Category Archives: Events

Seeking Environmental Justice

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New York, NY

The Council of Organizations, a Division of the United Nations Association of the USA, planned a Human Rights Day conference focusing on mercury as a case study from a human rights perspective. MPP’s Director presented “The Global Mercury Crisis Disproportionally Threatens the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations.” Inequities of mercury related illnesses fall disproportionately and most heavily on indigenous and coastal people around the world, especially those who make their living from subsistence fishing – so controlling mercury pollution is a human rights as well as environmental issue. For more information, see MPP’s paper, Seeking Environmental Justice.

UNEP’s Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group (OEWG)

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October 19-23, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

In preparation of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’s (INC’s) discussion of a global mercury treaty in 2010, the OEWG is holding information sessions on mercury supply, storage, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, products, and wastes. The OEWG will establish timetables and organization of the INC as well as discuss priorities.  MPP’s director, on behalf of Zero Mercury Working Group, presented Mercury Storage-Supply Partnership and Related Initiatives at the OEWG.

Oxford Workshop: Safe Storage and Disposal of Redundant Mercury

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October 13-14, 2009, Oxford, UK

The Oxford Workshop was funded by the UK government to consider the scientific and engineering issues associates with safe disposal and storage of redundant mercury.   It was organized in preparation for the EU’s ban on exports to take effect in March 2011.  MPP’s director, as the interim chair of the UNEP Mercury Storage-supply Partnership,  presented, “Mercury Storage-Supply Partnership and Related Initiatives” at this workshop.  IKIMP has made the complete presentations available online.

Mercury OEWG

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October 18-24, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

The OEWG will be considering the politics around the sources of elementary mercury, the technical issues of storage, and the commonality with other hazardous waste issues.  Michael Bender, director of MPP, will be speaking on behalf of ZMWG about “Mercury Storage-Supply Partnership and Related Initiatives.”