Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Alfred Mutua, signed the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the Minamata Convention on Mercury on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
The Kigali Amendment is an amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which is an environmental treaty signed by countries to phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) from the earth’s atmosphere. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
The signing of these instruments was done at the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. The instruments will be deposited with the United Nations Secretary-General during the Treaty Week at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) 78 session.
The Kigali Amendment is expected to reduce global warming by 0.4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The Minamata Convention is expected to prevent up to 1.2 million premature deaths and 1.4 million cases of childhood neurological damage by 2050.
