Overview
- Delegations meeting in Geneva adopted amendments committing parties to eliminate mercury-based dental amalgams by 2034.
- An African bloc pressed for a 2030 ban on production, import and export, while Iran, India and the United Kingdom opposed the earlier cutoff, leading to a 2034 compromise.
- COP-6 endorsed 21 measures to protect health and the environment, including continued efforts to remove mercury from skin-lightening cosmetics as online sales persist, according to executive secretary Monika Stankiewicz.
- More than 100 countries are parties to the agreement under the Minamata Convention, an international treaty targeting the harms of mercury exposure.
- The European Union already broadened its prohibition on mercury dental amalgams this year with limited medical exceptions and possible 18‑month derogations for some states.