Facilitator: CASM

In the context of the recent UNEP decision to begin international mercury treaty negotiations, CASM co-hosted with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) a meeting to inform some of the main DC-based donors on mercury use in artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM), to collect initial ideas on critical near-term activities, and to identify potential funding mechanisms.

The meeting was attended by a remarkable audience of almost 40 representatives from CASM, NRDC, World Bank, IFC, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Earthworks Action, USAID, PACT, U.S. Department of State, the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Department of Interior, Rio Tinto, United Nations Environment Programme and the Organization of American States.

Key Points:

• Members of the UNEP Governing Council recently decided to begin negotiations on a treaty to control global mercury pollution, of which Artisanal and Small Scale Mining is an important source. The treaty will not necessarily ban mercury, but will consider a host of approaches to control and minimize emissions from major sources like ASGM. 
• Immediate actions are needed, while the treaty negotiations are underway, to investigate how to stimulate miners to transition to low-mercury technologies, and where feasible to non-mercury technologies, while still supporting economic development.
• The heightened international interest in addressing global mercury pollution should lead to more donor countries and institutions to support for work on mercury in ASGM. Specific mechanisms for financing this work must be identified.