Mercury has been on the UNEP GC’s agenda since 2001. Governments are still failing to agree on global binding actions to solve this persistent problem. The Global Mercury Assessment of December 2002 accepted that mercury is present throughout the world environment, is persistent and is constantly being recycled. It showed that mercury exposure causes major harm to human health, and is highly toxic especially to developing nervous and cardiovascular systems.  In the form of methylmercury it readily crosses the placental and blood-brain barrier making foetuses, children and women of child-bearing age more susceptible to mercury exposure. The assessment underlined the need for global solutions since with long-distance transport, even countries which release little or no mercury and other areas far away from industrial activity, may be contaminated. For example, the Arctic has high mercury levels, although it is far from major release sites.

The developments of the UNEP Governing Council started being followed since the beginning of this campaign:

Preparations for the 23rd Governing Council, 18-15 February 2005, Nairobi, Kenya
Preparations for the 24th UNEP Governing Council, 5-9 Feburary 2007, Nairobi, Kenya
Follow up to the 24th UNEP GC
Developments in 2008

  Developments in 2008

The 10th Special Session of UNEP GC, took place in Monaco,  20-22 February 2008

The item related to mercury in this session was the follow up on the progress report after the First UNEP Open ended Working Group on Mercury (OEWG1), November 2007- Bangkok. EEB represented the Zero Mercury Working Group with general support of the Global Civil Society Forum and the NGOs who were there. The NGO intervention at the Committee of the Whole can be found here.

As expected the Progress report from OEWG 1 was acknowledged and no further changes were made.

The Decisions adopted by the Tenth Special Session of The Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the Summary of the President of the Discussions of Ministers and Heads of Delegation at the Tenth Special Session of the Council/Forum that took place in Monaco, February 2008, can be found here.

The proceedings of the GC/GMEF at its  10th Special Session, that took place in Monaco, 20-22 February 2008, can be found here.

As usual, just before the GC meeting , the Global Civil Society Forum took place - the Report of the 9th. Global Civil Society Froum (GCSF) held in Monaco can be accessed at http://www.unep.org/civil_society/GCSF9/pdfs/Report-GCSF9-2008.pdf

Follow up to the 24th UNEP GC - 2007

NGOs received a letter from UNEP asking for comments on the mercury partnerships on 4 June 2007.

On the 25-26 June 2007, EEB, MPP and HCWH participated at the UNEP Exploratory meeting on mercury partnerships in Geneva. Summary slides were produced by UNEP but NO formal report is foreseen to be produced.

9 July 2007, Zero Mercury Working Group comments on the planned content of the atmospheric emissions report required under the UNEP Governing Council 24th meeting Decision 24/3, paragraph 24., were sent to UNEP

17 July 2007, NGOs letter to UNEP, in response to UNEP’s request for comments on strengthening mercury partnerships, per the UNEP Governing Council Decision 24/3.

The EEB/Zero Mercury Working Group organised an NGO meeting on global mercury strategies, 11 November 2007, Bangkok, Thailand in preparation for the First Open Ended Working Group(OEWG) on Mercury , 12-16 November, Bangkok, Thailand.

Organisational details
The NGO meeting took place on Sunday 11 November 2007, 8:30-14.00, at the Prince Palace Hotel, Meeting Room: Palace 2 - 14th floor

Background documents
1. NGOs proposal/input to 24 GC,  29 January 2007
2. UNEP 24-3 Decision , 9 February 2007
3. UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/2 - Study on options for global control of mercury (available in ALL UN languages) here in EN , ES, CHI and Arabic
 
The report from the NGO meeting and the NGO presence at the First OEWG on mercury can be found here.
A report from IISD, Environmental Negotiations Bulletin can also be found here.

Preparations for the 24th UNEP Governing Council, 5-9 Feburary 2007, Nairobi, Kenya

In preparation for the 24 UNEP Governing Council the NGOs have drafted a one page working document with the NGOs'Proposals for a Global Mercury Strategy, November 8, 2006.
The NGO proposals are also available in PT, RU, ES, FR, D , CHI , JP

The NGOS have submitted their proposal on a Mercury Decision to UNEP GC on the 29 January 2007
NGOs submission to the 24th UNEP GC for a Global Mercury Strategy. The summary of the document is also available in SP, FR, CHI , PT, SWA , D

A special background report has also been prepared for the UNEP meeting - NGOs background report "Addressing Global Mercury Crisis at the 2007 UNEP GC" [January, 2007]
A press release was sent out on the 31 January , in view of the forthcoming UNEP GC meeting. Similar press releases where posted in different countries.

EEB, NRDC, MPP, Sierra Club, IPEN/HCWH, groundWork, ACPO, Toxics Link and GVB, represented the Zero Mercury Working Group at the 24th UNEP Governing Council, 5-9 February, 2007, Nairobi, Kenya.

A report on the activities of the NGOs in Nairobi as well as the discussions that took place during the meeting is now available.

The draft decision on mercury submitted by the Contact Group at the Plenary and finally adopted by the 24th Governing Council on the 9th February 2007 can be found here.

The NGOs reacted to the final decision with a press release on February 9, 2007. The German version of the press release can be found here.

References to the 24th UNEP GC in the news can be found here.

The final adopted text can be found at http://www.unep.org/gc/gc24/, Proceedings of the GC/GMEF at its 24th session, 24/3/IV Mercury,  p. 17-20.

Preparations for the 23rd Governing Council, 18-15 February 2005, Nairobi, Kenya

Mercury was on the agenda of the UNEP Governing Council (GC) planned for end February 2005. Activities include cooperation with NGOs all over the world ( EU, US, Developing countries) and input to UNEP towards that direction.

For better information and preparation for the meeting, EEB and Ban Hg WG represented by MPP, also had the chance to meet with Klaus Toepfer – UNEP Executive Director and Sylvie Motard – Head of the UNEP Liaison office in Brussels, on the 20-21 December 2004. (see also section 1)

In February 2005, NRDC, EEB, Greenpeace and the Ban Mercury Working Group with the support of the above mentioned NGOs, submitted to UNEP the Proposed Governing Council Decision Submitted by NGOs (also in FR), based upon a more extensive position paper which had been submitted to UNEP in July 2004.

A press release was sent to the European, US and African press on the 18 February 2005 , in view of the start of the UNEP Global Civil Society Forum and the UNEP Governing Council.

EEB, NRDC, Ban Mercury Working Group (MPP), Greenpeace, Toxics Link -India , Associação de Combate aos POPs - ACPO, groundWork, South Africa, Global Village of Beijing, China, and International Indian Treaty Council finally attended the 6th Global Civil Society Forum and the 23rd UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi, 18-25 February 2005. The report from the meetings and related interventions are available.

The 23rd UNEP Governing Council Decision on the Mercury Programme can be seen here.

A press release was also sent on the final decision of the UNEP Governing council on the 25 February 2005.

As a follow up to the 23rd UNEP Governing Council Decision, four meetings have taken place in relation to the Mercury partnerships. The Environmental NGOs attended those meetings. More relevant information and relevant documents can be found here.

In a letter to the world's governments that was also sent to the NGOs (MPP), on the 24 March 2006, the U.N. Environment Program is requesting information related to the supply, trade and demand for mercury for a report being developed for the upcoming UNEP Governing Council meeting in Nairobi next February. The request for the report came out of a decision that the UNEP Governing Council made at their prior meeting, which was put forth by Canada at the request of MPP. At that time, the UNEP Governing Council requested that UNEP Executive Director "..develop further the mercury programme...by initiating, preparing and making public a report summarizing supply, trade and demand information for mercury, including in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and, based on a consideration of life-cycle approach, to submit a document forming a basis for consideration of possible further action in those areas for consideration of the Governing Council at its twenty-fourth session..."

Responding to the above call, on the 16 May 2006, NRDC have submitted comments to UNEP (and accompanying document), after collaboration with the Chemical Registration Center (CRC) of China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) to develop improved estimates of China’s mercury supply and consumption.

On the 8th October the Zero Mercury Working Group submitted comments to UNEP on the draft Trade report.