---
title: "Minamata Convention on Mercury — Definition & Meaning"
description: "The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a 2013 treaty aimed at controlling mercury emissions. It addresses a major environmental health crisis linked to mercury."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/minamata-convention-on-mercury"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a 2013 global treaty that controls anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds across their life cycle.
- Why is the Convention named after Minamata?
- How does the Minamata Convention differ from the Stockholm Convention?
- What is the largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions the treaty addresses?
- What is the financial mechanism of the Convention?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a 2013 global treaty that controls anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds across their life cycle.

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## Timeline

1. 10 October 2013

   The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a legally binding multilateral environmental agreement adopted on at a diplomatic conference in Kumamoto, Japan, and e…

2. 16 August 2017

   The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a legally binding multilateral environmental agreement adopted on 10 October 2013 at a diplomatic conference in Kumamot…

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India ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2018, undertaking to phase down domestic mercury use while invoking development flexibilities, particularly for its coal-fired power and chlor-alkali sectors.

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