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Target 12: Enhance Green Spaces and Urban Planning for Human Well-Being and Biodiversity
Target 12: Enhance Green Spaces and Urban Planning for Human Well-Being and Biodiversity
Significantly increase the area and quality, and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health and well-being and connection to nature, and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and to the provision of ecosystem functions and services.
Targets
Average share of the built-up area of cities that is green/blue space for public use for all
Alignments and linkages
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Target 11:
Wetland functions, services and benefits are widely demonstrated, documented and disseminated.
Target 6:
There is a significant increase in area, numbers and ecological connectivity in the Ramsar Site network, in particular under-represented types of wetlands including in under-represented ecoregions and Transboundary Sites.
Target 5.4:
By 2032, CMS provisions are included in relevant national planning processes and policies for the benefit of migratory species and the ecosystem services they provide. Explanation: The Convention’s mandates, provisions and agenda are incorporated into national legislation frameworks and strategies relevant to migratory species (e.g., NBSAPs and NDCs).
Target 11.7:
By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
Target 11.b:
By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities:
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Other linkages
Article 4 – Mercury-added products
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1. Each Party shall not allow, by taking appropriate measures, the manufacture, import or export of mercury-added products listed in Part I of Annex A after the phase-out date specified for those products, except where an exclusion is specified in Annex A or the Party has a registered exemption pursuant to Article 6 . 2. A Party may, as an alternative to paragraph 1 , indicate at the time of ratification or upon entry into force of an amendment to Annex A for it, that it will implement different measures or strategies to address products listed in Part I of Annex A. A Party may only choose this alternative if it can demonstrate that it has already reduced to a de minimis level the manufacture, import, and export of the large majority of the products listed in Part I of Annex A and that it has implemented measures or strategies to reduce the use of mercury in additional products not listed in Part I of Annex A at the time it notifies the Secretariat of its decision to use this alternative. In addition, a Party choosing this alternative shall: (a) Report at the first opportunity to the Conference of the Parties a description of the measures or strategies implemented, including a quantification of the reductions achieved; (b) Implement measures or strategies to reduce the use of mercury in any products listed in Part I of Annex A for which a de minimis value has not yet been obtained; (c) Consider additional measures to achieve further reductions; and (d) Not be eligible to claim exemptions pursuant to Article 6 for any product category for which this alternative is chosen. No later than five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties shall, as part of the review process under paragraph 8 , review the progress and the effectiveness of the measures taken under this paragraph. 3. Each Party shall take measures for the mercury-added products listed in Part II of Annex A in accordance with the provisions set out therein. 4. The Secretariat shall, on the basis of information provided by Parties, collect and maintain information on mercury-added products and their alternatives, and shall make such information publicly available. The Secretariat shall also make publicly available any other relevant information submitted by Parties. 5. Each Party shall take measures to prevent the incorporation into assembled products of mercury-added products the manufacture, import and export of which are not allowed for it under this Article. 6. Each Party shall discourage the manufacture and the distribution in commerce of mercury-added products not covered by any known use of mercury-added products prior to the date of entry into force of the Convention for it, unless an assessment of the risks and benefits of the product demonstrates environmental or human health benefits. A Party shall provide to the Secretariat, as appropriate, information on any such product, including any information on the environmental and human health risks and benefits of the product. The Secretariat shall make such information publicly available. 7. Any Party may submit a proposal to the Secretariat for listing a mercury-added product in Annex A, which shall include information related to the availability, technical and economic feasibility and environmental and health risks and benefits of the non-mercury alternatives to the product, taking into account information pursuant to paragraph 4 . 8. No later than five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties shall review Annex A and may consider amendments to that Annex in accordance with Article 27 . 9. In reviewing Annex A pursuant to paragraph 8 , the Conference of the Parties shall take into account at least: (a) Any proposal submitted under paragraph 7 ; (b) The information made available pursuant to paragraph 4 ; and (c) The availability to the Parties of mercury-free alternatives that are technically and economically feasible, taking into account the environmental and human health risks and benefits.
Article 7 – Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
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1. The measures in this Article and in Annex C shall apply to artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing in which mercury amalgamation is used to extract gold from ore. 2. Each Party that has artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing subject to this Article within its territory shall take steps to reduce, and where feasible eliminate, the use of mercury and mercury compounds in, and the emissions and releases to the environment of mercury from, such mining and processing. 3. Each Party shall notify the Secretariat if at any time the Party determines that artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing in its territory is more than insignificant. If it so determines the Party shall: (a) Develop and implement a national action plan in accordance with Annex C; (b) Submit its national action plan to the Secretariat no later than three years after entry into force of the Convention for it or three years after the notification to the Secretariat, whichever is later; and (c) Thereafter, provide a review every three years of the progress made in meeting its obligations under this Article and include such reviews in its reports submitted pursuant to Article 21 . 4. Parties may cooperate with each other and with relevant intergovernmental organizations and other entities, as appropriate, to achieve the objectives of this Article. Such cooperation may include: (a) Development of strategies to prevent the diversion of mercury or mercury compounds for use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing; (b) Education, outreach and capacity-building initiatives; (c) Promotion of research into sustainable non-mercury alternative practices; (d) Provision of technical and financial assistance; (e) Partnerships to assist in the implementation of their commitments under this Article; and (f) Use of existing information exchange mechanisms to promote knowledge, best environmental practices and alternative technologies that are environmentally, technically, socially and economically viable.
Article 8 – Emissions
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1. This Article concerns controlling and, where feasible, reducing emissions of mercury and mercury compounds, often expressed as “total mercury”, to the atmosphere through measures to control emissions from the point sources falling within the source categories listed in Annex D. 2. For the purposes of this Article: (a) “Emissions ” means emissions of mercury or mercury compounds to the atmosphere; (b) “Relevant source ” means a source falling within one of the source categories listed in Annex D. A Party may, if it chooses, establish criteria to identify the sources covered within a source category listed in Annex D so long as those criteria for any category include at least 75 per cent of the emissions from that category; (c) “New source ” means any relevant source within a category listed in Annex D, the construction or substantial modification of which is commenced at least one year after the date of: (i) Entry into force of this Convention for the Party concerned; or (ii) Entry into force for the Party concerned of an amendment to Annex D where the source becomes subject to the provisions of this Convention only by virtue of that amendment; (d) “Substantial modification ” means modification of a relevant source that results in a significant increase in emissions, excluding any change in emissions resulting from by-product recovery. It shall be a matter for the Party to decide whether a modification is substantial or not; (e) “Existing source ” means any relevant source that is not a new source; (f) “Emission limit value ” means a limit on the concentration, mass or emission rate of mercury or mercury compounds, often expressed as “total mercury”, emitted from a point source. 3. A Party with relevant sources shall take measures to control emissions and may prepare a national plan setting out the measures to be taken to control emissions and its expected targets, goals and outcomes. Any plan shall be submitted to the Conference of the Parties within four years of the date of entry into force of the Convention for that Party . If a Party develops an implementation plan in accordance with Article 20 , the Party may include in it the plan prepared pursuant to this paragraph. 4. For its new sources, each Party shall require the use of best available techniques and best environmental practices to control and, where feasible, reduce emissions, as soon as practicable but no later than five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention for that Party . A Party may use emission limit values that are consistent with the application of best available techniques. 5. For its existing sources, each Party shall include in any national plan, and shall implement, one or more of the following measures, taking into account its national circumstances, and the economic and technical feasibility and affordability of the measures, as soon as practicable but no more than ten years after the date of entry into force of the Convention for it: (a) A quantified goal for controlling and, where feasible, reducing emissions from relevant sources; (b) Emission limit values for controlling and, where feasible, reducing emissions from relevant sources; (c) The use of best available techniques and best environmental practices to control emissions from relevant sources; (d) A multi-pollutant control strategy that would deliver co-benefits for control of mercury emissions; (e) Alternative measures to reduce emissions from relevant sources. 6. Parties may apply the same measures to all relevant existing sources or may adopt different measures in respect of different source categories. The objective shall be for those measures applied by a Party to achieve reasonable progress in reducing emissions over time. 7. Each Party shall establish, as soon as practicable and no later than five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention for it, and maintain thereafter, an inventory of emissions from relevant sources. 8. The Conference of the Parties shall, at its first meeting, adopt guidance on: (a) Best available techniques and on best environmental practices, taking into account any difference between new and existing sources and the need to minimize cross-media effects; and (b) Support for Parties in implementing the measures set out in paragraph 5 , in particular in determining goals and in setting emission limit values. 9. The Conference of the Parties shall, as soon as practicable, adopt guidance on: (a) Criteria that Parties may develop pursuant to paragraph 2 (b); (b) The methodology for preparing inventories of emissions. 10. The Conference of the Parties shall keep under review, and update as appropriate, the guidance developed pursuant to paragraphs 8 and 9 . Parties shall take the guidance into account in implementing the relevant provisions of this Article. 11. Each Party shall include information on its implementation of this Article in its reports submitted pursuant to Article 21 , in particular information concerning the measures it has taken in accordance with paragraphs 4 to 7 and the effectiveness of the measures.
Integrity, Paragraph 89.
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For properties nominated under criteria (i) to (vi), the physical fabric of the property and/or its significant features should be in good condition, and the impact of deterioration processes controlled. A significant proportion of the elements necessary to convey the totality of the value conveyed by the property should be included. Relationships and dynamic functions present in cultural landscapes, historic towns or other living properties essential to their distinctive character should also be maintained. [Examples of the application of the conditions of integrity to properties nominated under criteria (i) - (vi) are under development.]