Tuesday, July 7, 2020
The Minamata Secretariat convened two online information sessions on the 7 July on the progress of the intersessional process to review the list of products and processes using mercury, with a call for submission of information.
The first session was held at 10:00 Geneva time, and the second at 16:00 Geneva time, to cover all time zones. With nearly 92 participants in the morning session and 99 in the afternoon, these online events included information on the intersessional work related to products and processes, more specifically review of Annexes A and B, dental amalgam and custom codes.
Through an overview of COP3 decisions, the current situation and the roadmap for each area of work, the Secretariat shared the information received so far on these provisions from Parties and others on progress made towards meeting the extended deadline by 31 July. A Q&A session followed the presentation.
The Minamata Convention controls the full life cycle of mercury, from its supply to its trade, use, emissions, releases, storage, and the management of waste and contaminated sites. "The control on the use of mercury in products and industrial processes is one of the critical building blocks of the Convention", stressed the Executive Secretary of the Convention, Monika Stankiewicz.
Article 4 of the Convention obliges the Parties to phase out the manufacture, import and export of mercury-added products listed in Annex A. Article 5 describes the measures that Parties must take on manufacturing processes using mercury listed in Annex B.
More information: