Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2021-22
MOF Alm.del Bilag 481
Offentligt
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UNITED
NATIONS
Distr.: Limited
20 March 2022
English only
MC
UNEP
/MC/COP.4/L.2
Conference of the Parties to the
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Fourth meeting
Online, 1–5 November 2021 and Bali, Indonesia,
21–25 March 2022
Bali Declaration on combating illegal trade in mercury
We, the Heads of Delegation of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury
(hereinafter “the Convention”), having met from 21 to 25 March 2022, on the occasion of the fourth
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, in Bali, Indonesia.,
Bearing in mind
that the extensive use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining has
accelerated international trade in mercury, including illegal trade, which has increased in the past
decade, as reflected in some international reports such as
Global Mercury Supply, Trade and Demand
(UNEP, 2017) and
The Illegal Trade in Chemicals
(UNEP, 2020),
Concerned
that this increase in illegal trade is a serious concern which threatens human health
and the environment,
Aware
of the broader negative socioeconomic impacts of the illegal trade in mercury as a key
consideration in the fight against the global threat of mercury to human health and the environment
and in ensuring progress towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
and the Sustainable Development Goals,
Realizing
that the current practice of illegal trade in mercury is closely connected with, among
other things, the extensive use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the lack of access
to economically viable alternatives to mercury, and trade in mercury using online trading platforms,
Recognizing
that international cooperation is pivotal to addressing both legal and illegal trade
in mercury,
Acknowledging
the need for international support to assist developing countries in combating
illegal trade in mercury and, in particular, the need to strengthen their capacity for mercury
management and control and the need to raise awareness of environmental issues and health
consequences resulting from exposure to mercury,
Reaffirming
the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development outcome document “The Future We Want”,
1
Recognizing
the complementarity between the Convention, relevant international instruments,
2
internationally agreed initiatives
3
and the need for their full and effective implementation in combating
illegal trade in mercury,
Guided
by the Convention, which aims to protect human health and the environment from
anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds by, among other things,
1
A/RES/66/288.
Such as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal and United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 4/8 on the sound management of chemicals and
waste.
3
Such as the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management.
2
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 MOF, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 481: Notat om beslutninger taget på 4. partskonference i Minamatakonventionen om kviksølv
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UNEP/MC/COP.4/L.2
controlling mercury sources, uses and trade and improving the monitoring and control of trade in
mercury, as well as reducing the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining,
Declare
that we:
1.
Affirm
our commitment to implementing monitoring, control, surveillance and
enforcement efforts under national laws and regulations for combating illegal trade in mercury and, in
so doing, enhancing cooperation among Parties;
2.
Encourage
Parties to formulate policies, rules and any other suitable measures, within
their jurisdiction, to address illegal trade in mercury, including measures to increase transparency and
enforcement of regulations, with particular attention to online platforms such as e-commerce and
social media companies that host platforms facilitating illegal trade in mercury;
3.
Call upon
Parties to enhance international cooperation and coordination to increase
national capacity to combat illegal trade in mercury, to develop practical tools and notification and
information-sharing systems for monitoring and managing trade in mercury, to exchange experiences
and practices relating to combating illegal trade in mercury, including reducing the use of mercury in
artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and to share examples of national legislation and data and
information related to such trade;
4.
Promote
cross-border, regional and international cooperation among law enforcement
networks to improve coordination relating to notification, prevention, investigation, prosecution and
punishment of illegal trade in mercury;
5.
Also promote
international and interagency cooperation, coordination and planning to
facilitate capacity-building through, among other things, training, mainstreaming programmes and
education for customs officials, police and other law enforcement officers, and through programmes to
raise awareness at the local, national and global levels of the impact, hazards and risks of trading
mercury illegally;
6.
Invite
relevant international organizations, such as the secretariat of the Minamata
Convention, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Customs
Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, to explore the possibility of
cooperation in addressing illegal trade in mercury;
7.
Recognize
that strategies to address and minimize illegal trade in mercury will be most
effective if they include (a)
demand-side control
by promoting and financing research and access to
non-mercury alternatives, (b)
supply-side control
by, among other things, committing to phasing out
primary mercury mining, and (c)
transit control
by enhancing the monitoring of transiting goods and
identifying and eliminating routes for illegally traded mercury;
8.
Promote
the use of economically viable alternatives to mercury and implement
incentive-based systems, as well as encourage active engagement and participation of, and close
collaboration with, relevant stakeholders, including Governments, local communities, civil-society
organizations, the private sector and academia;
9.
Invite
cooperation in capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer for
the environmentally sound management of mercury and mercury waste in developing countries;
10.
Promote
integrated study of illegal trade in mercury that combines socioeconomic
issues, financial factors and the role of broader unlawful activities, such as corruption and illicit
financial flows, in order to identify groups of populations that are at risk and develop targeted
regulations;
11.
Also promote
the development and application of educational materials and
programmes for use in schools and youth education, in particular in areas with high levels of artisanal
and small-scale gold mining activities, to increase health literacy regarding the adverse impact of
mercury on the environment and human health as well as the need to reduce mercury exposure and to
foster awareness of the dangers of mercury and to be informed about available safer alternatives and
methods;
12.
Encourage
donor countries, agencies and international financial institutions to
contribute to the advancement of the aims of the present declaration through provision of funding and
technical assistance in support of countries’ national, cross-border and subregional efforts.
2