Resources

The publication explores "opportunities for generating co-benefits through coherent implementation of the Minamata Convention and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework".

Check out this infographic to learn more about how toxic mercury impacts biodiversity and human health all around the world.

From human-made sources, this highly hazardous chemical accumulates in many ecosystems, such as tropical forests, mangroves, oceans and the Arctic, leading to detrimental impacts on biodiversity.

The Global Mercury Partnership and its two areas of work on mercury in products and waste management, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, organized an online webinar on 18 December 2023.

Learn what is in beauty products by exploring the Beautywell database and its Knowledge Hub webpage.

The New York City Department of Health Health topic webpage on mercury in soaps and creams lists some skin-lightening creams and medicated soaps that have been found to contain high levels of mercury.

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.

The California Department of Public Health webpage presents information (also in Spanish) and lists of resources on mercury in skin creams.

[ English / Spanish / Hmong / Somali ]

[ English / Spanish / Hmong / Somali ]

[ English / Spanish / Hmong / Somali ]

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

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

[ French ]

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

[ Spanish ]

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.  

[ English / French / Spanish ]

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.