By: Mohamed Osman Bangura (Political)
The Center for Female Researchers (CFR), with support from the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), have raised serious concerns over the two significant weaknesses in the Minamata Convention’s implementation, including ongoing legal trade in mercury to be used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The two partner organizations believes the treaty needs to be strengthened by amendments that:
End the legal international trade in mercury
Establish a phase-out date of 2032 for the allowable use of Mercury in artisanal small-scale gold mining
In a strongly worded briefing paper, CFR and IPEN argue that despite the global treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from mercury pollution, international mercury trade has increased rather than declined. According to available data, approximately 1,200 tonnes of mercury were legally traded worldwide in 2017. By 2022, that figure had surged to 1,700 tonnes, representing a 40 percent increase.
While mercury trade dropped significantly after the Convention was signed in 2013, much of that decline was attributed to the phase-out of mercury in industrial products and processes. Today, with most industrial uses already eliminated or nearing elimination, the organizations believe the rising demand is largely driven by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM).
Mercury is commonly used in ASGM to extract gold from ore through amalgamation. Once used, large quantities of the toxic metal are released into rivers, soil, and the atmosphere, contaminating ecosystems and entering the food chain. This exposes communities, particularly children, pregnant women, and Indigenous populations, to serious health risks.
Data referenced in the briefing shows that mercury use in ASGM stood at about 2,059 tonnes in 2017. Five years later, estimates indicate 2,094 tonnes were still being used. CFR and IPEN stress that this shows no meaningful reduction, despite global commitments under the Convention.
CFR is calling on the government of Sierra Leone to support the call for the treaty’s two major weaknesses. Amendments: End the continued legal international trade in mercury and set a phase-out date for 2032 mercury use in ASGM.
They argue that most products and industries that previously relied on mercury, including chlor-alkali plants and several manufacturing processes, have already been phased out or are scheduled to end by 2025. With dental amalgam also being reduced globally, the residual demand for mercury in legitimate industries is minimal compared to the volume being diverted into small-scale gold mining.
Ending legal trade, they say, would significantly simplify enforcement. Customs authorities would no longer need to determine whether mercury shipments are intended for permitted or illegal uses.
Currently, ASGM is the only major mercury use under the Convention without a defined phase-out timeline. The elimination of mercury use remains voluntary and open-ended to countries.
By aligning the 2032 deadline with the scheduled phase-out of primary mercury mining under the treaty, governments would have a concrete target to accelerate the transition to safer, mercury-free gold extraction methods. The organisations emphasise that small-scale mining can continue using alternative technologies that do not depend on mercury.
For Sierra Leone, the issue carries immediate relevance. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining remains largely informal and unregulated in many parts of the country. Mercury amalgamation is widely practised, contributing to contamination of rivers and land degradation. According to the National Minerals Agency, land degradation linked to mining is advancing at a rate of at least 500 hectares per year.
Mining communities often face limited access to healthcare, sanitation, and clean water. Workers typically operate without adequate protective gear, increasing their exposure to toxic chemicals. Reported health problems in these areas include malaria, vomiting, intestinal worms among children, skin infections, sexually transmitted diseases, acute respiratory infections, and gastric complications.
CFR and IPEN maintain that without decisive reform, the objectives of the Minamata Convention will remain out of reach. They warn that as global gold prices rise, pressure on small-scale mining will continue, further fuelling mercury demand unless stronger controls are implemented.
The organisations are therefore urging treaty parties to act swiftly to end the global mercury trade, establish a binding 2032 phase-out date for mercury use in gold mining, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and support countries in transitioning to safer alternatives.
Their message is clear: without immediate treaty reform, mercury pollution will continue to threaten ecosystems, public health, and future generations worldwide.