Brasília – Representatives of some 140 countries signed on Thursday (10), in Japan, a convention on the use and emissions of mercury. The Minamata Convention was named after the Japanese city that was victimised by the worst poisoning with the toxic element ever recorded. The treaty was signed in a meeting promoted by the United Nations (UN) in Kumamoto, a city close to Minamata.
The agreement, which is open to ratification by the Member States, aims to reduce world Mercury emissions, as well as to promote the use of the metal, mainly in industrial processes. When ratified by 50 States, the treaty will be put in place. The forecast, according to the organizers of the conference at which the treaty was signed, is for that to take place in three or four years.
"It is necessary for many developing countries to ratify this treaty so that it may be enacted as soon as possible,” said the Japanese Environment minister, Nobuteru Ishihara. Mercury is a heavy metal that is very toxic to living beings. Great exposure to the metal weakens the immune system and may cause problems like psychological and digestive disturbances, tooth loss and cardiovascular or breathing problems.
*Translated by Mark Ament
