The United Nations Convention on Mercury

The Minamata Convention aims to ensure the protection of human health and the environment against anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and its compounds into the air, water and land. The convention covers the entire life cycle of mercury, from primary mercury mining to the disposal of mercury.

On 10 October 2013, over 90 countries including Germany and the European Union signed the convention in Minamata, Japan. It entered into force on 16 August 2017.

Since 1 January 2018, the Minamata Convention is implemented in the European Union through Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury. To date, 135 countries have joined the Convention. The current status of signature and ratification, acceptance, approval or accession is available on the UN website.

The name Minamata Convention is intended as a reminder of the many victims and repercussions of the irresponsible handling of mercury in the form of a deliberate environment pollution. During the mid-1950s, thousands of people suffered severe health problems as a result of years of mercury-contaminated wastewater, discharged by the Japanese chemicals company Chisso into a bay near the seaside town of Minamata. Many people died of heavy metal poisoning (later called Minamata disease).

As mercury is dispersed worldwide through long-range transport, particularly through the air and water, German consumers will also benefit from global reductions as, for example, fish and seafood will contain lower mercury levels. Fish contain many nutrients, However, they may also contain varying levels of mercury depending on the pollution levels of the waterbody, their age and species. The BMU website provides further information on the mercury levels in fish and other foodstuff.

In 2019, the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-3) identified a number of items to address before the next meeting (COP-4, autumn 2021/spring 2022). These include:

• collecting data on the use of mercury in products and processes, which will serve as a basis for evaluating Annexes A and B of the Convention at COP-4
• defining more precisely which sources of mercury and mercury compounds should be covered by the Convention
• discussing indicators that need to be considered in carrying out the planned effectiveness evaluation of the Convention
• developing criteria that can be used in the Convention to define mercury waste

Financial support and technical assistance are provided to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to enable them to meet their obligations under the Minamata Convention, e.g. through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Specific International Programme. Germany contributes to these financing mechanisms.