DEVELOPMENT OF A
NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MINAMATA
CONVENTION ON MERCURY
DR. SAM ADU-KUMI
sam.adu-kumi@epa.gov.gh/adukumisam@yahoo.com
ACCRA, JANUARY 22, 2015
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MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY
 The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a
global treaty to protect human health and the
environment from the adverse effects of
mercury
 It was agreed at the fifth session of the
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in
Geneva, Switzerland in 2013
 The text was adopted and opened for signature
at a Diplomatic Conference (Conference of
Plenipotentiaries), held in Minamata and
Kumamoto, Japan, from 9 to 11 October 2013
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MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY
 Major highlights of the Minamata Convention
 A ban on new mercury mines
 Phase-out of existing mercury mines
 Control measures on air emissions
 International regulation of the informal
sector for artisanal and small-scale gold
mining (ASGM)
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MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY
 The Convention draws attention to a global
and ubiquitous metal that, while naturally
occurring, has broad uses in everyday objects
and is released to the atmosphere, soil and
water from a variety of sources
 Controlling the anthropogenic releases of
mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a
key factor in shaping the obligations under the
convention.
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Article 7:
Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining
(ASGM)
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Definitions and Scope
“Artisanal and small-scale gold mining” means
gold mining conducted by individual miners or
small enterprises with limited capital investment
and production (Article 2)
 Measures in Article 7 and in Annex C shall
apply to artisanal and small-scale gold
mining and processing in which mercury
amalgamation is used to extract gold from ore
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Article 7: Key provisions
 Each Party that has artisanal and smallscale gold mining and processing subject
to this Article within its territory shall take
steps to reduce, and where feasible
eliminate, the use of mercury and
mercury compounds in, and the
emissions and releases to the
environment of mercury from, such
mining and processing
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Article 7: Key provisions
If at any time the Party determines that ASGM
and processing in its territory is more than
insignificant, it shall notify the Secretariat and:
Develop and implement a national action plan
(Annex C)
Submit it to the Secretariat within 3 years
Provide a review every three years of the progress
made and include such reviews in its reports
pursuant to Article 21
 Parties may cooperate to achieve objectives of
article 7 on a number of measures (para 4 a -f).
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Article 7: Opportunities for Cooperation
 Parties may cooperate with each other and
with relevant intergovernmental
organizations and other entities, as
appropriate, to achieve the objectives of
Article 7, including through:
 Strategies to prevent the diversion of
mercury or mercury compounds for use
in ASGM and processing (paragraph 4a)
 Education, outreach & capacity building
initiatives (paragraph 4b)
 Promotion of research (paragraph 4c)
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Article 7: Opportunities for Cooperation
 Parties may cooperate with each other and
with relevant intergovernmental
organizations and other entities, as
appropriate, to achieve the objectives of
Article 7, including through:
 Provision of technical and financial
assistance (para 4d)
 Partnerships to assist in the implementation
of their commitments under Article 7
(paragraph 4e)
 Information exchange (paragraph 4f)
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Annex C: National Action Plan
 National objectives & reduction targets
(paragraph 1a)
 List of worst practices to be eliminated
(paragraph 1b)
 Formalization or regulation of the sector
(paragraph 1c)
 Baseline estimates of the quantities of mercury
used and the practices employed (paragraph
1d)
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SAM MINAMATA PRESENTATION
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Annex C: National Action Plan
 Schedule for implementation of the national
action plan (paragraph 1k)
 A series of strategies (paragraphs e to j)
 Additional strategies to achieve its objectives
(paragraph 2)
 Annex C explicitly calls for a public health
strategy, which encompasses health
surveillance, health care worker training and
awareness raising.
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Minamata Convention on Mercury
Annex C para. 1
Promote reduction emissions &
releases of, exposure (e)
Manage trade & preventing
diversion Hg & Hg
compounds from both
foreign and domestic
sources (f)
Involve stakeholders
implementation &
continuing development of
the national action plan (g)
Public health strategy on the
exposure of ASGM miners
and their communities (h)
Prevent exposure of vulnerable
populations (i)
Provide information to ASGM
miners and affected
communities (j)
National objectives and
reduction targets (a)
Actions to eliminate (b)
Steps to facilitate
formalization
or regulation (c)
Baseline estimates (d)
Strategies
Schedule for
implementation (k)
Annex C para. 2
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* Art. 7 para 3 (c)
SAM MINAMATA PRESENTATION
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Step-wise Process of Developing
a national action plan
Step 6: Endorsing the national strategic plan
Step 5: Evaluation mechanism
Step 4: Formulating the implementation strategy
Step 3: Setting a goal and objectives
Step 2: Gathering baseline information
and developing the national overview
Step 1: Establishing a coordinating
mechanism
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Global Mercury Partership
National overview (section 3)
Baseline analysis:
1. Legal
2. Geographic
3. Economics (earnings per capita,
mercury supply, use and
demand, gold trade and export)
4. Mining (ore bodies, processed
used, number of people
directly/indirectly involved - gender
and age).
5. Environment ( environmental
destruction, contaminated sites,
mercury releases in soil, air and
water).
6. Health information (impacts,
mercury exposure through various
media).
7. Leadership & organization
(national & local levels)
8. Innovative
experiences
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Minamata Convention on Mercury
Steps to facilitate formalization or regulation (c)
Baseline estimates (d)
Strategies
Promote reduction emissions & releases of,
exposure (e)
Manage trade & preventing diversion Hg & Hg
compounds from both foreign and domestic
sources (f)
Involve stakeholders implementation &
continuing development of the national action
plan (g)
Public health strategy on the exposure of ASGM
miners and their communities (h)
Prevent exposure of vulnerable populations (i)
Provide information to ASGM miners and affected
communities (j)
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•THANKS FOR THE KIND
ATTENTION
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