In Latin America and the Caribbean, UN Environment and the GEF work together to strengthen national capacity for the elimination and sound management of chemicals and wastes. The GEF helps countries in developing best practices, tools and action plans to comply with obligations under the Stockholm Convention, and provides scientific and technical knowledge to facilitate the ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention. UN Environment and the GEF have particularly focused on reducing the emissions and use of POPs and Mercury in artisanal small-scale mining in the region.