Six Year Of Minamata Convention:
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, which marks its sixth anniversary, is a significant global agreement aimed at safeguarding people and the environment from the harmful impacts of mercury exposure.
- Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil.
- It may have toxic effects on the nervous system, thyroid, kidneys, lungs, immune system, eyes, gums and skin.
- The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and its compounds.
- It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Geneva, Switzerland 2013. It entered into force in 2017.
- Controlling the anthropogenic releases of mercury throughout its lifecycle is one of the key obligations under the Convention.
- The Convention also addresses interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.
- India has ratified the Convention.
