Students from Syracuse University's College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) had the opportunity to witness environmental policy in action at an official meeting of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, held this past November in Geneva, Switzerland. Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Svetoslava Todorova led the trip as part of her Honors 360 course, The Role of Science in Environmental Governance.
Designed to eliminate mercury contamination and protect people from health issues caused by mercury exposure, the Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is named after the mercury poisoning caused by industrial pollution in Japan’s Minamata Bay, first discovered in the 1950s.
The trip to Switzerland was the culminating experience of an experiential learning course where students explore the intersection of policymaking and scientific research. Throughout the semester, the group engaged in virtual discussions with their peers in other countries, including undergraduate students in Chile and Australia. In October, the class welcomed Marianne Bailey G’86, who shared insights from her many years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention.
Eleven students from Todorova’s class traveled to Geneva to attend the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-6), representing Syracuse University on a global stage. As official delegates to COP-6, the group was able to attend official briefings, plenary sessions, and “contact groups”—small working groups for specific policy issues. The students also met one-on-one with the United States delegation and participated in drafting a Youth Declaration with the Chemical and Waste Youth group, adding their voices to the next generation of environmental advocates.
