Geneva-Despite the growing crisis of mercury contamination in the Amazon, Africa and parts of Asia caused by mercury use in small-scale gold mining (also called artisanal and small-scale gold mining, ASGM), at the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention this week delegates failed to take strong action toward amending the Convention to ban this use of mercury. The concerns are especially urgent in Latin America, where food sources of Indigenous Peoples are widely contaminated by mercury from ASGM. A recent IPEN study of women in Indigenous communities in Peu and Nicaragua found nearly all women had a mercury body burden that exceeded safe limits by several fold.
In a positive note, following a decade-long effort by the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and supported by many IPEN members, delegates agreed to phase-out mercury in dental fillings by 2034. But the Convention’s articles to control mercury use in small-scale mining remain weak and rely on the slow development and implementation of government National Action Plans. Organised crime, corrupt officials, police and military, and armed factions controlling gold mines exploit this weakness, and mercury continues to pour into the gold mining areas. The growing crisis has been exacerbated by skyrocketing gold prices that are fuelling the most tremendous gold rush of modern times.
IPEN Co-Chair, Goldman Prize Winner, and ASGM expert Yuyun Ismawati said, “It is concerning that the worst mercury poisoning tragedy 70 years ago in one country is now seen in more than 60 countries, with the latest gold rush. To make mercury history, strong commitments from Parties are needed. The amendments to the Convention should start by prohibiting the use of mercury for ASGM, closing cinnabar mining sites, and ending the mercury trade. Eight years after entering into force, the COP should signal a more substantial commitment to prioritise health over gold.”
