ICMGP 2026

17th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP)

Hyderabad, India, 04 oct 2026 - 09 oct 2026
Meeting Information

The 17th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP) took place in Hyberabad, India, from 4 to 9 October 2026. This year theme was "Reaching Ten Years of Enforcement of the Minamata Convention: Achievements, Challenges and Road Map for the Future".

ICMGP 2026 served as a pivotal platform for global discourse on mercury pollution and its environmental impacts. The conference welcomed experts, researchers, and stakeholders from around the world to share insights, foster collaborations, and chart the course towards sustainable solutions.

At the opening plenary, Executive Secretary Monika Stankiewicz stated: "For more than four decades, the ICMGP conference series has advanced our understanding of mercury and its impacts on human health and the environment, and it supported the creation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. (...) The role of the scientific community is indispensable. The Minamata Convention needs robust, independent and policy-relevant science. The questions that Parties will face in the coming years can only be answered through continued research, monitoring and international scientific collaboration".

This page highlights the Minamata Convention Secretariat's activities at ICMGP 2026.

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Events
Introduction

Throughout the 17th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP), the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention contributed to a number of plenary discussions, technical sessions and other events addressing key areas of relevance to the implementation of the Minamata Convention. These included the science-policy interface, mercury monitoring, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), mercury-containing cosmetics, and the links between mercury pollution and biodiversity.

The full programme, including information on all sessions and speakers, is available on the official ICMGP website.

Monday 5 October – Opening plenary

⏰ 9:30–10:30 | 📍 Auditorium

Monika Stankiewicz, Executive Secretary, delivered a keynote speech on the contribution of science to ten years of implementation of the Minamata Convention. A panel discussion involving members of the Open-ended Scientific Group (OESG) of the Convention and ICMGP organizers explored the areas where science can enhance the implementation of the Minamata Convention over the next 10 years.

Monday 5 October – Mercury monitoring for effectiveness evaluation

⏰ 10:50–12:50 | 14:00–15:45 | 16:00–16:30 |📍 Auditorium

Key scientists of the OESG presented the draft OESG scientific report on the monitoring and emission of mercury. Other scientists exchanged information on regional and national mercury monitoring activities.

Monday 5 October / Tuesday 6 October – Mercury in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector

5 October ⏰ 17:00–18:00 |📍 Auditorium
6 October ⏰ 10:50–12:50 |📍 Seminar Room 2

ASGM has been a central area of mercury research, as it is the largest source of mercury use and emissions globally. Presentations included the analysis of data collected through national action plans and the impacts of initiatives such as planetGOLD.

Tuesday 6 October – Toxic trail of beauty: Unpacking mercury in cosmetics through data and action

⏰ 14:00–15:45 | 16:45–18:45 | 📍 Seminar Room 2

The session explored the continuing challenge of mercury-containing cosmetics, their impacts on human health and the environment, and the actions needed to eliminate these harmful products from global markets.

Wednesday 7 October – COMPLEXion of change: challenging colorism through policy, art, and science

⏰ 18:00–20:00 | 📍 Goethe-Zentrum, Banjara Hills

This special public event organized by UNEP, Circular Innovation Lab and Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, featured Nina Davuluri, filmmaker, activist, and the first Miss America of South Asian origin, including screening of COMPLEXion, a powerful documentary that explores skin-lightening practices, and the societal pressures in India that continue to shape perceptions of beauty, identity, and self-worth. Learn more about the COMPLEXIon of Change event here.

Thursday 8 October – Mercury and biodiversity: Connecting science with global policy

⏰ 10:50–12:50 | 14:00–15:45 | 📍 Seminar Room 3/4

The links between mercury pollution and biodiversity have been explored at recent ICMGP meetings. At this meeting, experts from the Convention on Biological Diversity joined the discussion to strengthen the synergies between biodiversity and chemicals conventions.

Thursday 8 October – Science-policy interface

⏰ 14:45–15:45 | 16:00–16:45 | 📍 Seminar Room 2

This session started with a presentation by the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, followed by examples of science-policy interface at the national and non-governmental levels.

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