Chemicals & Waste Briefing | Ahead of the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury

The event also provided an update on the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions’ intersessional work, including key outcomes of recent subsidiary bodies’ meetings, and preparations for the 2019 meetings of the conferences of the Parties, as well as on the activities of the Chemicals and Health Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Agenda

Welcome
Rossana SILVA REPETTO, Executive Secretary, Minamata Convention on Mercury Secretariat
David OGDEN, Chief, Governance Branch, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat
Jacob DUER, Chief, Chemicals and Health Branch, UN Environment Programme

Minamata Convention on Mercury
Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Minamata Convention on Mercury (Geneva, 19-23 November 2018)
Eisaku TODA, Senior Policy Coordination Officer, Minamata Convention on Mercury Secretariat

Followed by questions and comments

Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Update on intersessional work and preparations for the 2019 meetings of the conferences of the Parties (29 April – 10 May 2019)
David OGDEN, Chief, Governance Branch, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat

Followed by questions and comments

Chemicals and Health Branch, UN Environment Programme
Update on the activities of the Chemicals and Health Branch, UN Environment Programme
Jacqueline ALVAREZ, Head, Knowledge and Risk Unit, Chemicals and Health Branch, UN Environment Programme (Jacqueline didn’t speak as meeting ended lately, Jacob Duer briefly summarized the main points),

Followed by questions and comments

Closing Remarks
Michel TSCHIRREN, Global Affairs Section, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment

Summary

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Minamata Convention on Mercury Secretariat reported about the progress done since COP1, including on new Parties to the Convention. As of November 2018, 101 countries are the Parties to the Convention. The implementation of the Convention is supported through 3 trust funds (General Trust Find (3917 thousand USD), Special Trust Fund (3193 thousand USD) and Specific Trust Fund (1282 thousand USD)). Switzerland has the presidency of Convention’s Bureau.

A special document that will reflect on the services to be provided by the secretariat, but also indicate those that can be shared with other partners in addition to the potential financial obstacles is under elaboration.

903 participants are registered for the COP2, as of 5 November.

The presentations were followed by interventions and questions from Romania, Peru, France and NGOs.

Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

An update of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions’ intersessional work, including key outcomes of recent subsidiary bodies’ meetings, and preparations for the 2019 meetings of the conferences of the Parties, was provided.

Many proposals on amendments to all three conventions will be made at the upcoming COPs taking place in Geneva, in April-May 2019.

UN Environment Chemicals and Health Branch

The Chemicals & Health branch of UN Environment is working on the follow-up and implementation of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions.

Switzerland

The representative of Switzerland highlighted the need to make links between all actions on chemicals and waste agendas. He also mentioned the upcoming Second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics taking place in Geneva from 3 to 7 December 2018, and links with actors at the table.

Documents

• Invitation
• Minamata Convention on Mercury Secretariat Presentation
• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat Presentation
• UN Environment Chemicals and Health Branch Presentation

Video

The event was live on Facebook.

Photos

See photos from the event on the BRS MEAs Flickr account.