Intersessional work and Submissions for COP4

COP3 decided to establish an ad hoc group of experts on the review of annexes A and B to the Convention, to prepare a document in which it will enrich and organize the information on the uses of mercury and on non-mercury alternatives referred to in the submissions from the Parties.

1. Information on the uses of mercury and on non-mercury alternatives

Parties were invited to submit information on the uses of mercury and on non-mercury alternatives as set out in (a) and (b) below by 31 March 2020.

(a) Information on mercury-added products and on the availability, technical and economic feasibility, and environmental and health risks and benefits of non-mercury alternatives to mercury-added products, pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article 4 of the Convention;

(b) Information on processes that use mercury or mercury compounds and, on the availability, technical and economic feasibility and environmental and health risks and benefits of mercury-free alternatives to manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are used, pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article 5.

The following submissions have been received. Submissions received by 15 April will also be posted below. Further submissions will be accepted until July 31 (see point 3 below). Templates for submissions agreed by the ad hoc group of experts are available here. Parties are recommended to use these templates for further submissions.

• Argentina
• Canada
• Colombia
• European Union
• Montenegro
• Norway - Lamp - Satellite
• Japan battery/lamp - switch/relay
• Uganda
• United States of America Front page, doc 1, doc 2.1, doc 2.2, doc 3.1, doc 3.2, doc 4.1, doc 4.2

Non-parties and others were invited to provide further information on the use of mercury and on non-mercury alternatives referred to in the submissions by the Parties by 30 April 2020. The following submissions have been received by 15 May. Further submissions will be accepted until July 31 (see point 3 below). Templates for submissions agreed by the ad hoc group of experts are available here. Non-parties and others are recommended to use these templates for further submissions.

• Nepal Letter - Annex2
• Battery associations of Japan, Europe, North America and Latin America
• IPEN
• NRDC
• Zero Mercury Working Group
• CLASP comments - market study - spreadsheet - SEA-CLASP report – CLASP-RoHS report
• LightingEurope
• Japan Lighting Manufacturers Association position paper - template - annex1 (English / Japanese) - annex2 (English / Japanese)
• Peter Maxson

2. Measures or strategies implemented by Parties

Parties that notified the Secretariat at the time of their becoming a Party to the Convention that they would implement various measures or strategies to address products listed in part I of Annex A to the Convention are to report on the measures or strategies they have implemented, including a quantification of the reductions achieved by 30 June 2020. The following submission was received.

• United States of America

3. Work of the ad hoc group of experts

Parties were invited to nominate members of the ad hoc group of experts through the Bureau members by 31 March 2020. The list of nominated members is available here.

The group had its first on-line meeting on 7 May. The group decided to receive submissions of information from Parties, non-parties and other stakeholders until 31 July 2020.  The group will continue to discuss further plans including the invitation of observers at the next on-line meeting.

• Summary of the first on-line meeting (7 May 2020)

At its second on-line meeting on 3 June, the group decided to hold separate group-calls on different categories of products and processes, covering all categories included in Annexes A and B. The group will discuss details on how to arrange these group-calls at the next meeting. Observers will be invited to respective group-calls, and the secretariat will reach out to selected observers.

• Summary of the second on-line meeting (3 June 2020)

At its third on-line meeting on 1 July, the group discussed about the schedule of work including arrangements of separate group-calls. The group will meet again in mid-July to further discuss about the detailed schedule of work.

• Summary of the third on-line meeting (1 July 2020)

Online information sessions were held on 7 July 2020 to present the progress of the intersessional work including review of Annexes A and B and to call for submission of information. The presentation from the Secretariat and recorded video of the session are available here.

4. Outcome of the work of the group of experts (30 April 2021)

The following report summarizes the outcome of the work of the ad hoc group of experts on review of Annexes A and B.

• Report on the work of the ad hoc group of experts on the review of Annexes A and B

The submitted and supplemented information, organized in a tabular format indicating the sources of information, is presented in the following compilation documents. As of 30 April 2021, by which the report on the work of the group was due, some additional information on mercury-added products, particularly on lamps, was still to be provided by experts or to be incorporated into the documents. The group will further work to organize such additional information into the compilation document by 30 June 2021, which will be made available to the Conference of the Parties as an information document.

• Batteries
• Switches and relays
• Measuring devices
• Other electronic devices
• Other non-electronic products
• Cosmetics
• Pesticides
• Satellite propulsion
• Processes

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COP3 encouraged Parties to take more than the two required measures in accordance with part II of Annex A to the Convention to phase down the use of dental amalgam, and requested the Secretariat to collect information on the implementation of any such additional measures taken by Parties.

In addition, it requested the Secretariat to collect from Parties and others information pursuant to paragraph 7, Article 4 of the Convention, i.e. information including that related to the availability, technical and economic feasibility and environmental and health risks and benefits of the non-mercury alternatives to the product.

1. Information on the implementation of any additional measures taken by Parties

Parties are invited to provide information on the implementation of any additional measures taken in accordance with part II of Annex A to the Convention by 31 January 2021.

Submissions from governments

• African Region (English / French)
• Brazil
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Congo
• Cote d'Ivoire
• European Union
• Italy
• Japan
• Jordan
• Mozambique
• Nepal Letter - Annex1
• Philippines
• Thailand
• United States
• Uruguay
• Viet Nam

2. Information on non-mercury alternatives to dental amalgam

Parties and others were invited to provide information including that related to the availability, technical and economic feasibility and environmental and health risks and benefits of the non-mercury alternatives to dental amalgam by 1 July 2020. The following submissions have been received.Upon the request from some Parties, the deadline for this submission has been extended until 15 August 2020.

Submissions on the review of Annexes A and B from Argentina and Colombia, available above, also contain information on dental amalgam

Submissions from governments

• African Region (English / French)
• Argentina (Spanish)
• Brazil
• Canada
• Colombia
• European Union
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Norway
• Moldova

Submissions from other organisations

• AGENDA for Environment and Responsible Development (AGENDA), Tanzania
• American Dental Association (ADA), International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
• Asian Center for Environmental Health
• Ban Toxics Letter / AO20
• Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED), Nepal   Video
• Chicago Declaration for Ending Mercury Use in the Dental Industry Letter1 / Letter2
• Children’s Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF), Zambia
• Consumers for Dental Choice, United States
• Centre de Recherche et d'Education pour le Développement (CREPD) submission / annex
• Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), Bangladesh
• European Center for Environmental Medicine
• FDI World Dental Federation
• Action Group for Promotion and Protection to Flora and Fauna (GAPROFFA), Benin
• International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
• International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT)
• Kisiwani Conservation Network, Kenya
• Latin American Centre for Environmental Health
• SRADeV Nigeria
• Timiş County College of Dentists, Romania Letter 1 (Romanian / English) Letter 2 (Romanian / English)
• Vietnam Odonto-Stomatology Association (VOSA) and Center for Community Health and Injury Prevention (CCHIP), Viet Nam
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - A Comparison of Availability, Affordability, Effectiveness, Risks and Benefits of Dental Material
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - Arab States
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - Dentists’ Committee for A Mercury Free Africa Letter / submission1 / submission2 / submission3 / submission4
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - Island States Campaign
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - Model Provinces Committee
• World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry - Scientific literature review

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COP3 requested the Secretariat to continue its work in collaboration with the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership Mercury in Products Partnership area and involving relevant experts to;

(a) Draft a guidance document that includes:

(i) For the mercury-added products listed in Annex A to the Convention, a list of possible customs nomenclature codes of more than six digits that could be used by Parties;

(ii) For mercury-added products not listed in Annex A to the Convention, a compilation of examples provided by national experts of customs nomenclature codes of more than six digits currently in use by Parties; and

(iii) Examples of good practice where the use of customs nomenclature codes at the national level has been supplemented by the use of other control tools for the purpose of implementing trade provisions, such as those found in Article 4 to the Convention.

(b) Provide an assessment of whether the subsequent development of six-digit harmonized codes would be a useful complement to the outcome of the work undertaken under (a) (i) above for the mercury-added products listed in Annex A or under (a) (ii) above for mercury-added products not listed in Annex A. The assessment shall, where possible, include several examples of the use of such codes for both listed and unlisted mercury-added products, taking into account experience concerning such codes under other international environmental conventions.

Parties, non-parties and other stakeholders including relevant organisations were invited to identify experts familiar with the use of national customs codes to participate in the open-ended process by 29 February 2020. Two nomination have been received.

Identified experts were invited to submit information relevant for the work related to (a) (i)-(iii) above by 31 March 2020. The following submissions have been received from nominated experts. The Secretariat will work with the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership - Mercury in Products Partnership area to collect more information from parties and stakeholders.

• China

A draft guidance document on the use of customs codes under the Minamata Convention has been developed as described above in response to Decision MC-3/3 on Customs codes and posted below on 18 June 2021.

• PDF version
• Word version

Parties and other stakeholders are invited to submit comments on the draft, including any additional information on point (a) (i)-(iii) above, by 19 July 2021 to: mea-minamatasecretariat@un.org. The guidance document will be submitted as a COP-4 document.

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COP3 requested the group of technical experts to continue to work by electronic means, with the possibility of one face-to-face meeting, in line with the road map set out in annex II to document UNEP/MC/COP.3/6, to produce a report including draft guidance on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases, the proposed categories of point sources of releases and a road map for the development of guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices.

Parties were invited to confirm the current members of the group of technical experts, nominate new members or replace members as appropriate, through the Bureau members by 31 March 2020. Bureau members have been informed that the Secretariat will wait for the nominations until 15 April. The list of nominated members and observers is available here. Parties and other stakeholders were invited to submit existing information on the calculation of releases and on other methodologies for the estimation of releases from the source categories identified in UNEP/MC/COP.3/6. The following submissions have been received.

• Canada
• Colombia
• Japan
• Norway – submission – literature

The group of technical experts works on-line to develop a report including draft guidance on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases, the proposed categories of point sources of releases and a road map for the development of guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices. The group agreed to post the draft general guidance for release inventories (PDF), noting that it will be updated after agreeing on the list of point source categories.

The draft report to be submitted to COP-4 (PDF and Word versions) was posted on the web on 25 June 2021. Please note that the group of technical experts is still to further discuss some wording, such as the reference to wastewater in the table of relevant release categories, at its meeting after the commenting period. Parties and other stakeholders are invited to submit comments on the draft by 23 July 2021 to: mea-minamatasecretariat@un.org . The draft will be revised taking into account the comments received, and submitted as a COP-4 document.

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COP3 requested the group of technical experts to work further on thresholds for mercury wastes falling under subparagraph 2(c) of Article 11. It also requested the Secretariat, in cooperation with the ASGM partnership area, to seek comments from Parties and other stakeholders to improve the guidance on the preparation of national action plans for ASGM regarding management of tailings from such mining, with a view to presenting a revised version of the guidance for consideration and possible adoption by COP4.

Parties were invited to confirm the current members of the group of technical experts, nominate new members or replace members as appropriate, through the Bureau members by 31 March 2020. Bureau members have been informed that the Secretariat will wait for the nominations until 15 April. The list of nominated members and observers is available here. The group had its first on-line meeting on 12 May.

• Summary of the first on-line meeting (12 May 2020)
• Summary of the second online meeting (18 June 2020)

COP3 encouraged the parties and other stakeholders to contribute to the process of updating the technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds by providing comments on the draft updated guidelines when invited to do so. The draft guidelines are available on the website of the Basel Convention as an information document UNEP/CHW/OEWG.12/INF/13 for the 12^th Open-Ended Working Group of the Convention, for comments until 31 July 2020.

Parties and other stakeholders are invited to provide comments to improve the guidance on the preparation of national action plans for ASGM regarding management of tailings from such mining by 1 November 2020.

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COP3 adopted decision MC-3/10: Arrangements for the first effectiveness evaluation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The Secretariat has developed an overview of the provisions of the Convention and the guidance by the COP on effectiveness evaluation.

Work on the proposed indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the Convention

Decision MC-3/10 includes the provisions on intersessional work on the proposed indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the Convention included in annex I to the decision. Parties are invited to submit views on the indicators and the Secretariat is requested to compile those views in advance of COP-4. In consultation with the COP-4 Bureau, the Secretariat has prepared a plan on the modalities and timeline for providing and receiving commenting to assist parties in their work.

In line with the plan of work, an information session on proposed indicators was held on Thursday 17 September.

• Presentations and video recording

As next step in the plan of work, Parties and stakeholders were invited to submit initial views and responses to the Secretariat on the proposed indicators by 30 November 2020. All submissions received to date are collated in this online work space for indicators for consideration. 

According to the plan of work, the Secretariat facilitated an exchange session on the received initial views and responses on Tuesday, 2 February (to present submissions and views), and on Thursday, 4 February (to reflect on submissions and views). To further support Parties in their consideration of the proposed indicators, the Secretariat was requested to prepare a compilation of the initial views submitted. The Secretariat also prepared a note on information resources as supplementary information.

Parties requested the Secretariat to facilitate an additional exchange session, which was held on Thursday, 4 March (13:00 to 15:00 Geneva time). All materials for consideration are accessible at the above mentioned online workspace. This additional exchange session was to enable clarifications on the views and responses submitted, additional questions that may have arisen, and other relevant information sharing and exchange on the proposed indicators. This opportunity to further exchange was also to assist Parties in their formal preparation of their views, as requested by MC-3/10. The deadline for submission to the Secretariat of views of Parties was Wednesday, 31 March 2021. 

Development of the guidance on monitoring to support the effectiveness evaluation

COP-3 requested the Secretariat to advance the work to support the effectiveness evaluation by securing services for drafting, among others, guidance on monitoring to maintain harmonized, comparable information on mercury levels in the environment (MC‑3/10). According to this mandate, the Secretariat has prepared a roadmap for developing the guidance on monitoring. The timeline in the roadmap has been updated taking into account comments by the COP-4 Bureau.

In line with the roadmap, the Secretariat has developed a draft annotated outline of the monitoring guidance and held information sessions in June 2020 to discuss the development of the guidance. Subsequently, Parties and stakeholders were invited to identify experts to contribute to the drafting of the guidance, and three consultants were engaged by the Secretariat to draft chapters on mercury monitoring in air, biota and human biomonitoring.

The first webinar among the identified experts and consultants was held on 15 September 2020, and the final annotated outline of the guidance was developed taking into account the comments received. Further thematic online meetings were convened from September 2020 to March 2021 to develop the guidance.

As a result of the process, the Secretariat, working with the consultants and supported by the experts identified by Parties and stakeholders, developed a first draft of the guidance which was made available for comments by Parties and relevant stakeholders on 15 April 2021. Following further revisions and consultations with experts, a second draft and supplementary material are now open for comments by Parties and stakeholders. Those wishing to submit comments are invited to use the and template available for this purpose and submit it to mea‑minamatasecretariat@un.org by 31 July 2021.

Parties and relevant stakeholders may identify additional experts and inform the Secretariat. Earlier drafts of the guidance and comments are stored in the online workspace.

Work on other reports for effectiveness evaluation

The decision also requests the Secretariat to advance the work by securing services for drafting a trade, supply and demand report, which includes mercury waste flows and stocks, and an Article 21 synthesis report. While some initial work on a trade report is foreseen for the second half of 2020, most of the work is foreseen for 2021 (funding from the General Trust Fund is provided for 2021). Work has begun on the Article 21 Synthesis report following the submission of the first short national reports. The full national reports are due 31 December 2021, the outcome of which will feed directly into the Article 21 Synthesis report.

The third Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (25-29 November 2019, Geneva, Switzerland) decided to include gender as a focus area of the Convention’s Programme of Work for the biennium 2020—2021 (Activity 13). Thanks to the generous financial support of Sweden, the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention has undertaken to develop a gender roadmap with the objective of mainstreaming gender within its programme of work.

The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is inviting Parties and interested stakeholders to submit, by December 13th, 2020, scientific, technical and policy information on gender and mercury following the indications on the Call for information on Gender and Mercury.

Information on integrating gender into national policies, plans, and actions, as well as material of a scientific or technical nature is sought, including studies, webinars and videos that explore: 

• the impacts of mercury exposure on vulnerable groups, such as women and children;
• gender-differentiated relationships in producing, using, working with, or otherwise engaging with mercury;
• advocacy around controlling use and exposures;
• gender relationship across all sectors – mining, energy, manufacturing processes, consumer products, such as cosmetics and other mercury-added products, and mercury waste management.