INC4

IPEN press release: 3 July, 2012

Mercury Treaty Legitimizes Increased Mercury Pollution

(Punta del Este, Uruguay) – Although two-thirds of delegates engaged in international negotiations for a proposed mercury treaty support language that would help protect human health and the environment, a small group of developed countries appears to oppose public actions to prevent and reduce exposure to mercury

“We are deeply concerned that, with current text, the treaty may actually legitimize increased global mercury releases to protect short-term economic interests. The price tag may appear to be “cheap,” but the cost of inaction on mercury pollution will be huge,” said Joe DiGangi, IPEN Scientific and Technical Advisor.

Read the entire press release: English /Japanese / Spanish

——————————————————————————————————————————-

IPEN & CACP joint press release: 30 June, 2012

New Mercury Treaty negotiations heading towards losing the right to be called the “Minamata Convention”

No cleanup of contaminated sites nor compensation of victims required

(Punta del Este, Uruguay) Current text released at the 4^th meeting for a global, legally binding treaty on mercury, underway in Punta del Este, Uruguay, refrains from requiring obligatory action to clean up contaminated sites. ”This is shocking,” said Jindrich Petrlik (Arnika Association, Czech Republic), Co-Chair of IPEN’s Heavy Metals Working Group, and added, “When contaminated communities ask what actions the mercury treaty requires, we have to answer: Parties will be required and permitted to do absolutely nothing. This is a very disappointing outcome.”

Read the entire press release: Chinese, Czech, English, Japanese, Russian, Spanish

—————————————————————————————————————————–

IPEN serves fish snacks to delegates to highlight mercury contamination of foods: 28 June, 2012

IPENers wearing black chefs’ hats decorated with silver beads of “mercury” served fish snacks today to delegates attending the INC4. At the same time, postcards were handed out asking whether the treaty will reduce global mercury releases or if it will actually legitimize continued use, exposure and release of mercury to protect short-term economic interests.

 

     See the informative postcards handed out to delegates.

 

 

 

 

 

—————————————————————————————————————————-

IPEN & Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus joint press release: 27 June, 2012

Mercury Treaty Negotiations Risk Increasing – Not Reducing – Mercury in Environment / Mercury Pollution Impacts Indigenous Peoples

(Punta del Este, Uruguay) – Non-governmental organizations from around the world voiced concerns today that international treaty negotiations on mercury currently underway are likely to fall short of goals and have the potential to increase – not reduce – mercury emissions.

Delegates from more than 120 countries are meeting in Uruguay at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to prepare a global, legally binding instrument on mercury. Organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), this is the fourth meeting in a series of six meetings to negotiate a global, binding treaty to control and end mercury pollution.

Read the entire release here.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

Honoring Minamata: 27 June, 2012

IPEN started the day by handing out postcards that were created with Japanese Participating Organization Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution (CACP), and which featured a quote from Shinobu Sakamoto from the Minamata Disease Mutual Aid Society / Minamata Disease Victims’ Mutual Aid Society. These cards were handed to meeting delegates as they entered the opening session to remind them of the serious, unresolved mercury issues that still remain in Minamata, Japan, as well as the importance of the negotiations on human and environmental health.

Minamata postcard front

 

 

 

Minamata postcard back

 

 

—————————————————————————-

Gold Rushes and the Mercury Legacy

At INC4, IPEN exhibited a poster about gold rushes and the contaminated sites created by mercury use during those gold rushes. Focusing on the gold rushes in the U.S. state of California during the 1800′s, the poster, made by California Indian Environmental Alliance (CIEA), highlights the estimated 11,800 tonnes of mercury that were used to extract
gold from ore in California. Approximately 4,500 tonnes were lost to the environment in placer mining operations and another 360 tonnes were lost from hard rock mining, creating a toxic legacy that is still being felt today.

———————————————————————————————

Interventions:

Joint Intervention from International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), Inuit Circumpolar Council, and California Indian Environmental Alliance on Article 20bis, 30 June, given by Danika Littlechild, IITC, Canada.

International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE) Intervenión on Article 20bis, 30 June, given by Dr. Lilian Corra, ISDE, Argentina

Joint Intervention from IPEN, California Indian Environmental Alliance (CIEA), Island Sustainability Alliance, Cook Islands (ISACI), and Biodiversity Research Institute on Article 20bis, Health Aspects, 30 June, given by Angela Berry-Philip, CIEA, U.S.

IPEN Intervention on Article 21: National implementation plans (NIPs), 30 June, given by Dr. Shahriar Hossain, ESDO, Bangladesh

              Dr. Shahriar Hossain giving intervention on National Implementation Plans

IPEN Intervention on Supply and Trade, 30 June, given by Yuyun Ismawati, BaliFokus, Indonesia

SafeMinds Intervention on Article 6, 29 June, given by Eric Uram, SafeMinds, U.S.

Intervención de IPEN sobre la sección E Productos y Procesos, arts. 6 a 8., 29 June, given by Fernando Bejarano, IPEN Co-Chair for INC4. English translation.

IPEN Intervention on Article 20 and Article 20bis, 28 June, given by Imogen Pua Ingram, ISACI, Cook Islands

IPEN Intervention on the Financial Mechanism, 28 June, given by Dr. Joe DiGangi, IPEN, U.S.

Intervention IPEN sur Emissions et Rejets, 28 June, given by Gilbert Kuepouo, CREPD, Cameroon (English version)

IPEN Intervention on Article 18 and Article 19, Information and Awareness-Raising, 28 June, given by Imogen Pua Ingram, ISACI, Cook Islands

 

IPEN Intervention on Contaminated Sites: 27 June, 2012, given by Jindrich Petrlik, Arnika, Czech Republic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intervencion Inagural de IPEN: 27 June, 2012, given by Fernando Bejarano, IPEN Co-Chair for INC4. English translation.

                        Fernando Bejarano giving IPEN opening statement (photo by ENB)

Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus Opening Statement, 27 June, 2012, given by Imogen Pua Ingram, ISACI, Cook Islands

SafeMinds Opening Statement, 27 June, 2012, given by Eric Uram, SafeMinds, U.S.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global treaty on mercury (INC4) is currently taking place in Punta del Este, Uruguay. Numerous IPENers are participating.

Please see: IPEN’s Thoughts about Preparing for the INC4

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish