Latin America: New Initiative to Prevent 176 Metric Tonnes of Mercury from Entering the International Market

Launched on 11 March 2025 by regional partners joining forces with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre – Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean (BCCC-SCRC) Uruguay, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) initiative represents a crucial step in supporting participating countries in their efforts to meet their obligations under the Minamata Convention.

Article 3 of the Convention underscores the need to control, regulate, and progressively reduce mercury supply and trade.

Implemented by UNEP and executed by BCCC-SCRC Uruguay, the project is backed by US$3 million in funding from the GEF and co-financing from project partners, contributing significantly to these efforts.

The project aims to strengthen national and regional frameworks for controlling mercury trade, reducing mercury supply, and mitigating its dispersion both regionally and globally.

It will assess existing trade monitoring mechanisms in target countries, develop a comprehensive database and network, and support the drafting of national legislation and procedures for tracking and regulating mercury trade.

“The implementation of this project marks a significant milestone in the region’s and UNEP’s efforts to control mercury trade, reduce its supply, advance towards a cleaner economy, and fulfill commitments under the Minamata Convention…

… This global treaty is essential for protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury,” stated Jordi Pon, UNEP’s Regional Coordinator of the Chemicals and Pollution Program at the Latin America and the Caribbean Office.

The project will directly support the six participating countries in drafting or adapting legal instruments to regulate the import, export, and internal transfers of mercury in line with their obligations under Article 3 of the Convention.

Additionally, it will foster national consensus for the adoption of these regulations, while also developing strategies to combat illegal mercury trade within and across borders.

A key activity will be the training of trade, customs, and border control officials to ensure coherent enforcement of national and regional mercury trade control measures.

The project will actively engage all relevant national stakeholders, including end users involved in the mercury supply chain.

Since 2018, uncontrolled mercury trade activities in the region have contributed significantly to environmental and health risks.

By addressing mercury trade flows and the resulting emissions and releases, the project will contribute to a safer and more sustainable future for the region.

The initiative, titled Accelerate Minamata Convention Compliance through Improved Understanding and Control of Mercury Trade in Latin America, was officially launched in Bogotá during a two-day inception workshop.

The event gathered national and international stakeholders, including representatives from the Minamata Convention Secretariat, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and key institutional partners.

Expected project outcomes include enhanced national and regional capacities to monitor and control both legal and illegal mercury trade, strengthened mechanisms for trade control, and the adoption of a regional information-sharing platform on mercury trade.

The inception workshop provided a collaborative space for stakeholders to discuss project activities, expected results, and the roadmap for achieving its goals.

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