The first meeting of the Open Ended Working Group to review and assess measures to address the global issue of mercury was held from 12 to 16 November 2007 at the UN ESCAP facilities in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Working Group discussed options for enhanced voluntary measures, and new or existing international legal instruments on mercury. It also considered what types of response measures and strategies were available, the feasibility and effectiveness of voluntary and legally binding approaches and the options for implementation. The Working Group discussed the framework in which the response measures might best be implemented, including the extent to which various kinds of legally binding and voluntary measures would be suitable.
The Working Group agreed on a programme of intersessional work to be undertaken by the secretariat in order to further discussions at the Working Group’s second meeting.
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/1 - Provisional agenda
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/1/Add.1 - Annotated provisional agenda
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/2 - Study on options for global control of mercury
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/3 - Report on atmospheric emissions and site-based contamination
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/4 - Report on ongoing activities
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/5 - Status report on UNEP mercury programme partnerships
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/6 - Report of the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Mercury on the work of its first meeting
INFORMATION DOCUMENTS:
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/1 - Submissions received from governments in response to call for information relating to GC Decision 24/3 IV
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/2 - Submissions recieved from non-governmental organizations in response to call for information relating to UNEP GC Decision 24/3 IV
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/3 - Technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of mercury wastes
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/4 - Guidance document on identifying populations at risk due to exposure to mercury
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/5 - Awareness raising: a modular approach
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/6 - Guide for reducing major uses and releases of mercury
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/7 - Report on progress with inventories
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/8 - Progress on partnerships: consultation process
UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/INF/9 - List of participants