Sarkis: Reducing Mercury Emissions to Protect Environment

DAMASCUS, (ST)-The Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Dr. Nazira Sarkis underlined that Syria is committed to implementing all international environmental conventions to protect the environment from all forms of pollution and to ensure a healthy environment for the Syrian citizen, including the Convention of the Mina Mata for the protection of the environment from the risks of mercury and its compounds. 

Based on the approval of the Cabinet on the Mina Mata agreement to protect the environment from the risks of mercury, Dr. Sarkis explained in a statement that the objective of the Convention is to reduce emissions, anthropogenic releases of mercury and its compounds, the protection of human and other organisms and the environment from harmful effects.

Dr. Sarkis clarified that that the ministry carried out the national inventory project of mercury and its compounds in 2008 – 2009 with funding from the United Nations Program of Chemicals with the participation of national stakeholders and prepared  a report for the project showing the results of the inventory and the hot spots, adding that a  technical manual of mercury and its compounds and a national action plan to reduce emissions have also been set up in addition to awareness campaigns of the dangers of mercury compounds.

 “The ministry is coordinating with relevant ministries, including the economy, foreign trade and health in order to limit the import of mercury and its compounds to facilities and drug stores licensed by the Ministry of Health, providing the prior approval of the directorates of the environment in the provinces before import and the work to replace the materials and equipment containing mercury and its compounds with materials and equipment that do not contain this material,” the minister noted.

 “All industrial installations which manufactures cosmetic products to prevent the use of mercury and its compounds and salts in their cosmetics, the use of safe alternatives, demanding drug warehouses to prevent the import of pre fabricated medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics containing mercury and its compounds,” Dr. Sarkis emphasized.

Sharif al –Khatib