To support the ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the generous support of the Government of Brazil, invited South American governments, international organizations and civil society representatives active in the region to gather for a 3-day workshop in Brasília, Brazil, from 2 to 4 September 2014.
The workshop was opened on Tuesday 2 September by Francisco Gaetani, Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Environment of Brazil, Fernando Lugris, Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on mercury, Denise Hamu, UNEP Representative in Brazil, and Jacob Duer, Coordinator of the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention.
Integral part of UNEP’s regional and sub-regional efforts to support the ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention, the workshop aimed to further enhance participants knowledge of the Convention, of the processes for its ratification and early implementation, and of the available sources of support, including in the interim period. Governments also had the opportunity to exchange information and discuss joint efforts. One important outcome of the workshop was the presentation by participating countries on Thursday 4 September of a draft national roadmap for the ratification and early implementation of the Convention that they were invited to prepare during the course of the workshop.
Delegates from ten South American countries participated, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Representatives from Intergovernmental organizations and UN Agencies that play a crucial role in the process towards rapid implementation and ratification of the Convention, including the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OCTA), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, the UNEP Brazil Office and the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention, as well as representatives from a range of NGOs and industrial sectors, attended the event.