Related to Policy Area

Geneva, Switzerland — A long-awaited Legally Binding International Treaty on Mercury, officially named the “Minimata Convention on Mercury” was adopted by States at the 5th International Negotiating Committee session on the morning of January 19th, 2013.

The disproportionate impacts of mercury contamination suffered by Indigenous communities around the world were recognized in the preamble as a result of a monumental effort carried out by representatives of the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus attending the INC5 negotiations.

Read the press release.

Geneva — IPEN and other non-governmental organizations said that a new global mercury treaty is unlikely to reduce mercury releases, and may even result in increased mercury pollution at the close of treaty negotiations today. They also said that the proposed treaty name, “Minamata Convention”, dishonours those who continue to suffer from one of the worst cases of industrial mercury poisoning in the world.

Geneva — IPEN and other non-governmental organizations expressed growing concerns today that an international mercury treaty, currently being negotiated in Geneva, is unlikely to reduce mercury emissions, and may even result in increased mercury pollution. IPEN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations representing 700 public-interest organizations in 116 countries.