Minamata Secretariat convened online expert groups meetings

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, expert groups under the Minamata Convention continue their work to provide technical support to control and reduce mercury pollution for the benefit of the environment and human health.  Two online meetings of expert groups were convened by the Minamata Secretariat on Friday 8 May 2020.

The first teleconference was the Minamata Convention Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Review of Annexes A and B with 29 participants. This group was established following the Decision MC-3/1 taken at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to contribute to the COP process to review the list of products and manufacturing processes using mercury controlled under the Convention. Of that group, several submissions have been received from parties. Non-parties and others are invited to provide further information on products and processes using mercury and non-mercury alternatives until 15 May.

The second group that met on 7 May was the Minamata Convention Group of Technical Experts on Mercury Releases with 30 participants. According to the COP3 decision MC-3/4, this group is continuing to work by electronic means. Following the mentioned decision, the Secretariat invited submissions of information on release estimation methods from parties until 15 April. The draft general guidance on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases has been posted for comments until 19 June.

While widespread travel restrictions are still in place, the Secretariat will organize the online collaboration with its parties in an inclusive manner that supports the implementation of the Convention besides lowering the environmental footprint to move forward towards the COP-4, to be held on 31 October-5 November 2021 in Bali under the Indonesian Presidency.

Meanwhile the submissions on Annexes A and B are due by 15 May while the draft general guidance on release inventory is still open for comments until 19 June.