My thanks for the opportunity to address the second segment of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, or COP 4.2. My thanks also to Governor Wayan Koster for opening Bali to this meeting. And my deep appreciation to Her Excellency Siti Nurbaya, Minister for Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, for the stellar support from the Government of Indonesia. I acknowledge COP-4 President Rosa Ratnawati for her wise leadership of this important process underway. And last but certainly not least, my thanks to Monika Stankiewicz, the Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, for all the hard work of the Secretariat in preparing this meeting.
Excellencies, colleagues and friends, The Minamata Convention is a powerful tool in our collective effort to rid the planet of toxic substances. It is essential to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. It is our duty to face this crisis with all the tools at our disposal and tackle mercury, throughout its lifecycle, through innovative actions. Parties to this Convention have shown real commitment to fulfilling this duty. The strong ownership felt by Parties can be seen in your flexibility to negotiate online last year, and now in large numbers in Bali.
The Convention has many admirable qualities and results. The many countries working on mercury pollution have drawn serious attention to mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, or AGSM. Together with partners, including UNEP’s Global Mercury Partnership, the Convention’s work on ASGM demonstrates how poverty, livelihoods, health, biodiversity and the sustainable development goals intersect.
The Minamata Convention recognizes the specific vulnerabilities of indigenous communities to mercury contamination. Increased engagement with indigenous groups, some of whom have sent representatives to Bali, is a real positive element of this meeting. I am also pleased that the roadmap on gender aims to ensure that the principles of gender equality are firmly embedded in the convention’s activities.
The Convention also stands out for having a full Implementation and Compliance Committee, and a full Financial Mechanism. In this regard, at the invitation of COP-3 I have presented a report on strengthening the Specific International Programme. Together with the Global Environment Facility, the Specific International Programme provides practical, forward-looking support to Parties.
The impact of the Convention also resonates beyond mercury. At the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly, or UNEA 5, nations agreed to begin negotiations on a legally binding agreement to address plastic pollution. The Minamata Convention, and its measures to address the full lifecycle of mercury, were invoked numerous times as a model to build on. As we negotiate the plastics agreement, Minamata will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration.
UNEA 5 also agreed to establish a science-policy panel on the sound management of chemicals and waste. This is a great step forward in promoting science-based action on sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020. UNEP, through the panel and other means, will continue to support your efforts in implementing the global chemicals and waste agenda.
Friends, your work this week will help shape the future of the convention and take us closer to a world free of the negative impacts of mercury. I ask you all to be ambitious in your commitments towards making mercury history – including by backing the spirit of the Bali Declaration to combat the illegal trade of mercury. Humanity must find a way to live in harmony with nature, so that we can all thrive for centuries to come. And we cannot do this without ending mercury contamination.
Thank you.
