The Conference of the Parties,Recognizing the need for controlling and, where feasible, reducing releases of mercury and mercury compounds to land and water from relevant point sources not addressed in other provisions of the Minamata Convention on Mercury,Recognizing also the requirement for the Conference of the Parties to adopt, as soon as practicable, guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices and on the methodology for preparing inventories of releases from such sources,Recognizing further that each party shall, no later than three years after the date of entry into force of the Convention for it and on a regular basis thereafter, identify the relevant point source categories,Recognizing that 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 thereafter maintain an inventory of releases from relevant sources,Recognizing also that, in order to assess the effectiveness of the Convention over time, it is important to have comparable information regarding releases,Recognizing further that parties will report on their relevant sources of releases and on measures for controlling them in their reports pursuant to article 21,Recognizing that, in order to compare the information on releases included in national reports, the use of standardized and known methodologies for preparing inventories is important,1.Decides to establish a group of technical experts drawn from parties in the five United Nations regions, in accordance with the terms of reference set out in annex I to the present decision, to develop draft guidance on methodologies for the preparation of inventories for a list of potentially relevant point source categories;2.Requests the secretariat to call for nominations of group members from parties by 15 January 2019 through the five United Nations regions and to support the work of the group;3.Instructs the group, with a view to cost-effectiveness, to work primarily through electronic means, including webinars;4.Decides that the Conference of the Parties will at its third meeting again consider the composition of the expert group and the need for the expert group to meet face to face;5.Requests the secretariat to invite parties, signatories and other stakeholders to identify possible point source categories of releases to be included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 above;6.Also requests the secretariat to compile in a report the information referred to in paragraph 5 above and to include in the report the relevant point source categories identified in, inter alia, the United Nations Environment Programme toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Mercury Releases, the Minamata initial assessments and the forthcoming Global Mercury Assessment 2018;7.Further requests the secretariat to share the report mentioned in paragraph 6 above with the group for its consideration in accordance with the timeline set out in annex II to the present decision;8.Requests the group to present the report, including a list of any significant anthropogenic point source of release categories not addressed in provisions of the Convention other than article 9, along with a suggested road map and structure for the development of draft guidance on methodologies for preparing its inventories, for possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting;9.Also requests the group to develop draft guidance on standardized and known methodologies for preparing inventories for the sources in the list referred to in paragraph 7 above for possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting;10.Decides that work to develop guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices will be deferred until after the draft guidance on methodologies for preparing inventories is completed.
Annex I to decision MC-2/3
Draft terms of reference for a group of technical experts on guidance in relation to mercury releases to be established pursuant to article 9 of the Convention
I. Mandate
1.The Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention, at its second meeting, by its decision MC-2/3, established a group of technical experts to work on guidance in relation to mercury releases, in accordance with the timeline set out in annex II to the decision.2.The group of experts will, as a first step, take into account in a report the information referred to in paragraph 5 of decision MC-2/3.3.The group of experts will prepare a report including a list of any significant anthropogenic point source of release categories not addressed in provisions of the Convention other than article 9, along with a suggested road map and structure for the development of draft guidance on methodologies for preparing its inventories, for possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting.4.As a next step, the group of experts will develop draft guidance on standardized and known methodologies for preparing inventories for the sources included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 of decision MC-2/3, for possible adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its fourth meeting.
II. Membership
5.Until the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the group will comprise 25 technical experts, five being nominated from each of the five United Nations regions. Before the group’s first meeting, the group and the secretariat will invite experts from relevant organizations, industry and civil society to participate as observers, as appropriate.
III. Recommended qualifications of members and observers
6.Members and observers shall have at least one of the following:(a)Knowledge of the mass flow/mass balance of mercury in relevant mercury source subcategories (e.g., from technical work in/with the relevant sectors);(b)Expertise relevant to different approaches for monitoring, measuring and calculating emissions and releases;(c)Knowledge of pollution release and transfer registers;(d)Expertise concerning or experience in using the United Nations Environment Programme Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Mercury Releases.
IV. Officers
7.The group of experts will elect two co-chairs to facilitate its meetings and other work.
V. Secretariat
8.The secretariat of the Convention will provide administrative support to the group of experts. It will compile submissions received and the outcome of consultations on the matter.
VI. Administrative and procedural matters
9.The rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties will apply, mutatis mutandis, to the group of experts.
VII. Meetings and working arrangements
10.With a view to cost-effectiveness, the group will work primarily through electronic means, including webinars.11.The Conference of the Parties will consider at its third meeting whether the group should hold a face-to-face meeting.
VIII. Language
12.The working language of the group of experts will be English. Draft guidance submitted for consideration to the Conference of the Parties and guidance adopted by the Conference of the Parties will be translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
Annex II to decision MC-2/3
Timeline for activities of the group of technical experts on releases until the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties
Activity
Timing
The secretariat circulates a call to parties, signatories and other stakeholders to identify possible point source categories of releases to be included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 of the decision.
December 2018
Establishment of the group of experts
January 2019
The secretariat shares the list of point source categories and results of the call with the group of experts.
March 2019
The group holds its first meeting, by electronic means, to prepare a first draft of a list of any significant anthropogenic point source of release categories not addressed in provisions of the Convention other than article 9, along with a suggested road map and structure for the development of draft guidance on methodologies for preparing its inventories.
April 2019
The secretariat invites all parties, signatories and other stakeholders to submit comments.
May 2019
The secretariat compiles and develops the draft report.
July 2019
The group revises and approves the report.
August 2019
The group’s report, including a list of any significant anthropogenic point source of release categories not addressed in provisions of the Convention other than article 9, and a suggested road map and structure leading to the development of draft guidance on methodologies for preparing its inventories are submitted for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting.