“Global Criminal Enterprise”: Mercury Loopholes in Cosmetics Trade Under Fire at COP-6
This week at COP-6 in Geneva, Switzerland, delegates from around the world are debating whether a wording gap in the Minamata Convention — the global agreement prohibiting mercury use in cosmetics — has left a loophole that weakens the treaty’s health objectives. They are also discussing whether online platforms should bear legal responsibility for hosting or selling banned mercury-based products.
The Minamata Convention, established to phase out mercury use and limit its trade and pollution, forbids mercury in consumer goods because of its severe health effects, including kidney failure, nerve damage, psychosis, neurological disorders, and serious skin reactions.
However, the treaty does not specifically restrict mercury compounds — chemical substances capable of releasing mercury with similar toxicological effects. These compounds can still be traded legally as industrial inputs but are sometimes added to skin-lightening creams, rendering the finished products illegal.
“With the advent of the internet, more and more of these products are not only being sold directly to consumers, but large quantities — for instance, through Alibaba — can be purchased on these internet platforms,” said Michael Bender, international co-coordinator at the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG).
The ongoing debate at COP-6 highlights how digital commerce and chemical regulation intersect, raising calls for tighter monitoring and clearer global enforcement standards.
Author’s Summary
Delegates at COP-6 are tackling gaps in the Minamata Convention that may allow mercury-based products to persist, pressing for stronger digital and legal accountability.