Report

Opening the black box: Local insights into the formal and informal global mercury trade revealed

Opening the black box: Local insights into the formal and informal global mercury trade revealed

IUCN NL, 2020

A combination of factors is driving the continued use of mercury, including the lucrativeness of the trade, the informality of the ASGM sector, the poverty of many miners and the power imbalance between many traders and miners. Mercury governance within the investigated countries has potential for improvement. To tackle the mercury problem, action should be taken that addresses the problem from all angles and takes all key stakeholders into account. The  report is a compilation of findings from investigations that IUCN NL’s local partner organisations carried out. More detailed findings for each country can be found in the respective country/regional report.