Strengthening partnerships to address mercury pollution and protect biodiversity in the Amazon
In a recent follow-up to the Human Rights dialogue on protecting the Amazon, the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury meet with the Regional Alliance for the Reduction of the Impacts of Gold Mining in the Amazon to tackle the dual challenge of mercury pollution and biodiversity loss in the Amazon region. The discussions focused on protecting biodiversity and reducing the harmful impact of mercury, with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples and local communities severely affected by mercury exposure.
The Alliance presented a roadmap for policy action to address illegal mining in the Amazon. The roadmap aims at curbing mercury pollution while fostering sustainable practices that protect the region's rich biodiversity and the rights and health of its communities.
Executive Secretary of the Minamata Convention, Monika Stankiewicz, expressed her appreciation to the Alliance for their collaborative effort: "It is inspiring to see so many organizations dedicated to addressing mercury pollution in the Amazon. Your valuable experience from the ground can help us to demonstrate how biodiversity conservation links with the well-being of communities and how mercury pollution can undermine both."
The Secretariat and civil society representatives also explored next steps for collaboration and engagement in the work of the Minamata Convention and leading up to its sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-6) in November 2025.
The Regional Alliance for the Reduction of the Impacts of Gold Mining in the Amazon is an interconnected, cross-border, and multi-stakeholder effort to research ways to manage the impacts resulting from mining in the Amazon Biome and the effects of mercury contamination. This alliance is conformed of the following civil society organizations: Gaia Amazonas Foundation, Frankfurt Zoological Society Colombia and Peru, WWF Brazil and Colombia, FCDS, CINCIA and Fiocruz Brazil, and Colombia’s National Park authority.