The Delegation of Belarus takes part in Minamata Convention’s COP-2
21.11.2018The delegation of the Republic of Belarus, represented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Health, is taking part in the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-2), held in Geneva from 18 to 23 November 2018. At the COP-2 decisions will be made that are of key importance for the implementation of the Convention. One of the important technical issues is the definition for mercury wastes (lists of substances and items that will be treated as mercury wastes). The definitions for mercury wastes are important because they determine substances, materials and objects that are to be covered by the provisions of the Convention on Mercury regarding environmentally sound mercury management. Various approaches have been proposed by experts for setting thresholds for mercury wastes. The COP-2 will also consider guidelines for the environmentally sound storage of mercury, guidelines for mercury emissions, and management of polluted sites. The work of Belarus in the COP-2 allows to participate in the development of the standards and thus influence the decisions made.
Background information: The Republic of Belarus signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury on September 23, 2014 in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of September 18, 2014 No. 455 “On the Signing by the Republic of Belarus of the Minamata Convention on Mercury”. As of today, 128 states have signed the Convention, while 101 of them have ratified it. Currently, Belarus is working to assess the situation of mercury handling, as well as the consequences and benefits of ratification.
