A document that means “the beginning of the end of mercury as a threat to human health and the environment”. These were the words chosen by the executive director of the UN Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, to describe the Minamata Convention, recently signed by more than 90 countries.
These nations vowed to ban several mercury products until 2020 and are planning the best way to forbid the mining of fresh mercury and mercury emissions from new power plants, measures that must be applied within 15 years of the treaty coming into effect. Besides, the signatories will also have to eradicate or transform artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations that use mercury.
Overall, it’s an extremely important document for the future of the planet and that is why today we bring you this infographic that gathers all the signatories of the convention for you to see.
