Specific International Programme

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, under Article 13, sets up a Specific International Programme to support capacity building and technical assistance. The Programme is expected to improve the capacity of developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition to implement their obligations under the Convention.

Third Round of Applications

The Third Round of applications to the Specific International Programme opened for submissions on 15 December 2020. Applications needed to be submitted by Thursday, 18 March 2021. Eligible Parties were invited to submit their applications for project funding between USD50,000 and USD250,000 following the Application Guidelines and using the following forms:

To support and clarify the development of the applications, the Secretariat held several webinar sessions in English, French and Spanish.

Contributors to the Specific Trust Fund (2020-2021)

Members of the Governing Board of the Specific International Programme (2020-2021)

For Africa: Olubunmi Olusanya (Nigeria) and Aïta Sarr Seck (Senegal)
For Asia and the Pacific: Prasert Tapaneeyangkul (Thailand) and Mohsen Naziri Asl (Iran)
For Central and Eastern Europe: Kaupo Heinma (Estonia) and Anahit Aleksandryn (Armenia)
For Latin America and the Caribbean: Pedro Piacesi de Souza / Helges Bandeira (Brazil) and Gina Griffith (Suriname)
For Western Europe and Others: Reggie Hernaus (The Netherlands) and Atle Fretheim (Norway)

Founding Governing Board (2018-2019)

For Africa: Sam Adu-Kumi (Ghana) and Younous Adoum Abdallah (Chad)
For Asia and the Pacific: Prasert Tapaneeyangkul (Thailand) and WTB Dissanayake (Sri Lanka)
For Central and Eastern Europe: Kaupo Heinma (Estonia) and Anahit Aleksandryn (Armenia)
For Latin America and the Caribbean: Florencia Grimalt (Argentina) and Nero Cunha Ferreira (Brazil)
For Western Europe and Others: Reggie Hernaus (The Netherlands) and Atle Fretheim (Norway)

Fourth meeting of the Governing Board, Washington, 18-20 September 2019

Download the report of the meeting in pdf

Third meeting of the Governing Board, Geneva, 14-15 February 2019

Download the report of the meeting in pdf

Second Round: Ten projects approved (2019)

The Governing Board of the Specific International Programme met in Washington from 18-20 September 2019 to review applications to its Second Round. Please read the statement by the Co-Chairs, Mr. Sam Adu-Kumi and Mr. Reggie Hernaus.

10 Projects Selected by the Governing Board for the Second Round

Antigua and Barbuda: Facilitating capacity-building with technical assistance and technology transfer for managing mercury in the Caribbean
Ecuador: Project to strengthen capacities in the implementation of the Minamata Convention in Ecuador
Ghana: Strengthening Ghana’s Health Sector for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Indonesia: Improving Health Risk Control of Mercury Exposure in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) and Surrounding Areas by Developing the “Participatory Approach” Model
Iran: Capacity Building for Effective Implementation of Minamata Convention Focusing on Mercury Inventory
Moldova: Support to post-ratification of the Minamata Convention to the Republic of Moldova by building phase down capacities and reducing risks associated with mercury
Nigeria: Capacity strengthening for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Nigeria
Peru: Strengthening capacities to control emissions and releases of mercury in Peru
Sri Lanka: Strengthening National Capacity for Phasing Out Mercury Added Products and Environmentally Sound Mercury Containing Waste Management in Sri Lanka
Zambia: To strengthen the Institutional Capacity for Zambia to implement the obligations of the Minamata Convention by reducing the presence of mercury in vulnerable populations as provided for under Articles 16 and 18

Contributors to the Specific Trust Fund (2019)

Second meeting of the Governing Board, Oslo, 2-3 October 2018

Download the report of the meeting in pdf

First meeting of the Governing Board, Geneva,15-16 May 2018

Download the report of the meeting in pdf

First round: The first five projects approved (2018)

The Governing Board of the Specific International Programme met in Oslo from 2-3 October 2018 to review applications to its First Round. Please read the statement by the Co-Chairs, Mr. Sam Adu-Kumi and Mr. Reggie Hernaus. Visit the Governing Board meeting's photo gallery here (you will need to be logged in with your Flickr account)

5 Projects Selected by the Governing Board for the First Round

Argentina: Capacity Building Programme for the implementation of the Minamata Convention. Read more about the project here.

Armenia: Strengthening capacity to promote phasing-out of mercury-added products (lamps) in Armenia. Read more about the project here.

Benin: Improvement of management framework for mercury-containing products and wastes. Read more about the project here.

Iran: Implementing of Minamata Convention on Mercury Management in Chlor-Alkali Plants in the Petrochemical Industry. Read more about the project here.

Lesotho: Strengthening institutional capacity in the development of a phase-out and phase down strategy for mercury-added products in Lesotho. Read more about the project here.