Minamata Convention on Mercury : Text and Annexes

The Minamata Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. It entered into force on 16 Aug 2017.

The Convention text now has a government-approved translation into Myanmar language, which is the product of efforts from UN Environment Programme, the Global Environment Facility, the National Action Plan Global Support Programme, and the Mercury Initial Assessment programme of the Convention. This translation will be used as reference document in official processes concerning the Convention implementation in Myanmar. Some 1,000 copies of the booklet will be ready for distribution in Myanmar starting January 2021.

Major highlights of the Minamata Convention include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase-out of existing ones, the phase out and phase down of mercury use in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.