The cabinet has decided to seek parliament opinion to adopt and implement The Minamata Convention on Mercury issued by the United Nations (UN).
During the press conference held on Monday afternoon, December 11, the Under Secretary of Public Policy Mohamed Firzul said that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided to seek parliamentary consideration to join the treaty since the cabinet deliberated on a paper on the subject proposed by the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy during Sunday's cabinet meeting session.
The President's Office also highlighted that as part of the treaty's implementation, equipment containing mercury will identified, phased out or purged and replaced with safer models.
Besides this, safety standards for the environment and public health will also be promoted as part of joining the treaty, along with adherence to the disposal guidelines.
The treaty will receive financial support under its implementation and will be a significant step in reducing the harmful effects of mercury, and the damage it causes to the environment and people's health.
Several electronical appliances, batteries, and other similar electronic gadgets along with some cosmetics products and jewelry contain mercury to various degrees.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted in 2013 by the global community under the auspices of UNEP.
The treaty aims to protect the environment and human health from anthropogenic emissions and the release of toxic heavy metals. It regulates the entire life cycle of mercury, including its supply, trade, use, emissions, releases, storage, and management of its waste and contaminated sites.
As of now, 147 countries have ratified the treaty, and since 2017, the Maldives has attempted to ratify the convention.
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