Mandates for the negotiations process

The decision to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury was taken by the Governing Council of UNEP in February 2009. The detailed mandate is set out in part III of decision 25/5.

This mandate was reaffirmed by the Governing Council in February 2011, through its decision 26/3.

Previous decisions by the Governing Council paved the way for the negotiations process to be initiated, namely decision 24/3 IV in February 2007 and decision 23/9 IV in February 2005.