Monday 19 November, 13:15-14:45

Options for Addressing Emissions and Releases of Mercury
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The GEF which is included in the Financial Mechanism (Article 13) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is charged with providing resources to meet the agreed incremental costs of global environmental benefits and the agreed full costs of some enabling activities. The GEF received guidance at COP 1 on priority actions to consider during the seventh replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund which includes the key emissive sectors, Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining and industrial emissions contained in Annex D of the Minamata Convention. At COP 1 the GEF presented its initial work on how it is working with countries to address the use mercury in the ASGM sector. As we begin working towards the next phase of implementation during the GEF 7 period the GEF will host a side event to discuss cost effective options for addressing the emissions of mercury from the industrial sector and how formalization can be accomplished.

Agenda:
• Welcome: Rosanna Repetto – Executive Secretary
• GEF 6 Results and GEF 7 Programming – Gustavo Fonseca – Director, Programs
• Cost effective options for reducing mercury emissions from the industrial sector – Lesly Sloss, Lead on the UNEP Coal Partnership Area (confirmed)
• Case Studies on formalization of the ASGM Sector – Maria Laura Barreto, Director, Materials Efficiency Research Group (confirmed)
• Questions and Answers

Tuesday 20 November, 13:15-14:45

Global Mercury Assessment 2018 – Overview, Emissions and Releases in 2015
UN Environment and Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)

The event will present an overview of the context, content and key findings of the Global Mercury Assessment 2018. Short presentations will focus on GMA inventory results on emissions to air and releases to water that may be of particular relevance to the Minamata process. Presentations will be followed by an open discussion/plenary panel of the information presented. Objective: Input on how the results can be used by the COP.

Programme:
• Welcome and opening remarks: UN Environment
• Presentations
  1. Overview of the GMA 2018 (John Munthe)
  2. The GMA global inventory of emissions to air in 2015, and changes relative to 2010 (Simon Wilson)
  3. A new GMA inventory of releases to water in 2015 (Milena Horvat)
• Panel discussion

Wednesday 21 November, 13:15-14:45

Minamata Initial Assessments: Ratification and inventories
UNDP, UN Environment and UNIDO

Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs) were designed to support the ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention. MIA projects are being implemented in 101 countries, and supported the ratification of 56 countries. This event will summarize (i) the main benefits and challenges related to the development of MIAs, and (ii) general trends in terms of mercury sources. Following a scene setting introduction by the organizers, a panel of representatives from Argentina, South Africa, and Viet Nam will share their experience. After an interactive Q&A session, the Secretariat of the GEF will then close the event..

Thursday 22 November, 13:15-14:45

The Global Mercury Partnership: Solutions, Innovation and Technology for Reducing Mercury Pollution
UN Environment Chemicals and Health Branch

Since 2007, the members of the Global Mercury Partnership have been collaborating on the development and implementation of innovative solutions to reduce the harmful impacts on mercury to human health and the environment. This event will highlight selected examples of solutions in action from various partnership areas. After a brief introduction by the Global Mercury Partnership Secretariat, selected members of the Partnership will outline particular solutions that they implemented, highlighting how they used the Partnership network for support and collaboration. Partners will be selected by the Secretariat in cooperation with the Partnership Area leads. Topics will include mercury use in ASGM, trade in mercury-added products, emissions from coal-fired power plants and non-ferrous metals smelting, and environmental mercury monitoring. The target audience is broad – all delegates as well as non-governmental participants in COP2. Sufficient time will be provided to give the opportune for the audience to ask questions and engage in the discussion.

Friday 23 November, 13:15-14:45

Health aspects
World Health Organization

This session will highlight several new developments on health that will support countries to ratify and implement the Minamata Convention and foster collaboration of the health sector.

Provisional Agenda:
• Opening and introduction to the event by Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health
• Conclusions from WHO regional workshops for ministries of health: Release of WHO Brochure, including opportunities and challenges for ministries of health
• WHO Guidance on strategic planning for implementation of the health-related articles of the Minamata Convention. Ministry of health experiences and presentation of the guidancev
• Launch of WHO Working Document on the development of public health strategies for ASGM. Presentation of guidance and remarks from pilot countries
• Introduction to ILO working paper on occupational health in gold mines
• Closing remarks