We attended the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP3) in order to bring several decisions and orientations that are fundamental to the objectives of the convention to the table.

The Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP3), which was held from November 25 to 29, 2019 at the International Conference Center in Geneva, Switzerland, sought to review the agreement on the elimination of the use of mercury and review other alternatives.

During the event, the first results and challenges identified during the implementation of projects for the elimination of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASM) were discussed.

It was noted that the projects, which seek the elimination of mercury, have not yet produced significant results, taking into account that it is the first year of implementation. On the other hand, it was highlighted that some countries with many mercury emissions have made great progress in reducing them. 

The results show that there are still many informal sources of mercury that feed the informal supply chains. In addition, connections between mercury sales and certain illegal businesses were identified.

Since 2107, the year the agreement was put in action, one-week annual meetings have been held with the parties involved in the agreement. The next COPs will be convened every two years from now on.

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