MUSCAT — The Sultanate, represented by the Environment and Climate Affairs Ministry and Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), took part in the 4th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC4) which was held in Uruguay.
The session touched on the importance of the collaboration of the international efforts to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury that comes in line with recommendations of Rio+20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which affirms the importance of protecting the human health and environment from the risks of mercury and its compounds.
The Sultanate took part in the regional meeting (Asia and the Pacific) which was held on June 26. The meeting touched on a number of topics, including the financial resources and providing the technical support, as well as mercury storage, waste and the contaminated sites, in addition to raising the awareness towards mercury and its risks.
During the meeting, the Sultanate stressed the importance of providing the sustainable technical support and building the national capacities to manage the life cycle of mercury and mercury-compounds. — ONA
