Health & Chemicals
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted at the Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Kumamoto city and Minamata city in October, 2013. This convention aims to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions/releases of mercury and mercury compounds and stipulates appropriate management and reduction of the emissions through the entire lifecycle of mercury including mining, use in products and manufacturing processes, emission to atmosphere, disposal as waste.
Japan concluded the convention on February 2, 2016 after developing the laws and ordinances necessary to implement the convention. And Japan expressed its intention to support developing countries and to promote voices and messages from Minamata, through the actions titled "MOYAI Initiative" at the Conference of Plenipotentiaries. As part of this initiative, the MINAS (MOYAI Initiative for Networking, Assessment and Strengthening) is being promoted to support developing countries' efforts in mercury management in close cooperation with US-EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and others.
Background
- Global mercury cycling
- Japan's lessons of the Minamata disease and measures for mercury management
- Process of developing the Minamata Convention on mercury and contribution by Japan
Measures to Implement the Minamata Convention in Japan
- Major points of measures to implement the Minamata Convention in Japan
- National Implementation Plan for Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury and Mercury Compounds
- Background Monitoring Survey for Atmospheric Mercury Concentration
- Overview of Mercury Material Flow in Japan (FY2016)
- Monitoring Database of Environmental Mercury Concentration
International Cooperation
International cooperation on mercury management
- FACT SHEET: U.S.-Japan Cooperation for a More Prosperous and Stable World (April 28, 2015)
- Environmental Policy Dialogue between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of the Environment of Japan Joint Statement (August 24, 2015) [PDF 22KB]
- G7 Toyama Environment Ministers' Meeting (May 15-16, 2016)
- Joint Statement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of the Environment of Japan on Continued Bilateral Environmental Cooperation (May 16, 2016) [PDF 309KB]
Mercury-related Technologies and Facilities
Publications
- Pamphlet: Minamata Convention on Mercury and Japan's Mercury Management (FY2018) English [PDF 2,875KB]
- Flyers: Mercury Technology bulletin Series
- Leaflet: Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury -Toward Further Promotion of Mercury Management- (FY2023) English [PDF 2,571KB] (NEW)
- Leaflet: Japan's Contribution to the Minamata Convention (FY2017) English [PDF 513KB]
- Leaflet: Your Little Finger Can Move the Earth (FY2017) English [PDF 365KB]
- Pamphlet: Japan's Commitment on the Minamata Convention on Mercury (FY2015)
English [PDF 2,301KB] / French [PDF 2,208KB]
Spanish [PDF 2,198KB] / Portuguese [PDF 2,199KB]
Arabic [PDF 2,151KB] / Indonesian [PDF 1,759KB]
Vietnamese [PDF 1,792KB] / Chinese [PDF 2,387KB]
- Booklet: Lessons from Minamata Disease and Mercury Management in Japan (FY2013)
English [PDF 1,861KB] / French [PDF 2,289KB]
Arabic [PDF 2,294KB] / Chinese [PDF 2,488KB]
Russian [PDF 4,035KB] / Spanish [PDF 5,184KB]