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- Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury to be Held in Punta del Este, Uruguay
Joint Release with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the EnvironmentFourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury to be Held in Punta del Este, Uruguay
The "Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury" will be held from Wednesday, June 27 to Monday, July 2, 2012 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, for the purpose of making discussions on the establishment of an instrument on mercury.
This session is expected to exchange views on the draft text created by the Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other issues.
1. Background
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) decided at the 25th session of its governing council held in February 2009 to establish a legally binding instrument (treaty) on global mercury control and, for this purpose, to establish an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC). It was agreed that the negotiations would be started in 2010 and completed by 2013.
The INC has held three sessions so far. The INC4 will discuss the draft text of the instrument on mercury and other issues in line with the previous four sessions, aiming at the completion of the text at the INC5.
2. Meeting period and other information
- Date:
- Wednesday, June 27 to Monday, July 2, 2012
- Venue:
- Punta del Este, Uruguay
3. Meeting Documents
The agenda and meeting documents (including the draft text of the instrument on mercury) are downloadable from the following website:
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/Negotiations/INC4/INC4MeetingDocuments/tabid/3490/Default.aspx
4. Attendees from Japan
The Government of Japan will send a government delegation consisting of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of the Environment.
5. Past INC sessions and future schedule
- 2010
- June 7 to 11: First session (INC1), Stockholm, Sweden
- 2011
- January 24 to 28: Second session (INC2), Chiba, Japan
- September 26 to 28: Asia-Pacific Meeting before the Third Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury, Kobe, Japan
- October 31 to November 4: Third session (INC3), Nairobi, Kenya
- 2012
- May 15 to 17: Asia-Pacific Meeting before the Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- June 27 to July 2: Fourth session (INC4): Punta del Este, Uruguay
- 2013
- February: Fifth session (INC5), Geneva, Switzerland
- February: Study results will be reported to the 27th session of the UNEP Governing Council
- Late 2013: Diplomatic meeting (for adoption and signature of the instrument), Japan
Release Date
June 19, 2012
Division in Charge
Chemical Management Policy Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau