Geneva, Switzerland – Liberia has joined representatives from greater than 140 nations on the Sixth Assembly of the Convention of the Events (COP-6) to the Minamata Conference on Mercury, now underway in Geneva, Switzerland.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
The week-long international convention, working from November 3 to eight, 2025, focuses on advancing worldwide efforts to get rid of the dangerous use and launch of mercury — a poisonous factor that poses severe threats to human well being and the surroundings.
The Environmental Safety Company (EPA) of Liberia confirmed the nation’s participation and reaffirmed its dedication to the goals of the Conference. Main the Liberian delegation is Mr. John Okay. Jallah, Jr., the Nationwide Focal Level of the Minamata Conference and Director of Compliance and Enforcement on the EPA. Mr. Jallah is representing Liberia in plenary and technical periods, the place he’s anticipated to current the nation’s progress in controlling mercury emissions and selling safer, mercury-free practices in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).
In his interventions, Mr. Jallah emphasised that Liberia’s lively involvement in COP-6 alerts the federal government’s dedication to strengthen environmental governance and uphold international requirements for air pollution management.
He famous that the nation’s inclusion as one of many latest Events to the Conference displays its rising dedication to sustainable growth and to safeguarding the well being of its residents, particularly these in mining communities.
“Liberia acknowledges that mercury air pollution shouldn’t be solely an environmental difficulty but in addition a public well being problem,” Mr. Jallah stated. “Our participation at COP-6 permits us to have interaction with international companions, trade experience, and safe technical and monetary assist to totally implement our obligations below the Conference.”
The Minamata Conference on Mercury, adopted in 2013, is the world’s major treaty geared toward defending human well being and the surroundings from mercury publicity. It requires the phase-out of mercury in merchandise, the regulation of emissions, and the right administration of mercury waste.
In Geneva, Liberia has joined different African nations below the African Group to advocate for stronger international cooperation and equitable assist for growing nations. The Liberian delegation has endorsed proposals to boost technical help, enhance funding for mercury-free applied sciences, and strengthen enforcement mechanisms in opposition to the unlawful commerce in mercury and mercury compounds.
The EPA additionally expressed Liberia’s backing for a coordinated regional technique to make sure the environmentally sound administration of mercury waste. This method, which promotes nearer collaboration among the many Minamata, Basel, and Bamako Conventions, goals to enhance waste management methods, reduce cross-border contamination, and advance sustainable useful resource use throughout Africa.
In a press release issued in Monrovia, the EPA reaffirmed Liberia’s dedication to totally implementing the Conference’s provisions. The Company highlighted ongoing nationwide initiatives, together with the event of a complete mercury stock, the introduction of mercury-free applied sciences in gold mining, and the enforcement of stricter environmental compliance measures.
The EPA additionally reiterated that defending native communities—significantly these susceptible to mercury publicity—stays on the heart of its environmental coverage agenda.
“The Authorities of Liberia is dedicated to selling accountable mining and making certain that our pure sources are developed in a way that protects individuals and the surroundings,” the EPA assertion learn. “We’re working carefully with native and worldwide companions to scale back mercury use, enhance occupational well being requirements, and strengthen environmental governance throughout all sectors.”
Selections and resolutions adopted at COP-6 are anticipated to tell Liberia’s ongoing implementation of its Nationwide Motion Plan (NAP) for the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining sector. The NAP outlines key actions to get rid of mercury from mining operations, construct technical capability, and create financial options for miners transitioning to safer, cleaner strategies.
Liberia’s participation in COP-6 is considered as a possibility to strengthen worldwide partnerships, mobilize sources, and reaffirm the nation’s management function in addressing environmental challenges. The EPA said that classes discovered from the convention will contribute considerably to nationwide coverage reforms and assist place Liberia as a accountable actor within the international environmental enviornment.
The Minamata Conference takes its identify from the Japanese metropolis of Minamata, the place widespread mercury poisoning within the Nineteen Fifties triggered extreme well being and ecological harm. The tragedy led to one of the necessary international actions for environmental justice and laid the inspiration for the Conference’s creation.
By taking part in COP-6, Liberia joins the worldwide neighborhood within the ongoing effort to “make mercury historical past” and to construct a cleaner, safer, and more healthy planet for future generations.
