Minamata Convention

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Minamata Convention

Title (engl.): Minamata Convention on Mercury
Date: October 10th, 2013
Come into effect: 16th August 2017
Reference: Ch XXVII 17p (PDF)
Contract type: Multinational
Legal matter: Chemicals law
Signing: 128
Ratification : 115
European Union: Signed: October 10, 2013; Ratified on May 18, 2017
Germany: Signed: October 10, 2013; Ratification: September 15, 2017
Austria: Signed: October 10, 2013; Ratified on June 12, 2017
Switzerland: Signed: October 10, 2013; Ratified on May 25, 2016
Please note the note on the applicable contract version .

Sources of global mercury emissions into the air (as of 2010)

The Minamata Convention (also: Mercury Convention , English Minamata Convention on Mercury ) is an international treaty from 2013, with which emissions of the heavy metal mercury are to be contained, as it is “a toxic chemical with significant effects in the brain and nervous system “Is. It took more than three years for the agreement to become binding under international law through ratification by at least 50 states. This condition has been fulfilled since May 18, 2017, so that the Convention entered into force on August 16, 2017 .

prehistory

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) initiated the drafting of the convention in February 2009. Negotiations officially began in June 2010. The content of the Convention was justified and underpinned by extensive studies on mercury emissions and health effects. On January 19, 2013 in Geneva , around 900 delegates from over 140 countries agreed on a compromise at the fifth international round of negotiations and were thus able to resolve the main parts of the agreement - with the exception of detailed regulations.

The Minamata Convention was signed by 92 states at the conference in Kumamoto, southern Japan, on October 10 and 11, 2013. Germany, Austria and Switzerland were also among the first to sign. After the conference, the Swiss Environment Minister Doris Leuthard proposed a similar convention for cadmium .

Contrary to the usual practice, the agreement is not named after the place of the last round of negotiations. It is intended to be a reminder of the Minamata disease that occurred in the Japanese port city of Minamata from the 1950s onwards : The Japanese chemical company Chisso dumped mercury-containing water into the sea, causing massive mercury poisoning in 17,000 people , of which around 3,000 people died.

ratification

As a rule, the approval of Parliament is required for accession to the Convention ( ratification ), which is binding under international law . The Minamata Convention entered into force on May 18, 2017, on August 16, 2017, 90 days after ratification by the 50th signatory state.

The US was not represented at the signatory conference because of the government shutdown . As the 93rd state, they were only able to sign on November 6, 2013. On the same day, the undersigned Kerri-Ann Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs , deposited the certificate of acceptance. This makes the USA the first state to ratify.

Further development

The first Conference of the Parties took place in Geneva from September 24 to 29, 2017 . There it was also decided to locate the seat of the convention in Geneva. The second Conference of the Parties took place from November 19 to 23, 2018, and the third from November 25 to 29, 2019.

content

The agreement contains specific regulations on products containing mercury, which are to be banned from 2020 or only traded with restrictions, for example: "... clinical thermometers, batteries, electrical switches and relays, fluorescent tubes, but also soaps and cosmetics". For the most important global sources of mercury emissions, especially gold mining and coal-fired power stations , the signatory states are to draw up plans to monitor and reduce emissions.

Since February 2014 a technical working group developed the guidelines on "best available techniques and best environmental practices" ( Best Available Techniques ) for four in Annex D of the Convention called industrial sectors: coal-fired power plants / steam boilers , cement plants , non-ferrous smelters and incinerators . The guidelines are intended to support the states in establishing suitable environmental protection techniques and emission limit values for the plants. The international working group consists of 23 representatives from member states (Africa: 8, Asia / Pacific: 8, Latin America / Caribbean: 5, Central / Eastern Europe: 5, Western Europe / USA / Canada / Australia: 7). Western Europe is represented by the Swedish Environment Agency (“Naturvårdsverket”) and the German Federal Environment Agency . Eight participants from industrial and environmental organizations who have observer status are also involved. The working group is to invite other states and organizations of the UN , industry and civil society to participate in the preparation of the guidelines.

Controversial points and criticism

Due to its generous transition periods and exceptional regulations, the convention is only seen as a “stage victory” on the way to reducing mercury.

The draft of the convention also provided for the prohibition of mercury as a preservative in vaccines ( thiomersal ). According to a press report, the World Health Organization, paediatricians and the Gavi Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization warned that without this preservative, “Millions of children in the developing world are at risk of dying from infectious diseases,” while thiomersal hardly plays a role in industrialized countries . After the conference, the press reported: "Still mercury in vaccines" and "The use of mercury in dental fillings should be reduced, but remains allowed."

Another point of contention is funding; for the time being, Switzerland, Norway and Japan each contributed one million US dollars. Switzerland pledged a total of 7.5 million francs (approx. 8.4 million US dollars) to implement the convention.

During the signatory conference in Kumamoto , it was criticized that "the agreement neither deals with compensation for victims nor with the question of who should be made responsible for the clean-up of mercury-contaminated areas."

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Chapter XXVII, Environment, 17th Minamata Convention on Mercury at treaties.un.org, status as of December 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ Global Mercury Assessment . (PDF; 9.1 MB) UNEP report, 2013, pp. 9–10
  3. ↑ In the original English: “ A toxic chemical with significant health effects on the brain and nervous system ”, quoted from United States Joins Minamata Convention on Mercury. state.gov, press release, November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ Bernd Schröder: Mercury Convention comes into force . Telepolis , August 16, 2017, accessed the same day.
  5. ^ Map and list of the status of ratification of the convention on the convention website www.mercuryconvention.org
  6. ↑ International community adopts global mercury convention . Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), press release No. 009/13, January 21, 2013, Berlin; Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  7. ^ UN website for the conference in Kumamoto
  8. ↑ Dagmar Dehmer: Minamata Convention - UN declare war on mercury. tagesspiegel.de, October 11, 2013; Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ Leuthard wants a convention for other heavy metals as well. nzz.ch, October 11, 2013; Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  10. ↑ Minamata Convention is adopted - International pact forged by UN regulates use and trade of Mercury. ( Memento of February 16, 2014 on the Internet Archive ) In: The Japan Times , October 10, 2013; Retrieved October 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Agreement on mercury reduction passed. nzz.ch, October 10, 2013; Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  12. ^ United States Joins Minamata Convention on Mercury. Press release on state.gov dated November 6, 2013. Accessed November 21, 2013.
  13. ^ First meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP1) , accessed September 25, 2017.
  14. ^ The fight against mercury: First conference of the Minamata Convention in Geneva. Federal Office for the Environment, September 30, 2017, accessed on October 6, 2017 .
  15. ^ Minamata Convention signed. ( Memento of February 21, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) chemiereport.at, October 10, 2013; Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  16. ↑ Minamata Convention, Appendix I, “Resolution on arrangements in the interim period,” No. 10
  17. ↑ Nils Simon: The United Nations Mercury Convention: The Minamata Convention is a compromise with potential for expansion . (PDF) In: SWP Aktuell 10 , Berlin, February 2013, p. 4 (PDF; 87 kB). Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  18. ↑ Jana Schlueter: Dispute about mercury. Well meant, but dangerous. tagesspiegel.de January 11, 2013; Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  19. ↑ Hartmut Wewetzer: Furthermore, mercury in vaccines. tagesspiegel.de, January 22, 2013; Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ Agreement on mercury reduction passed. In: nzz.ch of October 10, 2013. Retrieved on November 21, 2013.
  21. ^ "Minamata Convention": International mercury agreement passed. ( Memento of October 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Handelsblatt.com, October 10, 2013; Retrieved November 22, 2013.