We facilitate intergovernmental processes around minerals and metals and promote laws on the integration of environmental sustainability and circularity in the governance of the extractive sector.
United Nations Environment Assembly Resolutions
The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 Member States. In recent years, the environmental dimension of mining has come under the gavel at UNEA, with a view to fostering consensus on the management of metals and minerals, responsible mining, and circularity.
Since 2019, UNEA has adopted three resolutions on minerals and metals. The most recent resolution UNEP/EA.6/L.8,encourages Member States and stakeholders to align the extraction and management of minerals and metals with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote sustainable consumption and production. It also requests UNEP to support the development of capacity building opportunities on enhancing environmental sustainability of mining. Previous resolutions include UNEA resolution 4/19 on mineral resource governance which was adopted in 2019 and UNEA 5/12 on environmental aspects of minerals and metals management which was approved at the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly in 2022.
Mercury and Gold
Further, UNEP continues to support over 30 countries in the development of National Action Plans to meet their commitments under the Minamata Convention to reduce mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). UNEP is
Moreover, the Convention bans as well new mercury mines and aims to phase-out existing ones.
