Jakarta Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4) agreed on aspects concerning effectiveness evaluation, including forming a scientific agency, Environment and Forestry Ministry’s official Rosa Vivien Ratnawati stated.
“Effectiveness evaluation points have been agreed upon, though there are several aspects that have to be adjusted based on the nation’s input,” she noted.
“There are difficulties while discussing issues, such as how many experts can be sent per region,” Ratnawati remarked during the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4.2) Closing Ceremony virtual press conference on Saturday.
Effectiveness evaluation is a framework that determines the evaluation procedures toward Convention regulation and steps that nations take to realize the Minamata Convention’s goal.
Several matters had been agreed upon concerning effectiveness evaluation, including the business process framework and the agreement to form a scientific agency named the Open-ended Scientific Group (OESG).
This aims to ensure that the process can still carry on despite the advisory group not being formed.
During the COP-4, in addition to effectiveness evaluation, a decision had also been adopted concerning the amendment of Attachment A and B on products that contain mercury and processes that utilize mercury.
It had been decided that 10 types of products contain mercury that can be phased out, Ratnawati explained.
However, the use of four types of products that contain mercury should be reviewed at COP-5 in Genewa, Switzerland.
The Minamata Convention COP-4, held on March 21-25 in Bali, also managed to unveil the Bali Declaration to prevent illegal mercury trade.
With this non-binding declaration, it is expected that the issue of illegal mercury trade can be mainstreamed, and it also encourages cooperation at the bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels.
Source: Antara News