Over 140 nations adopt Minamata Convention to phase out mercury

Over 140 countries have have agreed on the first international treaty that aims to reduce the emission and release of mercury into the air, water and land.  The agreement, which has been named the Minamata Convention after the Japanese city which suffered critical mercury pollution due to release of mercury through industrial wastewater, followed six days of intense negotiations between January 13 and 18. The convention has identified products that need to be phased out but has been criticised for being weak on measures for controlling mercury emissions from industry, especially coal-fired power plants.

The negotiations were preceded by some disturbing revelations. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released The Global Mercury Assessment-2013 four days before the fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare the legally binding instrument (INC5) was about to commence. The report showed that that mercury level in the top 100 m of ocean water has doubled in the past 100 years.