VZCZCXRO4261
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHME #1947 1782018
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 262018Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2348
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 2435
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0468

UNCLAS MEXICO 001947 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/ENV - HH FINMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TBIO CA MX
SUBJECT:  MEXICO: MERCURY DEMARCHE 
 
Ref: State 63943 
 
¶1.  On June 23 U.S. Embassy Mexico City ESTH counselor and science 
specialist met with Teresa Bandala, Director General of 
International Affairs, and Ives Gomez, Director of the Grey Agenda 
(Toxic Substance Office), in the Secretariat of Environment and 
Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).  They noted that Mexico prefers 
voluntary actions aimed at effective solutions regarding mercury 
environmental problems rather than a legally-binding instrument. 
Bandala pointed out that any additional instrument (whether 
legally-binding or voluntary) would add more difficulties for 
achieving an integrated and efficient agenda in UNEP.  Mexico 
prefers using existing voluntary instruments where additional 
resources could be applied to control mercury, rather than any 
fragmentary efforts involving new commitments and bureaucracy. 
 
¶2.  Gomez added that if another instrument is established for 
mercury and then expanded to include other metals such as lead and 
cadmium, the instrument would have to consider that the additional 
elements have different environmental behaviors than mercury.  He 
went on to argue that voluntary instruments such as the Basil 
Convention, which already includes mercury, should be used to 
address mercury concerns instead.  Gomez pointed out that Mexico 
also favors the inclusion of mercury in UNEP Strategic Approach to 
International Chemicals Management (SAICM) which could then be used 
as a mechanism to develop a long term-strategy.  He did admit that a 
voluntary instrument lacks the teeth to control and decrease mercury 
pollution with enforcement authority. 
 
¶3.  Ives Gomez informed that Mexico has already been working on 
mercury under the framework of the trilateral Commission for 
Environmental Cooperation (CEC).  Mexico's first task is to get an 
inventory of mercury, hopefully with the support of CEC and UNEP, 
then develop national regulations, although Gomez expects some 
difficulties with the mining and fishing industries. 
 
¶4.  ESTH reps asked SEMARNAT interlocutors if they thought a united 
trilateral position could be developed by the North American 
countries.  Gomez commented that they had not yet discussed their 
ideas with Canada, but pointed out that northern countries have a 
different position, since they get more mercury pollution as the 
metal tends to migrate to the north.  Gomez added that the GRULAC 
countries have diverse positions on mercury, but that Mexico and 
Argentina have similar approaches. 
 
¶5.  Comment:  Mexico's "no new agreements" approach to mercury 
management may find many allies, especially among countries not 
already committed to the European approach.  The USG may want to 
consider reviewing this alternate approach to a global voluntary 
mercury mechanism before the Ad-Hoc Open-Ended Working Group meeting 
in October.   End comment. 
GARZA