Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP4) - Second Segment Held

1. Overview

From March 21 (Mon.) to 25 (Fri.), 2022, the second segment of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP4.2; hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") was held in Bali, Indonesia. *
The meeting brought together approximately 400 participants. Representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA); Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) took part in the negotiations. Other countries that could not come to the face-to-face meeting attended online.

2. Key results

Participants held administrative-level discussions on matters such as a framework for evaluating the Convention's effectiveness and reviewing Annexes A and B. The Indonesian government also presented the Bali Declaration on combating illegal mercury trade.

(1) Evaluating the convention's effectiveness

Article 22 of the Convention stipulates that the Conference of the Parties shall evaluate its effectiveness (whether its measures are effective in achieving its objectives) no later than six years after the date it enters into force and then periodically evaluate it at intervals specified by the Conference of the Parties. Since this meeting was the last Conference of the Parties in the six years from the date the Convention entered into force, the parties discussed the framework for evaluating its effectiveness.
The discussion resulted in decisions on plans and reports that will be created by the newly established Effectiveness Evaluation Group and Open-ended Scientific Group, as well as the Secretariat. They also settled on terms of reference of the Open-ended Scientific Group. They decided to continue discussing terms of reference of the Effectiveness Evaluation Group at the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5).

(2) Reviewing Annexes, A and B

Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention stipulate that the parties should review mercury-added products (Annex A) and processes in which mercury is used (Annex B) that are subject to regulations no later than five years after the date the Convention enters into force. They also permit the consideration of amendments to the annexes. To that end, the ad-hoc group of experts was established at COP3 investigated trends in alternative technologies for various products and processes and submitted a report. The EU, the Africa region, and Canada and Switzerland submitted the proposals to add or review regulations on 16 mercury-added products and processes in which mercury are used.
This discussion resulted in the parties adopting revisions to Annex A, including banning the production, import and export of eight mercury-added products (such as compact fluorescent lamps with an integrated ballast (CFL.i)) by the end of 2025 and taking further measures to phase down dental amalgam. At COP5, they will continue discussing the deadline to ban four more mercury-added products, including button batteries and linear fluorescent lamps.

(3) Releasing mercury to land and water

In accordance with Article 9 of the Convention, the parties shall establish and maintain an inventory of mercury releases from relevant sources to land and water.
They adopted guidance on the methodology for preparing release inventories at this meeting. Looking ahead to COP5, they decided to start developing guidance on the best available techniques and best environmental practices (BAT/BEP) to reduce mercury release from relevant sources.

(4) Thresholds relevant to mercury wastes

Article 11 of the Convention stipulates that the Conference of the Parties shall define the thresholds of mercury wastes that are subject to the Article.
The parties mainly discussed waste contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds, one of three categories of mercury waste. They decided that thresholds which apply to tailings from mining other than primary mercury mining are 25 mg/kg total mercury content as tier-1 and 0.15 mg/L in the leachate as tier-2. The parties were also invited to share information toward COP5 regarding thresholds relevant to waste contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds except for tailings (above-mentioned), and the group of technical experts was requested to continue its work on them, among other things.

(5) National reports on implementation of the Convention

Article 21 of the Convention stipulates that each party shall report on progress in implementing the Convention at intervals decided by the Conference of the Parties. Short reports were due by the end of 2019, and full reports were due by the end of 2021 (they will be due every four years thereafter).
The draft decision to improve the reporting format and further clarify the requirements of the Convention, as identified through the short reports submitted by the end of 2019, was adopted at this meeting. The Secretariat was requested to identify and propose problems with the reporting format that need further improvement or requirements that need clarification, based on experience with the reports submitted by the end of 2021.

(6) Administrative issues

Aside from the above, the Parties discussed and decided the programme of work and budget for 2023, and how to proceed with reviewing the Convention's financial mechanism.

(7) Bali Declaration

The Indonesian government, which hosted the COP4, took an initiative to develop the Bali Declaration, with the aim of strengthening international cooperation to prevent illegal mercury trade. It presented this declaration on the meeting's first day (March 21). The Asia-Pacific (including Japan), African, Latin American, and others expressed its support or welcome of the Declaration.

3. Related events

The online side event was held prior to the meeting (March 9) to introduce bilateral cooperation activities between Japan and Indonesia; the video of dialogue between Japanese, Indonesian and other youths about their research on mercury measures was posted on the Convention's website and also played at the conference venue. 

4. Future plans

The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury is scheduled to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 30 to November 3, 2022.

5. Reference URL

• UNEP website: Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-4)

Division in Charge

Chemical Management Policy Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau