By Jude Njoku

Ahead of the anticipated Mercury Convention, projected to be finalized in January 2013 at the 5th  negotiation in Geneva, a group of non-governmental organisations, NGOs, have expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace in addressing mercury pollution globally.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that contaminates fish supplies around the world and poses particular risks to women and young children.

Over 500 representatives, including delegates from 128 governments and representatives from intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and other stakeholders, last week, converged in Punta del Este, Uruguay, for further negotiations towards a global treaty on mercury.

The meeting was the fourth of five sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee INC4  After INC4,  there is only one remaining session before the diplomatic conference that will convene in Japan in 2013.

But Zero Mercury Working Group, ZMWG,  a global coalition of NGOs, in a statement, expressed concern over the lack of progress at this late stage. The coalition contended that negotiations are running out of time to meaningfully address key issues before finalizing a legally binding treaty on mercury.

“There has been no substantial progress with respect to the biggest sources of mercury pollution, emissions to air, nor in reconciling the different positions of governments. This issue is critical to diffuse the ticking mercury time bomb,” the coordinator of ZMWG, Mr. Michael Bender, said.

In his own reaction, the  Executive Director, SRADev Nigeria – a member of zero mercury working group, Mr. Leslie Adogame regretted that issues as straightforward as the phase out of mercury in products and processes and supply and trade did not progress any better.

“This is particularly worrisome to African countries like Nigeria who depend solely on imported “second-rated” low quality products containing mercury like thermometers, cosmetics, fluorescent lamps, e-wastes, batteries and these products are causing serious health problems to our people,” he noted.

“Time is running out on deciding which products to phase out and by when, nor has any substantive progress been made on banning primary mining or ending the toxic trade in mercury.”, explained Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, co-coordinator of ZMWG.

Barely visible in the draft treaty are core requirements for the environmentally sound management of elemental mercury and mercury waste, which are contingent on future decisions. At the same time, the issue of contaminated sites has only been minimally addressed and no support given to the polluter pays principle.