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Narrative Report “Sub-regional Workshop on Enhancing Parties Capacities for Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Wastes under the Basel Convention” Organized by: the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre (BCCC), Stockholm Convention Regional Centre (SCRC), for Latin America and the Caribbean Pedro Figari Montevideo Hotel Uruguay November 17th -19th 2015 Report Index 1. Summary ................................................................................................................... 2 2. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3 3. Workshop Objectives ................................................................................................ 4 4. Workshop Development ........................................................................................... 4 5. Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 6 6. Recommendations .................................................................................................... 7 7. Annexes..................................................................................................................... 8 Annex I: Pictures ........................................................................................................... 8 Annex II: List of participants ....................................................................................... 15 Annex III: Agenda ........................................................................................................ 19 1. Summary The Subregional Workshop on Enhancing Parties Capacities for Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Wastes, in the framework of the Basel Convention, has been organized by the Joint Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention in cooperation with the Coordinating and Regional Centre for the Basel and Stockholm Convention, based in Montevideo, Uruguay. It was attended by 35 participants representing governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay, as well as several international experts on the subject. This 3-days workshop, has intended to improve capabilities of the environmentally sound management of mercury waste through awareness raising. Participants have also received training in the areas of Environmental Biomonitoring, Contaminated Sites, Assessment and Risk Communication. 2 2. Introduction In the Basel Convention, elemental mercury and mercury containing or contaminated wastes are categorized as hazardous wastes. Improper handling, collection, transportation or disposal of mercury wastes as well as some disposal technologies, can lead to emissions or releases of mercury, and could affect the human health and the environment. Technical guidelines were developed, under the Basel Convention framework, for the environmentally sound management of waste, falling under its scope. Technical guidelines provide for the foundation upon which countries can operate at a standard that is not less environmentally sound than that required by the Basel Convention. The Convention defines "Environmentally Sound Management" of waste subject to its control, as taking all practicable steps to ensure that these wastes are managed in a manner which will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from such waste. The growing global trend towards phasing out mercury-added products and processes using mercury will result in the generation of an excess of mercury if mercury supplies remain at the current level. Therefore, ensuring environmentally sound management of mercury waste will be a critical issue for most countries. Towards this end, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, was adopted in 2013, and a this date it has not entered into force. The workshop will target national officials from selected Parties in the Latin American and Caribbean region. In addition, representatives of regional centres, of Inter- Governmental Organizations (IGOs) and the civil society organizations were welcome to participate in the workshop. 3 The training workshop was organized in close cooperation with the Joint Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre, for Latin America and the Caribbean based in Montevideo, Uruguay. The European Union has kindly provided the funding for the training activity. 3. Workshop Objectives • Enhancing Parties’ knowledge and expertise on environmentally sound management of mercury waste based on the existing Technical Guidelines developed by the Basel Convention on mercury waste and other existing tools; • Increasing awareness of Parties on the set of practical manuals on Environmentally Sound Management (ESM, for its English acronym) developed by an expert working group, including issues of classification, collection, storage, packaging and labeling, transportation and disposal operations under the Basel Convention; • Pilot testing of the updated existing technical guidelines on mercury waste and the practical manuals on ESM; and, • Facilitation the early implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by strengthening countries capacities to deal with mercury waste. 4. Workshop Development Day 1 The workshop was opened with the participation of the Director of the National Environment Directorate of Uruguay (DINAMA, by its Spanish acronym), Mr. Alejandro Nario, the Director of the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre, for Latin America and the Caribbean based in Uruguay, Ms. Gabriela Medina and the Representative of the Joint Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Ms. Francesca Cenni, who welcomed the participants. 4 It was made an introduction to the objectives of the Workshop and then it was done a round of presentation of the workshop participants, both local and foreign ones. Later, the Joint Secretariat presented on the Transboundary Movement and Environmentally Sound Management of mercury waste and was performed a group exercise in this regard. Finally invited experts explained on Assessment and Risk Communication and Environmental Biomonitoring in the context of mercury waste. Day 2 During the morning were made presentations on Prevention and Waste Minimization and the Capabilities of National Laboratories in Latin America and the Caribbean, made to carry out sampling and analysis of mercury in the Region. To continue, several presentations on sampling and analysis by representatives of Uruguay were performed. The Secretariat also presented a brief review of labeling of mercury waste according to the revised technical guidelines. During the afternoon were visited the laboratories of the National Environment Directorate of Uruguay (DINAMA, for its Spanish acronym), and the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU, for its Spanish acronym), there, on each laboratory, was possible to observe how to perform the analysis of samples with mercury and the operation of the equipment required. 5 Day 3 To begin, the experts exposed about the collection, storage, recovery, recycling and disposal of mercury waste and then on the Remediation of Contaminated Sites. After that, were presented topics that addressed the issue of the Legislative and Regulatory Framework globally and some countries presented their national situation on these regard. An update on what has been done by the Working Group of Experts on Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) and it was addressed the challenges and opportunities for the environmentally sound management of mercury waste and its coordination with the Minamata Initial Assessment (MIAs, by its English acronym). To close the afternoon, participants worked in groups on prevention and waste minimization and presentations of the results was performed. After that, the Workshop evaluation was fulfilled, the delivery of certificates was done and the closure of the meeting was executed with the participation of the Director of the Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre, for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ms. Gabriela Medina and the Representative of the Joint Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Ms. Francesca Cenni. 5. Conclusions The workshop from the logistical point of view it was done successfully, transfers, lunches, technical visits, hotel services, materials, etc. In the returns obtained by the attendees, it was noted: 6 - The importance of being able to perform practical exercises on the direct application of the Basel Convention. - There were clarified various technical aspects for carrying out inventories of dioxins and furans. - It was highlighted the importance of exchanging experiences with countries in the region, essential information for planning future actions on each country. - Interpretation details were clarified of the Basel Convention and its relationship with the Minamata Convention. 6. Recommendations The recommendations came out of the returns obtained by the participants, of these is possible to highlight: - It should go deeper in the legal framework of the Convention, so it was suggested that Regional

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