The Conference of the Parties,Welcoming the report of the group of technical experts on guidance in relation to mercury releases established pursuant to decision MC-2/3,Recognizing that the group was requested in decision MC-2/3 to develop draft guidance on standardized and known methodologies for preparing inventories for identified relevant point sources for possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting,Recognizing also that the Conference of the Parties decided in decision MC-2/3 to consider again, at its third meeting, the composition of the expert group and the need for the group to meet face to face,1.Invites parties to confirm the current members of the group, nominate new members or replace members, as appropriate, through the Bureau members;2.Requests the group to continue to work by electronic means, with the possibility of one face-to-face meeting, if necessary and subject to the availability of resources, in line with the road map set out in the report on the development of guidance on methodologies for inventories of mercury releases to land and water under article 9 of the Convention,1 to produce a report including draft guidance on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases, the proposed categories of point sources of releases and a road map for the development of guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices;1UNEP/MC/COP.3/6, annex II.3.Also requests the group to base its work on the following considerations:(a)The proposed categories should not include potentially significant relevant point sources for which releases are addressed in other provisions of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, irrespective of whether those other provisions include an inventory obligation;(b)Given that article 9 of the Convention concerns relevant point sources, diffuse sources should not be included in the proposed categories. The categories identified in the guidance should also be limited to those source categories for which mercury releases have been documented;(c)The obligation to ensure the environmentally sound management of waste set out under the Convention addresses significant releases to land and water;(d)While wastewater is addressed under article 9, parties may additionally control wastewater under article 11 of the Convention;(e)Subject to the completion of the work outlined above, and with a view to helping parties that wish to widen the scope of the inventory referred to in paragraph 6 of article 9 to additional point sources other than those covered by article 9, the guidance on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases should also provide information on significant point sources of releases covered by other provisions of the Convention;4.Requests the secretariat to continue to support the work of the group.