Two and two -year -old sisters in Japan's Minamata Bay in the 5th were diagnosed with the effects of incurable diseases such as disability due to mercury poisoning. In the subsequent decades, the disease was found in thousands of adults, children and newborns. Which is now known as Minamata Disease.
Surrounded by forests and blue sea, the Minamata Bay in Japan, has the impression of a beautiful place. The monument, built a few meters away on the coast, is reminiscent of local communities who were poisoned by mercury poisoning in the late 1950s.
Many people still consider mercury as an interesting element contained in thermometers just after decades. Very few people know that it is deadly. Mercury is used in everything, from coal -powered power generation to certain mascara and fluorescent lights. Likewise, many people are unaware that only one part of the 3 chemicals and other substances available in the market is evaluated, labeled and tracked. Very few people suspect that common things such as pizza boxes, microwave popcorn or electronic waste pollute our air, land, water, edible chain and ecosystems for generations. It takes a long time to identify, accept, and prosecute such risks for human health. In 2001, the Government Council of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) invited UNEP executive director to global evaluation of mercury and its combinations, including mercury chemistry and health effects on health, resources, and long -distance transport and prevention and control techniques. In 2003, the Governing Council considered the evaluation and found that the free from the mercury and its compounds needed to reduce the risks for human health and environment. (In 2003, the Governing Council considered the evaluation and found that the free from the mercury and its compounds needed to reduce the risks for human health and environment. There is sufficient evidence of significant global adverse effects caused by mercury and its compounds to take more international action.)
Governments were requested to adopt goals to reduce mercury emissions and production, and UNEP launched technical assistance and capacity enhancement activities to meet these goals.
Mercury is a substance that produces significant adverse effects on neurological and other health. Anxiety was especially expressed over its harmful effects on infants and newborns. The mercury program was established to address these concerns to decide on the global transport of mercury in the environment.
The Minamata Conference was concluded on Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 7am in the fifth session of the Inter-Government negotiation Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, and on the same year, on October 10, 2013, a diplomatic conference in Kumamoto, Japan. The Minamata Convention came into effect on August 16, 2017.
The Minamata Conference draws attention to a global and ubiquitous metal, which, despite naturally occurring, has widespread use in everyday items and is free from atmosphere, soil and water from various sources. Controlling the human emissions of mercury during his life cycle has been a major factor in shaping the responsibilities under the convention.
The main issues of the Minamata Convention include banning new mercury mines, removing existing mines in phases, removing the use of mercury in many products and processes, and reducing the use of mercury in a phased manner, control measures on air emission and land and water releasing water. The convention includes interim storage and waste of mercury, including disposal, mercury polluted places and health problems.
The right to pursue scientists' work needs to be strengthened. So that medical experts and citizens can easily gain that knowledge. Emphasis is to emphasize the right and responsibility of acting on such knowledge of the judges and governments. Like many misconduct, mercury does not only harm individual victims
It hurts all the communities. It gives strength to poverty. Take the example of a young mother - a craftsman used to minimize gold. When she has a toxic effect of mercury at work. It also includes children as well as damage to the environment.
Mercury exposure is a global concern. About 4,000 tones of mercury is released in the atmosphere, in water and on the ground every year. The largest source of mercury emissions is craftsmanship and small-scale gold mining, followed by coal combustion, non-ferrous metal production and cement production.
We still find mercury in many commercial products such as batteries, fluorescent lamps, cosmetics, pesticides, thermometers and dental Amalgam. Everyone is exposed to a certain amount of mercury and a high amount of mercury can lead to long -term and sometimes permanent neurological damage. The Minamata Convention provides a powerful incentive for global efforts to reduce and limit the use of clay and soil compounds.
The international community is working hard to adhere to the established measures as well as related development goals so that our common goal of prosperity for people and the earth can be moved. It not only gives the opportunity to improve the health of people around the world, but also to accelerate the transition to a more righteous, green economy.
Through the Minamata Convention on Earth, the global community remembers the creatures of many people who have already lost with mercury poisoning and are committed to preventing similar disasters. One of the biggest challenges for human health and environment, this is the first global environmental agreement addressing mankind emissions and the release of mercury and mercury combinations. The Minamata Convention is the first global environmental contract in the 21st millennium.
Which addresses mercury throughout the life cycle from mining to management as a waste. The Minamata Convention Follows (Convention) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. It determines the same basic responsibilities for all countries, while providing some targeted variations and flexibility in certain basic provisions, as well as provisions to collect financial resources by all, in their abilities, for implementation in developing countries.
Along with basal, Rotterdam and Stockholm assemblies, it creates a wide global rule for proper management of chemicals and hazardous waste. The Minamata Convention is the 21st Century response to the catastrophic pollution in the Minamata, Japan, where in the 1950s, the industrial production of methyl mercury has spread the epidemic called Minamata disease. The convention will be linked to the name 'Minamata Convention', the name Minamata will be linked not only with the problem, but also with the solution. It is an impressive and exciting evidence of how successful multilateralism can be in solving global problems and challenges.
Ahmed Pathan
Green Planet