In early June, the Secretariat of traveled to the Philippines for a week-long knowledge exchange on mercury-free practices. ?
Following the to assist countries in implementing the Convention, the Secretariat organized a to facilitate knowledge exchange among parties of the Convention and visited mercury-free artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites.
“One goal for our work is to ensure that all the measures and all the actions we take actually have a lasting effect", said Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat.
A major driver of mercury demand is its use in , one of the main contributors of human-induced mercury pollution. Globally, 15 million miners work in this sector, including 4-5 million women and children. Approximately 2,000 tonnes of mercury are released into the environment from artisanal and small-scale gold mining every year.
"It has been very revealing to visit several sites and talk to the miners and Indigenous Peoples' communities. One takeaway for me is how important it is to have appropriate national, provincial and local regulatory frameworks", said Stankiewicz.
As the global community continues to combat mercury pollution, insights from the Philippines visit highlight the ongoing need to translate plans into sustainable, impactful actions. The success of these efforts will depend on the capacity to tailor strategies to diverse contexts and needs,. National Action Plans will play a key role in shaping these efforts on the ground.
Watch our covering the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention's visit to the Philippines from 2 to 9 June.
