Daily Web Coverage/Daily Reports/Summary Report
IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has provided daily reports and web coverage of the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Minamata Convention on Mercury October 9-11, and its preceding preparatory meeting October 7-8. A joint summary report of both events will be posted October 14. To download our reports, please click the HTML/PDF icons below.


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Curtain Raiser
7 Oct
8 Oct
9 Oct	-	-	-	-
10 Oct
11 Oct & Summary


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14 Oct

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14 Oct

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Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries
on the Minamata Convention on Mercury
and preceding Preparatory Meeting

7-11 October 2013 | Kumamoto and Minamata, Japan

Daily web coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)

Intro - 7 October - 8 October - 9 October - 10 October - 11 October - Summary

Highlights for Thursday, 10 October 2013

On Thursday morning the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries adopted the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Kumamoto, Japan, with one head of State, 48 State ministers and other high-level representatives of countries in attendance. Opening remarks were made by Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Bakary Kante, Director of the Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC), who delivered remarks on behalf of UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon; and Nobuteru Ishihara, Minister of the Environment, Japan.

The Conference elected Nobuteru Ishihara as Conference President, and Terezya Pius Luoga Huvisa (United Republic of Tanzania) as Rapporteur, with Sargon Lazar Slewa Binzezzo (Iraq), Abdou Nassur Madi (Comoros), Gheorghe Salaru (Republic of Moldova), Anne-Rose-Marie Juganaru (Romania), Izabella Teixeira (Brazil), Robert Pickersgill (Jamaica), Sean Sherlock (Ireland), and Franz Perrez (Switzerland) as members of the Bureau.

In the afternoon, the Final Act and the Convention were opened for signature, after which 86 countries and the European Union signed the Convention, and 23 countries signed the Final Act only. Participants heard initial country statements and in the evening, attended a reception at Kumamoto Castle, hosted by the Government of Japan, the Prefecture of Kumamoto, and the Kumamoto City. UNEP Chemicals launched the website of the Convention (www.mercuryconvention.org) to track progress towards entry into force.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, ready for signatures.

Morning Plenary

Jacob Duer, UNEP INC team coordinator.

INC Chair Fernando Lugris, Uruguay.

Robert Pickersgill, Jamaica.

Signing Ceremony

A view of the dais during the signing ceremony.

Plenipotentiary Conference President Nobuteru Ishihara, Minister of Environment, Japan, signed the Final Act.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, Executive Secretary of the Plenipotentiary Conference, signed the Final Act.

UNEP Chemicals Branch Head Tim Kasten, signed the Final Act.

Jean Omer Beriziky, Prime Minister of Madagascar, signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Fumio Kishida, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan, signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Wylbur Simuusa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zambia, signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Statements

Fumio Kishida, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Japan.

Jean Omer Beriziky, Prime Minister of Madagascar.

Luis Leonardo Almagro Lemes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay.

Wilbur Simuusa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zambia.

Doris Leuthard, Federal Councillor of the Environment, Switzerland.

Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment.

Abdou Nassur Madi, Minister of Production, Energy, Environment, Industry and Artisans, Comoros.

Ricardo Hugo Salvioli, vice-Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Argentina.

Raphael Edou, Minister of Environment, Benin.

José Antonio Zamora Gutiérrez, Minister of Environment and Water, Bolivia.

Izabella Teixeira, Minister of Environment, Brazil.

Santiago Villalpando, Treaty Section Chief, Office of Legal Affairs.

Side Events

Women in Europe for a Common Future and the International POPS Elimination Network presented a lunchtime side event on women and mercury in artisinal and small-scale gold mining, impacts on women's health and that of future generations.

The GEF presented a lunchtime side event on financing for implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Around the Conference

A Japanese traditional dancer during the evening reception.

With a little help from Kumamoto Prefecture's bear mascot Kumamon, dignitaries ceremonially hammered open barrels of sake at the evening reception.

Tim Kasten, Achim Steiner and Japanese Participants

UNEP Chemicals Branch Head Tim Kasten and Executive Director Achim Steiner with participants from Japan.

Delegates from Colombia.

Delegates chatted before the morning plenary.

A "Kimono Girl" during the signing ceremony.

Claudia TenHave and Meera Laurijssen, UNEP.

Media surrounded a local official for an interview.

Press photographers watched the morning plenary.

During a gun salute by historical warriors, Kumamon was given a gun that fired confetti, demonstrating the right to arm bears.

Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiarieson the Minamata Convention on Mercuryand preceding Preparatory Meeting

Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries
on the Minamata Convention on Mercury
and preceding Preparatory Meeting