New IPEN Document

IPEN Factsheet on Naming the Treaty

Africa NGO and CSO Mercury Statement

AGENDA for Environment and Responsible Development (AGENDA) organized an “Africa NGO and CSO Chemical Safety Skillshare and Workshop” in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 10 – 12 December, 2012. The workshop involved 42 participants representing 20 NGOs/CSOs  from 12 African countries, government representatives and media from Tanzania.

Amongst other things, the workshop developed and endorsed an Africa NGOs/CSOs Mercury Statement in the preparation for INC5 towards a Mercury Treaty. See the statement here.

New IPEN Poster: Selected Mercury Waste Hotspots Around the World

Arnika and IPEN have created a poster detailing Selected Mercury Waste Hotspots Around the World. This poster highlights different sources of waste that are contaminated by mercury, where some of these sources can be found around the world, and the threats they present to the environment,  humans, and other animals. This poster will be displayed and distributed at INC5.

27 December 2012: Statement delivered to Japan's Prime Minister

Victims of Minamata Disease and citizens’ groups delivered a statement to Japan’s Prime Minister, as well as Ministers of the Environment, Economy and Foreign Affairs, the Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, and the Mayor of Minamata City, stating that they are opposed to calling the Mercury Treaty the “Minamata Convention” if the issues of Minamata are not resolved and the Lessons Learned from Minamata are not reflected in the Mercury Treaty. Read the statement

December, 2012: IPEN note to Mercury Treaty Delegates regarding the proposed name of the mercury treaty 

IPEN suggests that the pending global mercury treaty not be named the “Minamata Convention.” This is because it appears to us that the new treaty will not likely be sufficient to:

1. Prevent future Minamata tragedies from happening in the world
2. Ensure that victims of future mercury tragedies will not suffer the same fate as the Minamata victims
3. Reverse the current and alarming trend of rising levels of global methyl mercury pollution.

Note to Mercury Treaty Negotiation Delegates

This note was also sent to Delegates in specific countries by IPEN Participating Organizations in those countries: Argentina | Bangladesh | Belarus | Brazil | Cameroon | Canada -1, 2 |  Central African Republic | Chad | Chile | China | Colombia | Côte d’Ivoire | Czech Republic | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Gabon | India – 1, 2, 3 | Jamaica | Japan| Lebanon | Madagascar | Mexico | Moldova | Nepal | New Zealand | Niger | Philippines | Romania | Russia | South Africa | Spain | Sri Lanka | Tunisia | Uganda |Uruguay | USA | Venezuela | EU

Learn more: Honoring Minamata

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