The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japanese mercury waste management company, Nomura Kohsan.
UNIDO Director General LI Yong and Nomura Kohsan President Yasushi Fujiwara signed the new MoU to enhance and strengthen cooperation between the two parties in the area of sustainable management of mercury waste.
Nomura Kohsan was the first private sector partner to participate in the UNIDO Mercury Programme and is one of the few companies in the world that treats mercury-containing waste in accordance with the requirements of the 2017 Minamata Convention on Mercury. The existing MoU, which ran for four years, concludes at the end of April. The scope of the new MoU has been expanded from cooperating on waste treatment to final disposal of mercury waste.
Over the past four years, the cooperation with Nomura Kohsan has brought benefits to both sides. Environmentally sound management of mercury waste has been identified as a priority in many of UNIDO’s Member States, with plans already in place for projects in the Philippines and Bangladesh. A technology and knowledge transfer event on mercury waste management supported by the Government of Switzerland will also be held in Vienna, Austria, on 10 and 11 September 2018.
A selected number of representatives from governments, the mercury waste management sector, financial institutions, relevant UN agencies, Convention Secretariats, and academia have been invited to attend this event. It aims to: present the current status of mercury waste management process from different perspectives; facilitate the exchange of knowledge and transfer of technologies between different stakeholders, and assess elements of a roadmap towards an integrated approach for the management of mercury and possibly e-waste.
The combination of UNIDO’s experience of supporting developing countries in complying with international obligations such as the Minamata Convention, and Nomura Kohsan’s technical expertise, provides strong grounds for a partnership that will significantly enhance inclusive and sustainable industrial development through facilitating knowledge and technology transfer.
Original source: UNIDO
Published on 18 April 2018