UNEP Chemicals Branch, DTIE
Statement on the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Latin America and Caribbean Ministerial Forum of Ministers of Environment
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Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen
I am honoured to be here to address you today, and in particular on the topic of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. This Convention, the first global multilateral environment agreement negotiated in the last ten years, was opened for signature in October 2013, with the region playing a leading role throughout the negotiations.
I would highlight the leadership role that your region has played during the negotiations of this important agreement. Without the political commitment shown by many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, I am certain that we would not have been able to conclude the negotiations with we most certainly can describe as a very significant convention. Since the negotiations started in 2010 your region participated very actively throughout the negotiations, ensuring a number of key points were included in the text of the Convention which reflected the specific needs of your region.
Allow me also express a special thank you to the Government of Uruguay, which not only supplied the Chair for the negotiations, but also worked tirelessly to seek support for the negotiations and to encourage the region to play a very active role.
Excellencies
At the signing ceremony in Kumamoto in Japan last October, we were pleased to welcome a large number of countries from the region as signatories to the Convention, with 17 countries from your regionsigning during the Diplomatic Conference. We were also pleased to welcome Paraguay as a signatory to the Convention earlier this year.
I would like to encourage those countries in this room, who have not yet signed the Minamata Convention to do so making your region the first region in which all countries have signed the convention.
But more importantly, I would like to encourage you to start the necessary processes at the national level to ratify the convention. I know that many of you already have started that process, and I thank you for that. With 50 ratifications, the convention will come into force. With the first ratification already in place by the USA, I am hopeful that this new convention will come into force very soon. I am sure that your region will make its contribution to this endeavour.
Excellencies
The commitment to the Convention that your region has shown, as well as the ongoing efforts at the national level by a large number of countries highlight the urgency and importance of action.
UNEP is keen to continue to provide, in partnership with other relevant UN organizations, support to countries who are commencing the process of ratifications and of early implementation of the Convention. I am pleased to announce that we have been successful in raising significant resources for this work, including through the Global Environment Facility.
As you are aware, significant work on mercury is already taking place in many countries in your region, from projects on mercury containing waste, work on inventories and important projects to address the extremely challenging issue of artisanal and small scale gold mining.
We look forward to supporting the ongoing work on mercury through the interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention, through the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership, and with support at the regional level from UNEP’s regional office.
The interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention looks forward to welcoming representatives from Latin America to a subregional workshop, which is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Brazil, as well as through contributions from other donors. This workshop will provide an opportunity for countries to consider the requirements for early implementation, and will facilitate the process of moving towards becoming a Party.
Excellencies
UNEP looks forward to welcoming more signatories from the region, and will particularly welcome those countries who are able to become Parties in the near future.
The mercury journey so far has been long, and has not been easy, however we are in a position to see the results which will be achieved, and are ready to stand with you in moving forward to achieving these objectives.
Thank you.
Chemicals Branch // Substances chimiques
Division of Technology, Industry and Economics // Divisiontechnologie, industrie etéconomie
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