Highlights and images for 12 March 2016

Jordan

Summary

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
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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

Participants