In the case of a regional economic integration organization, credentials should be issued by the competent authority of that organization. Information regarding any change in the composition of the delegation should be submitted using the same procedure.

Samples of credentials are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Original credentials must be submitted to the Secretariat no later than twenty-four hours after the opening of the meeting (therefore by 10 am on Tuesday, 4 November 2025). In order to facilitate the clearance process, Parties are invited to submit their original credentials in advance of the meeting, preferably by 17 October 2025, to:

The Executive Secretary
Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
United Nations Environment Programme
Avenue de la Paix 8-14, 1211
Geneva 10, Switzerland

If not submitted in advance of the meeting, Parties can hand over original credentials of their representatives at the registration desk upon arrival at the meeting venue on the first day of the meeting.

Advance electronic copies of credentials can be sent to MEA-MinamataMeetings [at] un.org.

Travel support

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.

Accomodation

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.

Visa

All participants are responsible for obtaining their visa for entering Switzerland, as well as any necessary transit visa(s), as appropriate. Visa support letters can be provided by the Secretariat upon request.

Observers

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

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 (available soon)
  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).

Venue

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.

On-site registration and badge issuance

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.

Schedule and streaming of plenary sessions

The official opening of COP-6 will take place on Monday, 3 November 2025, at 10.00 a.m. The plenary sessions of the meeting are planned to be held daily from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. The plenary sessions of the meeting will be live-streamed in 6 languages and the streaming will be made available through the COP-6 webpage and YouTube Channel.

Code of Conduct to Prevent Harassment at events organized under the Minamata Convention

The United Nations issued the Code of Conduct to prevent harassment, including sexual harassment, at UN System events, which include meetings, conferences, side events, workshops and other events organized under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention is committed to enabling events at which everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful and safe environment. Delegates are invited to familiarize themselves with the Code of Conduct, which can be accessed here.

Greening the COP*

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.

Items

Composition

Disposal

Suggested Actions to #greeningCOP6

Water cups

Paper

Recycling
  1. PREVENT: bring your reusable cup/mug/bottle
  2. REUSE: reuse them as many times as possible
  3. RECYCLE: dispose of the paper cup in the paper recycling bin

Hot drink cups

Bamboo

Incineration
  1. PREVENT: opt for reusable cups of the cafeteria or bring your own reusable mug/cup
  2. RECOVERY: dispose of the bamboo cup in the waste bin for incineration

Sandwich wrap

Polylactic Acid and paper

Incineration

  1. RECOVERY: dispose of the sandwich wrap in the waste bin for incineration

Paper napkin

Paper

Incineration
  1. PREVENT: only use if needed
  2. RECOVERY: dispose of the paper napkin in the waste bin for incineration

Packaging for snacks

Plastic (type)

Incineration

  1. PREVENT: opt for healthier and unpacked snacks such as seasonal and local fruits
  2. RECOVERY: dispose of the plastic packaging in the waste bins for incineration

Drink bottles

Glass

 
  1. RETURN: to the café/restaurant, as glass bottles are reusable

Drink cans

Aluminum

Recycling
  1. RECYCLING: dispose of aluminum cans in the aluminum recycling bin

Glass containers

Glass

 
  1. RETURN: to the café/restaurant, as glass containers are reusable

Porcelain plates

Porcelain

 
  1. RETURN: to the café/restaurant, as porcelain plates are reusable

Stainless steel cutlery

Stainless steel

 
  1. RETURN: to the café/restaurant, as stainless-steel cutlery is reusable

Disposable cutlery

Polylactic Acid

Incineration
  1. PREVENT: opt for reusable stainless-steel cutlery, where possible
  2. RECOVERY: dispose of the cutlery in the waste bins for incineration

Cocktail verrines

Polylactic Acid

Incineration
  1. PREVENT: opt for reusable alternatives if available
  2. RETURN: to the café/restaurant, as verrines can be washed and reused if not broken or damaged
  3. RECOVERY: if broken or damaged, dispose of the verrines in the waste bins for incineration

Food waste

 

Incineration
  1. PREVENT: any food waste
  2. RECOVERY: dispose of any food waste in the waste bins for incineration

 

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”.

Health

First-aid and emergency medical services are available at the CICG. Delegates with a chronic illness should carry all necessary medication and medical items for the entire duration of the journey, in their original containers, clearly labeled. 

Delegates are advised to seek medical insurance with appropriate cover abroad, i.e. accident, sickness, medical repatriation and death. The United Nations does not cover life or medical insurance for participants. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the participants or of their Governments to obtain adequate insurance prior to travel to Switzerland. 

Participants with mobility issues requiring special arrangements are invited to contact the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention in advance of the meeting at: mea-minamatameetings [at] un.org

Further information

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).

 

For further information on the meeting, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat, by e-mail at MEA-MinamataMeetings [at] un.org, or consult our website.