The first-ever publication on the activities and implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Progress Report 2020 provides a snapshot of this uniquely challenging year, shining a light on the increased efforts to anticipate and mitigate the impact of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic on the global mercury agenda.
The report focuses on a selection of the many activities designed to help fight the toxic effects of mercury, from capacity-building to science. An important milestone was the deadline for mercury-added products, which involved implementation support on the ground as well as key policy and advocacy work, efforts designed to help phase out the manufacturing, import and export of hazardous everyday products such as certain types of batteries, cosmetics, lamps, thermometers and pesticides.
Another key achievement of 2020 was the launch of Minamata Online, a new series of open-access webinars that provided the opportunity to explore the Convention’s provisions, as well as policy and scientific aspects. In its entirety, the sum of hours of the 13 sessions amounted to one full day (more than 23 hours) and a total attendance of over 1,700 participants from all over the world. Following a survey to build on the experience gained, a second season will be held early this year.
2020 also marked the third anniversary of the Convention’s entry into force, with a total of 127 Parties working to implement it. So far, over 90 national reports on the progress in implementation have been received, reflecting a rate of nearly 80% for the reporting period. With lockdowns and restrictions in place across many countries, digital transformation has proved to be crucial to enhance international cooperation and collaboration, making full use of digital spaces to accelerate progress on important issues ahead of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-4).
For more information on current and upcoming activities, please visit the Minamata Convention website.
