Overview of the Implementation of the Minamata Convention and Future Challenges

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The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted at a diplomatic conference in October 2013, entering into force in August 2017. It had 113 parties at the time of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in November 2019. The first three COP meetings were held yearly, establishing rules and guidance needed for implementing the Convention. The objective of the Convention is to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury. The largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions to air is artisanal and small-scale gold mining (38%), 75% of which is from parties to the Convention. Their efforts to develop and implement national action plans are expected to curb this. Coal combustion and other point sources contribute to 47% of global emissions, 82% of which is from parties. The parties have legal obligations to take emission control measures as soon as practicable. Minamata Convention Initial Assessments being carried out in 111 countries provide critical information on parties’ needs that will support targeted assistance for the effective implementation of the Convention by developing countries. Work towards the effectiveness evaluation, which is to be done six years after entry into force, started at COP-1 in 2017, and this will be one of the main agenda items for COP-4 in 2021. The interface between science and policy is being strengthened through groups of experts nominated by parties and scientific meetings such as the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.