The realisation of a
global treaty on mercury is gaining momentum
following a meeting of over 120 states in
Japan. Governments met last week in the
city of Chiba to continue negotiations on
creating a global treaty on mercury and
help reduce sources of mercury pollution.
The meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee (INC) - for which UNEP's Chemical
Branch provides the Secretariat - was the
second in a series of five such events,
which is due to culminate in a legally binding
instrument on mercury by 2013.
Although the focus of
delegates was on this future target, the
negotiations began with reflections on a
tragic event from the past. Victims of Minamata
Disease - caused by sustained industrial
dumping of mercury compounds into Japan's
Minamata Bay between the 1930s and 1960s
- addressed the conference, appealing for
progress towards the completion of a global
treaty. Around 3,000 people are thought
to suffer from Minimata Disease, the effects
of which include physical deformities and
mental illness.
Today, the presence
of mercury in the environment still remains
of global concern. This is primarily due
to its long-range transport in the atmosphere,
its persistence in the environment and its
ability to contaminate ecosystems and food
chains.
Exposure to mercury
has an adverse effect on human health, including
permanent damage to the nervous system.
Women and children are especially vulnerable
as mercury can be transferred from a mother
to her unborn child.
Delegates in Chiba expressed
agreement on the need to reduce risks to
human health and the environment from mercury
so that events such as those that unfolded
at Minamata do not recur.
Among the key issues
at stake in the negotiations towards a global
treaty are how to deal with major emissions
of mercury from industry, in particular
from coal combustion for power generation,
the phasing out of mercury use in a variety
of products such as medical devices, encouraging
small-scale gold miners to end the use of
mercury amalgamation to concentrate their
gold and the management of mercury waste
and contaminated sites.
There was consensus
in Chiba that primary mining of mercury
represents one of the least desirable sources
of supply and a broad acceptance of the
move to seek to eliminate such sources.
Many delegations noted
the need to continue to allow mercury to
be used in products and processes subject
to exemptions and that a future treaty would
need to distinguish between such 'commodity'
mercury and mercury as waste. The disposal
of mercury is particularly difficult. As
an element, mercury cannot be destroyed
but can only be stored - either in its current
form or in an inert, lower-risk form following
a stabilisation process (such as reacting
it with sulphur). Developing countries noted
the complexity and costs of some storage
techniques. The export of mercury for environmentally
sound storage was considered important for
some regions, in particular the Small Island
Developing States.
Coal combustion is the
largest source of mercury emissions to air.
Nations reliant on electricity generated
from coal noted during the negotiations
the importance of any controls not restricting
their economic development and indicating
their unwillingness to consider binding
mercury reduction targets. However, some
of these countries also drew attention to
existing and continuing efforts to reduce
a broad range of air pollutants, including
mercury.
The negotiations in
Chiba were based on a paper prepared by
the Secretariat, which set out draft elements
likely to be needed in a future treaty.
Following discussion of all these elements,
the committee mandated UNEP to develop a
draft text of the comprehensive and suitable
approach to mercury for consideration at
its third session to be held in Africa in
October 2011. This draft text is to be based
upon the draft elements discussed in Chiba
and will reflect views expressed their and
as submitted by parties to the secretariat
in writing by 25 March 2011.
