African Group

On Saturday, 30 April 2016, SBSTTA 20 plenary convened in the morning and adopted 15 recommendations. Costa Rica for GRULAC underscored the recommendations on synthetic biology and invasive alien species (IAS), noting that biodiversity mainstreaming is key for sustainable development and requires stakeholder participation. Indonesia for Asia-Pacific stressed the importance of implementing CBD guidelines, capacity building and adequate funding. The Democratic Republic of Congo, on behalf of the African Group, called upon parties to redouble their efforts to achieve those Aichi targets that show least progress, and underscored the recommendations on restoring ecosystems, mainstreaming biodiversity and IAS, noting that more work is needed on synthetic biology. Turkmenistan, on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe, emphasized the need to mainstream biodiversity targets into the Sustainable Development Agenda. The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity called for a rights-based approach to ensure the successful implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Dias welcomed SBSTTA 20 outcomes ensuring: progress towards achieving the Aichi targets; a strong relationship with IPBES; and mainstreaming biodiversity across sectors, also with regard to pollinators. He also praised SBSTTA recommendations containing the action plan on ecosystem restoration, guidance on marine debris, and next steps on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). SBSTTA Chair Bignell thanked delegates for their spirit of goodwill and passion for the CBD objectives in tackling a heavy agenda. He urged delegates to “go home and implement,” and drew the meeting to a close at 12:23pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web updates from the 20th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the 1st Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary and analysis of both meetings which is available in HTML and PDF format. L-R: David Cooper, CBD Deputy Executive Secretary; Braulio Dias, CBD Executive Secretary; and SBSTTA Chair Andrew Bignell (New Zealand) Christine von Weizsäcker, ECOROPA Jihyun Lee, CBD Secretariat L-R: Valentina Mauriello and Mery Ciacci, Italy SBSTTA 20 delegates applaud Andrew Bignell (New Zealand) for his able chairmanship.

On Sunday morning, delegates to INC7 convened in plenary to hear reports from contact groups on rules, finance and technical issues before moving ahead with work on issues including, inter alia, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, mercury supply sources and trade, environmentally sound interim storage of mercury other than waste mercury, mercury wastes, and contaminated sites. The contact group on rules continued its work in parallel with the morning plenary and into the afternoon. The contact groups on finance, reporting and technical issues convened in the afternoon. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC 7). The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF formats. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Delegates gather for the start of plenary Fernando Lugris, Uruguay, INC Chair Contact Group on Rules Co-Chair Mohammed Khashashneh, Jordan Technical Matters Contact Group Co-Chair Kateřina Šebková, Czech Republic Finance Contact Group Co-Chair Gregor Filyk, Canada John Roberts, UK, Co-Facilitator of the Best Available Technologies/ Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) Informal Group Susan Egan Keane, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Ken Davis, UNEP Carolyn Vickers, World Health Organisation (WHO) Aneta Willems, EU David Kapindula, Zambia, speaking on behalf of the African Group Agustina Camilli, Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) Oumar Diaouré Cissé, Mali Norazeyan Dzul Kornain, Malaysia Lana Saria, Indonesia Sam Adu-Kumi, Ghana Marianne Bailey, US Toï Pagnibam Meba, Togo Haddijatou Jallow, Sierra Leone Desiré Yameogo, Burkina Faso Griffins Ochieng, IPEN Dominique Bally Kpokro, Zero Mercury Working Group Contact Group on Rules Contact Group on Rules Contact Group Co-Chairs Andrew McNee, Australia, and Mohammed Khashashneh, Jordan Jill Hanna, EU Angela Rivera, Colombia Silvia Maciunas, Canada Wondwossen Wondemagegnehu, Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of the African Group Contact Group on Technical Matters Contact Group on Technical Matters Bettina Hitzfeld, Switzerland Jean Le Roux, New Zealand Christopher Allen, EU Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan Contact Group on Finance Contact Group on Finance Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran Jozef Buys, EU Adel Shafei Mohamed Osman, Egypt Gabi Eigenmann, Switzerland Contact Group on Reporting Contact Group on Reporting Mick Saito, Japan Contact Group Co-Chair Silvija Kalniņš, Latvia Virginia Poter, Canada Eirik Hovland Steindal, Norway Sheila Logan, interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention Around the Venue Delegates from Japan Delegates from China Delegates between sessions Delegates meet informally A delegate views the ENB website Georg Karlaganis, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Documents discussing the distribution of mercury around the world

INC7 delegates convened in plenary on Saturday morning to address issues related to reporting (Article 21) and effectiveness evaluation (Article 22). In his introductory remarks, Chair Lugris announced that Zambia had become the latest country to ratify the Minamata Convention, bringing the total number of ratifications to 24. Plenary was suspended in the afternoon to allow delegates to work in contact groups to address issues including technical matters, finance and rules. In the evening, delegates attended a reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland. Chair Lugris instructed delegates to use the time to continue informal consultations on a range of issues to be addressed in the remaining three days of the meeting. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary and analysis report from the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC 7). The summary and analysis report is available in HTML and PDF formats. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Morning Plenary View of the dais during the morning plenary Sheila Logan, interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention Fernando Lugris, Uruguay, INC Chair Finance Contact Group Co-Chair Gillian Guthrie, Jamaica Technical Matters Contact Group Co-Chair Leticia Reis de Carvalho, Brazil John Roberts, UK, Co-Facilitator of the Best Available Technologies/ Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) Informal Group Agustina Camilli, Uruguay Eirik Hovland Steindal, Norway Ndey Sireng Bakurin, the Gambia David Kapindula, Zambia, speaking on behalf of the African Group Christopher Allen, EU Iftikhar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Pakistan Virginia Poter, Canada Mariano Castro, Peru Rochelle Diver, IPEN Bettina Hitzfeld, Switzerland Contact Group on Rules and Procedures Contact Group on Rules and Procedures Contact Group Co-Chair Andrew McNee, Australia Silvia Maciunas, Canada Felix Wertli, Switzerland Jill Hanna, EU Christopher Taylor, UNEP Contact Group on Technical Matters Contact Group on Technical Matters Silje Fagernes Johannessen, Norway Laura Juliana, Colombia Contact Group Co-Chair Kateřina Šebková, Czech Republic Karissa Kouner, USA Abdullah K. Tawlah, Saudi Arabia Contact Group on Finance View of the dais during the Contact Group on Finance Contact Group Co-Chair Gregor Filyk, Canada Obed Baloyi, South Africa O. O. Dada, Nigeria Heidar Ali Balouji, Iran Informal consultations on Article 8 (emissions) Around the Venue Stockholm Convention President Sam Adu-Kumi, Ghana; Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions; Rotterdam Convention President Franz Perrez, Switzerland; and Basel Convention President Mohammed Khashashneh, Jordan, sit beneath a Bedouin tent at the venue Delegates gather before the start of plenary Delegates from Indonesia Frankie Everitt and Jean Le Roux, New Zealand Paulina Riquelme Pallamar, Chile Jacob Duer and Sheila Logan, interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention Delegates from Saudi Arabia and Jordan Delegates meet informally Displays around the venue A local Jordanian artist creates traditional sand art View of the Dead Sea with the Judean Desert in the distance Reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland Delegates enjoy a reception hosted by the Government of Switzerland