Progress Report 2020: Overview of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Activities

Despite the pandemic, parties are still hard at work. They have shown strong commitment to the implementation and enforcement of the Convention. One clear evidence is the fact that over 90 national reports on the progress in implementation had been received, reflecting a rate of nearly 80% for the reporting period. This strong reporting rate is a proof that the pandemic is not a burden to our collective commitment to eliminate mercury. There are several pending issues which will be discussed at COP-4, including the review of Annexes A and B to the Convention, dental amalgam, custom codes, releases of mercury, mercury waste thresholds, and effectiveness evaluation of the Convention. Currently, experts from various regions work hard under three intersessional working groups schemes (review of annexes, mercury releases and mercury waste) to prepare draft documents to implement the Convention in more practical ways. Parties and observers will have the opportunity to contribute to these documents before COP-4.