From November 3rd to 7th, the 6th Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury was held in Geneva, Switzerland. More than 1,000 in-person representatives and over 4,000 online representatives from 153 countries, intergovernmental international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended the conference.
The Chinese Government Delegation, led by Li Xia, Deputy Director of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, participated in the conference. The delegation consisted of representatives from relevant departments and entities including: the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Solid Waste and Chemicals Management of MEE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Administration of Customs, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Stomatological Association, the Environmental Protection Departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region, Tsinghua University, and China Chlor-Alkali Industry Association (CCAIA).
Zhang Xin, Vice President of CCAIA, attended the conference as a member of the Chinese Government Delegation. He also organized four representatives from Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical Group, Xinjiang Tianye Group and Shaanxi Beiyuan Group to participate in the entire conference with NGO status.
The conference conducted consultations on 10 major topics (covering 16 sub-topics), including the phase-out of dental amalgam, the feasibility of mercury-free production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), mercury supply sources and trade, mercury waste, effectiveness evaluation, national reports, work plans and budgets. A total of 22 decisions were finally adopted, which clarified the time limit for phasing out dental amalgam. Additionally, it was decided that the technical and economic feasibility of using mercury-free catalysts in VCM production would be re-examined at the 7th Conference of the Parties to the Convention.
The Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of MEE took the lead in the negotiation of core topics, particularly the VCM-related topic. It participated in all plenary sessions, various contact group meetings, informal bilateral consultations, and other relevant activities throughout the conference, providing crucial technical support for the delegation to successfully complete its participation tasks. CCAIA and company representatives attended the entire conference and provided technical support for the negotiations on the VCM topic.