When: Thursday 20 February 2025
Where: Online
Target Audience: Laboratories in ministry/agency, university, research institute or consulting companywhich undertake mercury monitoring and analysis.
Background and Objectives
Minamata Convention on Mercury is one of the newest multilateral environmental agreements aiming at protecting human health and environment from anthropogenic emissions and release of mercury and mercury compounds. There has been a growing need for capacity building concerning appropriate mercury monitoring skills in developing countries to ensure the implementation of the required efforts to monitor the levels of mercury and mercury compounds.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is implementing a Japan-funded project called “Project for promoting the Minamata Convention on Mercury by making the most of Japan's knowledge and experiences” to support its member states for the implementation of the Convention.
The Project has implemented laboratory proficiency testing (PT) for evaluating the performance of mercury analyses conducted by the laboratories in collaboration with National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD). PT is a part of continual improvement of quality data collection and analysis. 2021-22 season (1st round PT) and 2022-23 season (2nd round PT) have been successfully completed, and 2023-24 season (3rd round PT) and 2024-25 season (4th round PT) are currently ongoing.
These laboratories participating in the PT work in isolation without much interaction each other. This webinar series aims to enhance networking of the mercury laboratories to learn each other and work together. It also introduces basic mercury science to deepen the understanding of global mercury issues.
Agenda Concept Note and Programme and Presentations
- Introduction - Expected outcomes of the webinar series, Dr. Kyaw Maung, UNEP(Lecture) Mercury and hydroquinone analysis for skin lightening cosmetics - Methodologies and operating procedures, Dr. Chacriya Malasuk, AIT
- (Info sharing) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - History, mission, and major activities/achievements, Dr. Rio Doya, Hokkaido University
- Closing
