The third session of Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC3) was held from 31 October to 4 November 2011 at UNEP’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 500 participants representing governments, UN agencies, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting.
The primary purpose of this important session was to conduct negotiations on the draft text of a global, legally binding, instrument on mercury, implementing a comprehensive and suitable approach to this issue. The draft text was prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of the views expressed by parties at INC2 and during the intersessional period .A global, legally binding, instrument on mercury is expected to be the most effective vehicle for ensuring the protection of human health and environment from anthropogenic releases of mercury and its compounds.
INC3 was the third of five sessions that have been scheduled to take place before the 27th session of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (UNEP GC/GMEF) in 2013, where the negotiations are supposed tobe concluded.
After a week of lengthy contact group discussions, the Meeting finalized the provisions of a new draft text dealing with such important issues as, supply, international trade on mercury, products and processes, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, emissions and releases, storage wastes and contaminated sites, financial resources and technical and implementation assistance, awareness-raising , research and monitoring , and communication of information, institutional arrangements, settlement of disputes and further development of the Convention. It is to be noted that provisions related to issues with strong legal flavour, such as institutional arrangements, settlement of disputes and final provisions, were formulated by the Legal Group established at INC2.
The provisions in the new draft text are intended to strike a balance between the need for clarity and the need to reflect the full range of party views. The full range of party views is indicated in the new draft text through the use of brackets, multiple options and other appropriate means. At this point it is worth mentioning that the most controversial substantive issues facing the INC3 process were apparently the issues of the financial mechanism and voluntary versus mandatory control measures.
Finally, the Committee concluded its proceedings by requesting the Secretariat to provide a revised draft text based on the plenary negotiations, the reports of INC3 contact groups and the work of the Legal Group.
Source:UNEP, IISD Reporting Services
For further information:
http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/enb2808e.pdf
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/Negotiations/INC3/tabid/3469/Default.aspx
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MEPIELAN Centre
MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.
Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.
MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).
On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable
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MEPIELAN Centre#molongui-disabled-link
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MEPIELAN Centre#molongui-disabled-link