NEWS

02.07.07
UNEP holds informal dialogue on mercury partnerships

ICMM's John Atherton was invited to take part in an informal stakeholders meeting to discuss future development of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) mercury partnerships program on 25 June.

The meeting was convened in response to the UNEP Governing Council Decision 24/3 which called on UNEP, working in consultation with governments and other stakeholders, to strengthen the mercury partnerships program. The decision calls for an expansion in the program through the development of partnerships with related sectors including non-ferrous metals mining.

The meeting discussed what a successful partnership should look like and how to define the goals in a manner which was both realistic and measurable but would not diminish the aspirations of the program as a whole.

The assessment of current emissions levels, an account of best available techniques for mercury abatement and the definition of environmentally sound management of mercury wastes were all seen by many participants as possible elements for a non-ferrous metals mining partnership.

These elements reflect many of the issues identified in an ICMM statement on mercury issued in February 2007.

UNEP will now prepare proposals for the development of an overarching framework for the mercury partnership program (including a business plan, goals and operational guidelines) to be considered at a meeting of an open-ended working group in November. UNEP's ambition is to develop, in outline, several new partnerships in advance of the November meeting.

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