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The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-5), held in Geneva from 30 October to 3 November 2023, adopted 21 decisions to keep protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury.
According to COP President Claudia Dumitru, reducing human exposure to mercury is indispensable to ensure the health and well-being of future generations, including Indigenous Peoples. In its first decision, the COP noted the importance of increasing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the implementation of projects and programmes to reduce and eliminate mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). In a separate decision on ASGM, the COP also recommended to protect and strengthen traditional livelihoods and cultural practices, and called for further actions in the development and implementation of National Action Plans.
For the second time, Parties amended annexes to the Convention with new phase-out dates for certain batteries, switches, polyurethane, relays and fluorescent lamps. A new requirement was agreed to advance the phase-down of dental amalgam and, as of 2025, no mercury level will be allowed in cosmetics. Other decisions included guidance for controlling mercury releases to land and water, to continue advancing efforts to control mercury emissions to the atmosphere and the establishment of threshold for wastes contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds.
The delegates adopted a gender action plan and a digital strategy to guide the work of the Secretariat in the upcoming years. Considering the recommendations of the Implementation and Compliance Committee, the COP also agreed on amendments to the national reporting format and updates to its guidance.
The next meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-6) will convene in Geneva from 3 to 7 November 2025 under the Chilean presidency. Looking toward the work ahead, COP-6 President, Osvaldo Patricio Álvarez Pérez, stated that “our ambition is to make a noticeable difference, to effect real change, and to leave the legacy of a healthier, safer planet”.
