Established in 2010

About MEPIELAN eBulletin

MEPIELAN E-Bulletin is a digital academic and practitioner newsletter of the MEPIELAN Centre, launched in 2010.  It features insight articles, reflective opinions, specially selected documents and cases, book reviews as well as news on thematic topics of direct interest of MEPIELAN Centre and on the activities and role of MEPIELAN Centre. Its content bridges theory and practice perspectives of relational international law, international environmental law and participatory governance , and international negotiating process, thus serving the primary goal of Centre: to develop an integrated, inter-disciplinary, relational, context-related and sustainably effective governance approach creating, protecting and advancing international common interest for the present and future generations. Providing a knowledge- and information-sharing platform and a scholarly forum, the Bulletin promotes innovative ideas and enlightened critical views, contributing to a broader scholarly debate on important issues of international common interest. The audience of the Bulletin includes academics, practitioners, researchers, university students, international lawyers, officials and personnel of international organizations and institutional arrangements, heads and personnel of national authorities at all levels (national, regional and local), and members of the civil society at large.

International Environmental Negotiation Process

Third Session of Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee Prepares a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury

November 23, 2011

The third session of Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC3) was held from 31 October to 4 November 2011 at UNEP’s Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 500 participants representing governments, UN agencies, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting.

The primary purpose of this important session was to conduct negotiations on the draft text of a global, legally binding, instrument on mercury, implementing a comprehensive and suitable approach to this issue. The draft text was prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of the views expressed by parties at INC2 and during the intersessional period .A global, legally binding, instrument on mercury is expected to be the most effective vehicle for ensuring the protection of human health and environment from anthropogenic releases of mercury and its compounds.

INC3 was the third of five sessions that have been scheduled to take place before the 27th session of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (UNEP GC/GMEF) in 2013, where the negotiations are supposed tobe concluded.

After a week of lengthy contact group discussions, the Meeting finalized the provisions of a new draft text   dealing with such important issues as, supply, international trade on mercury, products and processes,  artisanal and small-scale gold mining, emissions and releases, storage wastes and contaminated sites,  financial resources and technical and implementation assistance, awareness-raising , research and monitoring , and communication of information,  institutional arrangements,  settlement of disputes and  further development of the Convention. It is to be noted that provisions related to issues with strong legal flavour, such as institutional arrangements, settlement of disputes and final provisions, were formulated by the Legal Group established at INC2.

The provisions in the new draft text are intended to strike a balance between the need for clarity and the need to reflect the full range of party views. The full range of party views is indicated in the new draft text through the use of brackets, multiple options and other appropriate means. At this point it is worth mentioning that the most controversial substantive issues facing the INC3 process were apparently the issues of the financial mechanism and voluntary versus mandatory control measures.

Finally, the Committee concluded its proceedings by requesting the Secretariat to provide a revised draft text based on the plenary negotiations, the reports of INC3 contact groups and the work of the Legal Group.

Source:UNEP, IISD Reporting Services
For further information:
http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/enb2808e.pdf
http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/Negotiations/INC3/tabid/3469/Default.aspx

About the author

MEPIELAN Centre
Author's Website

MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.

Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).

On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable

Related artifacts

International Environmental Negotiation Process
UN General Assembly Paves the Way for the Adoption of the 2022 Political Declaration on Environment

UN General Assembly Paves the Way for the Adoption of the 2022 Political Declaration on Environment

Ambitiously enough, the U.N Member States have begun negotiating a political declaration on the environment to be adopted in 2022 and coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Read more text

MEPIELAN Centre | Nov 8, 2020 | 4 min read

International Environmental Negotiation Process
The Katowice Climate Conference Adopts a Rule-Book to Implement the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

The Katowice Climate Conference Adopts a Rule-Book to Implement the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland was convened from 2 to 14 December 2018.It involved a number of events, including 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the UNFCCC and the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). Over 1,300 participants attended the Conference, including governmental officials and representatives from UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, non-governmental organizations, scientific community, academia and the media. The cardinal objective of the Katowice Climate Conference was to finalize the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP).

Read more text

MEPIELAN Centre | Jan 29, 2019 | 3 min read