Highlighted
Launch of Minamata Convention in 2022: Progress Report on activities
Read the overview of the latest developments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, including the outcomes of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-4).
Brown Bag meeting with the Executive Secretary
The brown bag meeting seeks to continue the productive informal dialogue between the Executive Secretary and accredited observers to the Minamata Convention last year at COP-4.
Information session on the review and amendment of Annexes A and B to the Convention
The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-4) in March 2022 amended Annex A to the Convention (mercury-added products) and decided that COP-5 will consider further amendment to Annex
Implementation and Compliance Committee Meeting: Committee evaluates the Parties’ work and recommends next steps
At its fifth meeting in Geneva (7-9 March), the Implementation and Compliance Committee (ICC) considered issues based on the information provided by Parties in their first full national reports.
Empowering women to combat mercury exposure: why gender matters in capacity-building projects
Toxic mercury affects us all, but not all in the same way: women are disproportionately impacted by mercury, with high
Toxic mercury, a significant threat to marine wildlife
On World Wildlife Day, we highlight the severe impact that mercury pollution poses to wildlife inside and outside our oceans, particularly those at the top of the food chain.
The Group of Technical Experts on Mercury Waste Thresholds meets in Geneva
Thirty experts from around the world met in Geneva on 16-18 February 2023 to discuss thresholds to define waste contaminated with mercury to be controlled under the Minamata Convention.
Ending the toxic trail of small-scale gold mining
Read this UNEP story fucusing on the 20 million miners working in ASGM, often unregulated and unsafe operations responsible for 37% of global mercury pollution, more than any other sector.
About the Minamata Convention
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is the most recent global agreement on environment and health, adopted in 2013. It is named after the bay in Japan where, in the mid-20th century, mercury-tainted industrial wastewater poisoned thousands of people, leading to severe health damage that became known as the "Minamata disease."
Since it entered into force on 16 August 2017, Parties have been working together to control the mercury supply and trade, reduce the use, emission and release of mercury, raise public awareness, and build the necessary institutional capacity to #MakeMercuryHistory