Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : Minmata Convention

Brief Intro : The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions

Objective : To protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

Type : Conventions

Category : E&B

Year : 2013

Importance (wr. Prelims) : High

Place : Minmata

Key Terms/ Institutions spinoffs : 1.Under the provisions of the Minamata Convention, developed under United Nations sponsorship, governments have agreed on a range of mercury-containing products whose production, import and export will be banned by 2020. 2.It also seeks to decrease the discharge of mercury into the air, water and land, to promote proper storage and disposal of mercury, as well as reduce the use and discharge of mercury in the process of gold mining in developing countries. 3.The pact, which is expected to take effect in 2016 at the earliest, also calls for a ban by 2018 on the use of mercury to produce acetaldehyde, which was the cause of Minamata disease. 4.It will also provide financial aid through a fund to developing countries to assist their efforts to cut mercury emissions, but does not refer to issues such as compensation for victims and who should be obliged to restore mercury-contaminated environments.