Minamata Convention on Mercury
The Minamata Convention aims to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The toxicity of mercury has long been known, and its effects have been studied extensively.
The Convention came into force in August 2017. The health sector shares responsibilities for its effective implementation at national, regional and international levels, ensuring application of a number of activities including, but not limited to:
- promoting the development and implementation of strategies and programmes to identify and protect populations at risk;
- promoting the development and implementation of science-based educational and preventive programmes on mercury and mercury compounds;
- promoting appropriate health care services for the prevention, treatment and care of populations affected by exposure to mercury or mercury compounds;
- establishing and strengthening, as appropriate, institutional and health professional capacities for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of health risks related to exposure to mercury and mercury compounds;
- phasing out mercury-containing products from the health sector and phasing down use of dental amalgams.
It is expected that global implementation will result in significant benefits to public health.
The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury took place on 24–29 September 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. Among the topics discussed were rules and procedures, guidance documents on mercury supply and trade, reduction of emissions and management of contaminated sites, effectiveness evaluation and a specific international programme to support capacity-building and technical assistance.
