UNEP’s work on mercury and Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) starts with its Enabling Activities and Article 7 and Annex C of the Minamata Convention.
Current activities of the UNEP GEF Chemicals and Waste Portfolio aim to reduce mercury releases in industrial sectors like ASGM, coal and chlor-alkali plants. But the Portfolio is also exploring new areas of action to reduce the impacts of mercury on human health and the environment: dental amalgam, cosmetic products and medical devices.
Highlights
UNEP has supported 65 countries in the world in developing their Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs). 50 countries have ratified the Minamata Convention and can now develop projects and programmes on mercury.
UNEP has also supported more than 50 countries in the development of their National Action Plans on Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (NAPs) by providing technical assistance and guidance in mercury-free technologies, formalization, baseline assessments, and other topics.
