The UNEP Global Mercury Partnership held its 7th Advisory Group meeting on 8 March 2016, on the eve of INC7.

The Partnership consists of over 150 stakeholders from governments, industry, NGOs, and academia who are dedicated to protecting human health and the environment from the impacts of mercury.

A key role of the Partnership is to assist countries in achieving timely and effective implementation of the Minamata Convention. In line with that role, the Partnership is undertaking capacity-building efforts and producing information and guidance in multiple sectors including mercury-added products, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and coal combustion.

The Partnership held its seventh advisory group meeting (PAG7) in Jordan on 8 March 2016, on the eve of INC7. The objective of this meeting was to review Partnership activities, plan future efforts, and develop strategies to increase effectiveness in supporting implementation of the Minamata Convention.

Among its main conclusions, PAG7 reaffirmed partners’ commitment to contribute to the Convention on areas such as mercury interim storage and monitoring, in a similar way the Partnership did on the issue of ASGM national action plans with the development of draft guidance for the consideration of INC7.

The meeting also reviewed the business plans for Partnership areas addressing mercury from coal combustion, mercury-added products, waste management, chlor-alkali plants and cement production.

Finally, the PAG meeting discussed its future work based on outcomes of the Partnership regional consultations held in the margins of the INC7 regional consultations and agreed to strengthen the communication and outreach of the Partnership.

Please visit the Global Mercury Partnership web site for more information, and to find out how you can join.