Global agreement to reduce mercury is within reach

Do you think it is only volcanic ash from Iceland that moves freely across national borders on the wind? Wrong. Mercury, one of the world's most dangerous environmental toxins, behaves in a similar way. Therefore, we must all work together to ensure that an ambitious global agreement is reached which will regulate the use of mercury and its release into the environment.

The Nordic countries have endeavoured to boost this important work and made efforts to ensure that such an international agreement is reached at the UN Mercury Conference in Stockholm from 7-11 June.

A Swedish household handbook from 1909 claimed that head lice could be treated by rubbing mercury and fat into the skin. Today we know better: we are aware that mercury is harmful to both health and the environment. The Nordic countries have deliberately limited the use of mercury in several products. However, keeping our own house in order is not enough. Most of the mercury that falls in the Nordic region originates in other countries far from our shores. In order to clean our home, we need a global agreement. Thus, the mercury agreement should be binding in all countries.