Her Excellency Ms. Katrin Schneeberger, State Secretary of Switzerland,
Mr. Osvaldo lvarez Prez, President of COP-6 of the Minamata Convention,
Ms. Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention,
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues,
Let me begin by expressing UNEPs sincere appreciation to the Government of Switzerland, represented here by Her Excellency Ms. Schneeberger, for its steadfast and generous support. Switzerlands commitment to UNEP, to the family of Multilateral Environmental Agreements based in Geneva, to our Regional Office for Europe, and to UNEPs global programmes has been instrumental in advancing international environmental cooperation and action.
As we gather here in Geneva, it is fitting to reflect on why we are united under the Minamata Convention. The poet Alexander Pope once observed that mercury is one of the most powerful and excellent things in the world in skilful hands; in unskilful, the most mischievous.
How true that is. Mercury has served our industries, our medicines, even our mirrors yet it has also poisoned rivers, silenced birds, and entered the blood of generations.
In 1956, doctors in Japan were alarmed by an outbreak of an unknown disease, which resulted in paralysis, coma and death not just among humans, but animals, too. The source was identified as mercury pollution from industry. And the name of the town became the name of the disease Minamata syndrome.
The clean-up effort was intense. And years of research followed. The science went hand-in-hand with political efforts to prevent this tragedy from ever happening again.
The Minamata Convention stands as a testament to that conviction. Adopted in 2013 and entering into force in 2017, it now unites 153 Parties under one purpose: to protect human health and the environment from mercurys toxic reach.
Already, the results speak for themselves. As we have heard:
- Across continents, mercury use in dental practices is being reduced or eliminated.
- The Libreville Commitment is putting an end to mercury-added skin-lightening products in Africa.
- And industrial processes such as chlor-alkali plants are embracing cleaner technologies, proving that change, once thought too difficult, is entirely possible.
The Convention also tackles the difficult issue of artisanal and small-scale gold mining, where the profit motive is powerfully resisting change. Here, the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities reminds us that environmental progress and human justice are always interlinked.
UNEP is proud to stand with all of you in driving this transformation. From mining to energy, cosmetics to industry, we are working to detoxify supply chains, foster innovation, and create new opportunities for growth. We bring to bear our technical expertise, our convening power, and our global partnerships not only to support compliance with the Minamata Convention, but to spark a wider reimagining of what sustainable production can mean.
Science remains our compass. Through global data, inventories, and knowledge hubs, UNEP helps countries understand the full picture of mercury use and emissions, laying the foundation for informed, effective action. This work feeds directly into the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution ensuring that mercury stays high on the worlds environmental agenda.
Just as vital are the connections we build across conventions from the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, to the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the broader efforts to control pollution. Through a GEF portfolio exceeding USD 105 million, and new projects already in development, we are demonstrating what a truly integrated approach can achieve: cleaner industries, restored ecosystems, and stronger communities.
This year marks twenty years of UNEPs leadership through the Global Mercury Partnership two decades of science, cooperation, and practical solutions. Nearly 300 partner organisations have helped make mercury management a shared global mission.
Your work here is vital to that vision. It reminds us that environmental progress is not the work of one country, one agency, or one generation. It is the patient, collective act of humanity choosing to do better together.
So let us approach the future with renewed purpose and courage.
Let us build on what we have learned, and carry that knowledge into every mine, every factory, every river, every community.
Let us prove that mercury, once the measure of our carelessness, can become the symbol of our care.
Thank you.
