Resources

This webpage from the European Chemicals Agency lists substances which are banned from use in any cosmetic products marketed for sale or use in the European Union.

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The project Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products (SLPs) was developed to reduce the risk of exposure to mercury added products through activities targeted at better regulation, reducing production, trade and distribution, capacity-building, awareness-raising

Skin bleaching in Africa is not a new beauty phenomenon. The practice has its roots in the transatlantic slave trade and continued during the European colonization of African nations. Skin bleaching and the use of hazardous and potent substances have been linked to a range of adverse effects, from skin diseases to serious systemic problems such as diabetes, hypertension and renal diseases.

Reinforcing the health sector’s commitment to the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury: The showcase of GEF-UNEP-WHO projects on mercury-added products

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This course explores the different forms of mercury and its compounds with their respective sources, environmental distribution, toxicological aspects, and prevention measures. In addition, it introduces the Minamata Convention and Resolution 67.11 (2014) of the World Health Assembly (WHA), and its considerations on public health aspects related to mercury.

The sale and trade of mercury-added skin lightening products (SLPs) have continued despite widespread sampling, reporting, awareness campaigns, and legal prohibitions, including a global treaty ban.

World Health Organization (WHO) and the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention jointly conducted an online survey on the measures taken to phase down the use of dental amalgam. The preliminary results are now available as an Appendix to the Information Document UNEP/MC/COP.5/INF/30/Rev.1

[ English / French ] Protocol for Sampling and Analyzing Skin Lightening Products for Mercury

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Materiales didácticos

The Global Mercury Partnership and its Area of work on Mercury in Products, in collaboration with the Clean Lighting Coalition and the Zero Mercury Working Group with the support of the Government of Switzerland organized an

The objective of this report is to analyse, in response to decision MC-4/12, how the implementation of the Minamata Convention can contribute to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and to identify opportunities for coherent and mutually supportive implementation to generate co-benefits for the GBF and the Minamata Convention.

Background Document of the “Accelerate implementation of dental amalgam provisions and strengthen country capacities in the environmental sound management of associated wastes under the Minamata Convention” GEF7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam project.

A project in Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka to eliminate mercury in skin-lightening products is highlighting the challenges faced in achieving that aim. Tatum Anderson reports.

Published by WHO Bulletin, June 2023.  

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Infographic alerting on the general health impact of mercury, in three languages.

Les blanchissants pour la peau qui contiennent du MERCURE sont DANGEREUX

Los blanqueadores de piel que contienen MERCURIO son PELIGROSOS

This report builds upon the previous work of the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) in exposing the toxic trade in skin lightening products (SLPs) laced with mercury. SLPs are sold globally via online platforms and, in this particular case, the focus is on illegal SLP sales by Amazon.com in the United States.

This WHO oral health briefing note series focuses on prevention and treatment of dental caries (tooth decay) with mercury-free products and minimal interventions. Dental caries is a major public health problem globally as the disease affects all age groups, with an onset in early childhood and continued increase over the life course.

White lies is a series by CNN's As Equals investigating skin whitening practices worldwide. The series will expose the underlying drivers of colorism, the industry that profits from it and the cost to individuals and communities globally.

[ Spanish ] This animation shows a conversation between an older woman and young girl named Lucy, regarding the use of an unlabeled cream from Mexico that the niece uses to remove blemishes and lighten her skin.

The Global Mercury Partnership organised an information sharing session on Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs): latest trends, key findings and data analysis tools, on Tuesday 27 September 2022.

The webinar presented initial analysis of aggregated data from 74 MIA mercury inventories and explored patterns and trends in the data.

Background The Minamata Convention on Mercury (Article 4) prohibits the manufacture, import or export of skin-lightening products containing mercury concentrations above 1 μg/g. However, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding the global prevalence of mercury-added skin-lightening products.