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International Agreement on Global Control of Mercury Pollution

At the 25th Session of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Governing Council, in Nairobi, Kenya, February 2009, the United States and 140 other countries agreed to create a legally-binding instrument for the global control of mercury pollution. This year’s historic agreement will lead to the development of measures to reduce risks from the neurotoxic effects of mercury to United States citizens and to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Delegates assemble at the opening of the 25th Session of the United Nations Environment Program Governing Council, which took the historic step to negotiate a global mercury agreement. Courtesy of UNEP.

The majority of mercury deposited in the United States is from global sources, including a combination of:

  • natural sources (such as volcanoes),
  • historically deposited mercury that is re-emitted to the atmosphere, and
  • man-made emissions from a variety of sources, such as coal fired power plants, industrial processes, production of gold and other metals, and artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

    • Controlling sources of mercury is especially important for pregnant women, children, and workers throughout the world. (For more information on the global mercury problem, visit EPA’s mercury portal and the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership.) Exit EPA disclaimer

    Over the next four years, the United States and other countries will negotiate a global mercury instrument to address mercury pollution worldwide. The U.S. EPA, in collaboration with the Department of State and other U.S. agencies, will play an active role in negotiating a global agreement, including outreach to interested stakeholders. During this time, EPA will also continue to work with other countries and stakeholders to reduce mercury use and emissions from key sectors. By taking both immediate and long-term actions on mercury, EPA will help to reduce levels of mercury in the environment which are transported globally in the atmosphere.

    Tailings pile and ore processing equipment at the Khaidarkan mercury mine, Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy of UNITAR.



    Negotiations will take place through an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, which will develop a set of approaches (which could include both legally binding and voluntary commitments) to strengthen global action on mercury. These negotiations will address the following elements:

  • Reduce the supply of mercury and enhance the capacity for its environmentally sound storage
  • Reduce the demand for mercury in products and processes
  • Reduce international trade of mercury
  • Reduce atmospheric emissions of mercury
  • Address mercury-containing waste and remediation of contaminated sites
  • Increase knowledge through awareness-raising and scientific information exchange
  • Specify arrangements for capacity-building and technical and financial assistance
  • Address compliance




    • The United States has supported the efforts of UNEP and other partners to address mercury pollution since 2001, when we secured agreement for UNEP to conduct a Global Mercury Assessment (GMA). This assessment, completed in 2003, provided clear scientific evidence of mercury’s global reach. Work under the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership began in 2005. EPA is actively involved in the Partnership, working with governments and stakeholders to reduce mercury use and emissions. This work has and will continue to make tangible improvements in the health of communities in many parts of the world, with seven active partnership areas:

    Cinnabar (mercury sulfide), the ore from which mercury is mined. Photo: U.S. Department of State.

  • coal combustion,
  • chlor-alkali,
  • products,
  • artisanal gold mining,
  • mercury waste management,
  • mercury supply and storage, and
  • mercury air transport and fate research.

    Learn more about EPA's leadership and specific activities in the Global Mercury Partnership.

    Interested in becoming a partner? See Information for New Partners at UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. Exit EPA disclaimer

    Our work on the international stage to control mercury use and emissions is an important complement to our strong domestic actions on mercury. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/mercury.

    Learn more:

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    Contacts

    For additional information on EPA's work with mercury, contact:

    Marianne Bailey
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Office of International Affairs (2670R)
    1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
    Washington, DC 20460
    E-mail: bailey.marianne@epa.gov
    (202) 564-6402

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