Japan Pledges 2 B. Dollars in Environmental Aid

Minamata, Kumamoto Pref., Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan will provide a total of 2 billion dollars in financial assistance over three years starting 2014 to help address environmental pollution in developing countries, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday. Abe made the pledge in a video message delivered at the opening ceremony of a three-day U.N. meeting being held in the southwestern Japan city of Minamata to discuss measures to prevent mercury pollution. Japan needs to take the lead in efforts to make the world free from health damage from mercury, Abe said. Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, is known as the site of a large-scale mercury poisoning incident a half century ago. The meeting is expected to adopt the Minamata Convention to reduce the use of mercury on a global scale at a session to be held in the city of Kumamoto in the same prefecture on Thursday. In a speech made at the opening ceremony, Japanese Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara reiterated his country's plan to provide about one million dollars in financial assistance to fight mercury pollution. The meeting brought together officials from about 140 countries and regions around the world. Of them, 40 economies sent minister-class officials. On the first day, participants joined sessions to learn about the local mercury poisoning, called Minamata disease, from sufferers. Ahead of the opening ceremony, Ishihara and representatives of some foreign governments visited Ecopark Minamata facing Minamata Bay, into which mercury-polluted wastewater from chemical maker Chisso Corp. flowed, leaving many local residents poisoned. The visitors offered flowers to a monument for Minamata disease victims. Ishihara plans to hold meetings with environment ministers from other countries on Friday. END