Suriname Launches New Initiative to Reduce Mercury Use
PARAMARIBO, Suriname – Suriname has launched a new initiative aimed at reducing the use of mercury in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector.
Natural Resources Minister, David Abiamofo, foresees a big impact of the PlanetGold Suriname project.(Photo courtesy Ministry of Natural Respurces)The Ministry of Natural Resources (NH)has officially launched the “PlanetGold Suriname project,” aimed at introducing safe and mercury-free gold mining technology and meeting the obligations of the Minamata Convention.
The Minamata Convention draws attention to a global and ubiquitous metal that, while naturally occurring, has broad uses in everyday objects and is released to the atmosphere, soil and water from a variety of sources. Controlling the anthropogenic releases of mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a key factor in shaping the obligations under the Convention.
The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues. It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on mercury in Geneva, Switzerland on 19 January 2013 and adopted on 10 October 2013 at a Diplomatic Conference held in Kumamoto, Japan.
The project here is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is supervised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
During the launch of the project, the content of the four-component project was presented, including mining policy and legislation. Presentations also focused on environmentally friendly and responsible mining, as well as stakeholder engagement.
“We are determined to follow a holistic and intersectoral strategy in this project, focused on the formalization and improved access to financial resources and the development of traceable gold chains,” said Natural Resources Minister, David Abiamofo.
Abiamofo said that this integrated approach of environmental management and economic empowerment is essential for the success of the project and contributes to the well-being of the communities.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Suriname, Berdi Berdiyev, said the project offers UNDP the opportunity to strengthen cooperation in the field of sustainable gold mining, noting the cooperation with partners of the project ‘Improving Environmental Management in the Mining Sector of Suriname, with Emphasis on Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining’. Berdiyev spoke of the importance of awareness, capacity building and knowledge sharing with other countries for sustainable results.
The countries affiliated with PlanetGold are: Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, Peru, the Philippines, Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Honduras, Madagascar, Nigeria, Suriname, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone and Zambia.
The PlanetGold Suriname project runs until 2027.
