Mercury Storage and Disposal in the Caribbean Project Inception Workshop

A 2 day Inception Workshop entitled "Mercury Storage and Disposal Project in the Caribbean" was hosted by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region (BCRC-Caribbean) and the United Nations Environment Programme - Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP/DTIE). The Workshop was held from August 12-13, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The Project aims to enhance capacities and promote the environmentally sound storage and disposal of surplus mercury in 3 selected countries in the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Suriname). It also serves as a catalyst in the action towards ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

In attendance at the Workshop were representatives of relevant government agencies of the 3 countries, the CARICOM Secretariat, the BCRC-Caribbean and UNEP Chemical Branch as well as an international consultant. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Engineering Specialist, Environmental Policy and Planning Division and Ms. LaToya Smith, Legal Officer represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Workshop.

Participants of the Mercury Storage and Disposal Workshop including (from L-R) Ms. Smith and Ms. Gardiner of the Ministry of Planning and Development.

The meeting served as a prime opportunity for the UNEP Chemical Branch to present and utilise the Practical Sourcebook on Mercury Waste Storage and Disposal, which will be the primary guide during the roll-out of the Project. It also provided the opportunity to establish the mechanism for decision-making processes, as well as develop a work plan which outlined the project activities, resources and requisite personnel for the 12 months of project implementation in the respective territories.

Sub-Regional Workshop for the Caribbean Countries in support for the Ratification and early Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Sub-regional Workshop for Caribbean countries in support for the Ratification and early Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury was held from 19th to 21st January, 2015 at the Hilton Trinidad, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 

 

The Workshop was  hosted by the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention in conjunction with the Basel Convention  Regional Centre for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean). Designed to ensure the appropriate enabling  environment is created at the country level, the Workshop was intended to  facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of the Minamata Convention in the interim period until it enters into force.

In attendance were government representatives of twelve (12) Caribbean countries and delegates from Latin American countries. Additionally, local and sub-regional stakeholder organisations involved in the manufacture, use or management of mercury were also present. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Environmental Engineering Specialist from Environmental Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) was among the representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation.

Representatives from regional, inter-governmental, and non-governmental organisations also participated in the meeting. These organisations included: CARICOM, United  Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Global Environmental Facility (GEF), UN Development Programme (UNDP), United States Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), officers from UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) and its Division of  Technology, Industry and Economics and IPEN. 

Permanent Secretary of the MEWR, Ms. Vidiah Ramkhelawan delivered the feature remarks at the Workshop. She encouraged participants to utilise the three day session to expand their knowledge base in an effort towards developing resolute, collaborative and comprehensive decisions with respect to the environmentally sound management of mercury in their respective territories.

The forum involved an exploration into each of the Articles of the Minamata Convention with group  activities for certain key provisions and culminated with participants creating a draft country road map for the ratification and early implementation of the Convention.

Participants of the Sub-Regional Workshop for the Caribbean on the Implementation of the Minamata Convention in January, 2015 including Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, MEWR ( Front row, second from the left), Ms. Ramkhelawan (front row, middle)  and Ms. Gardiner (back row,  first from the left)