Resources

Report of the Global Mercury Partnership Advisory Group (PAG) 11th Meeting, which took place on 15-16 December 2020, in an online setting.

As the world is facing the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Global Mercury Partnership is taking its activities online a step further: following the expert consultations on mercury from non-ferrous metals mining and smelting and from oil and gas earlier this year, the Partnership is rolling out a series of information-sharing webinars, currently on mercury-added products, with an upcoming event o

The webinar on mercury-containing medical devices organised on 13 October 2020 by the Products Partnership Area had an attendance of over 100 participants.

Video animation explaining why mercury and, in particular, mercury in skin lightening products is dangerous to health and the need for countries to take action to ban this source of exposure.

Minamata online is an initiative from the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention.

This curriculum was designed to be used globally in training healthcare workers to recognize, diagnose, treat, and prevent mercury toxicity among ASGM miners, their families, and their communities.

A shooting star helps a bright young girl born "the color of midnight" learn to embrace her beauty, inside and out.

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Infographic

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A webinar was held on Thursday 23 April 2020, to kick start these consultations and develop initial recommendations on contributions from the Partnership.

A webinar was held on Wednesday 29 April 2020,  to kick start these consultations and develop initial recommendations on contributions from the Partnership.

Skin bleaching is a major health concern among Jamaicans. A common ingredient in skin lightening products is mercury. Mercury is a toxic substance that can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system and kidneys.

World Chlorine Council Reporting

The first edition of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership Newsletter will provide you with latest highlights, upcoming events - such as the launch this month of experts consultations on mercury from oil and gas as well as non-ferrous metals mining and smelting - new partners and resources developed by Partnership areas and partners.  

IUCN NL, 2020

CBC's Marketplace tests popular skin-lightening products sold in Canada to find out if the ingredients are as toxic as the marketing. Our investigation reveals some products contain alarming levels of harmful ingredients, including mercury, hydroquinone and steroids. Some of these chemicals are possible carcinogens and can cause severe skin issues with prolonged use.  

Through the Chemical Safety and Health Unit, WHO works to establish the scientific basis for the sound management of chemicals, and to strengthen national capabilities and capacities for chemical safety. Mercury is a chemical of major public health concerns.

The overall goal of this document is to provide guidelines for conducting a rapid environmental assessment of mercury release, fate and transport through the environment due to ASGM activities. The primarily audience includes countries that develop NAPs for ASGM.

In the past few years, FDA and state health officials have discovered numerous products marketed as skin lighteners that contain mercury, and there have been cases in which people exposed to such products have had mercury poisoning or elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.

Therefore, to address this growing challenge, coordinated compliance mechanisms are needed at the local, national, regional and global levels. The ultimate goal of this publication is to improve consumer protection by targeting unsafe products and accelerating their removal from commerce before they are sold to consumers.

Effects of mercury poisoning can be devastating, with symptoms including seizures, memory, vision and hearing loss, and development disorders. Explore mercury's trade routes in this interactive story.

The planetGOLD programme works in partnership with governments, the private sector, and ASGM communities in nine countries to significantly improve the production practices and work environment of artisanal and small-scale miners.

Report of the Global Mercury Partnership Advisory Group (PAG) 10th Meeting, which took place on 23 November 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Environmental concentrations of mercury (Hg) have increased three-fold globally due to human industrial activities. This inorganic mercury enters ecosystems through the air (e.g., from coal-fired power plants and incinerators), water (e.g., from chlor-alkali facilities and artisanal small- scale gold mining), and land (e.g., from landfills and other contaminated sites).