GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — After a week of intense negotiations, more
than 140 countries have adopted the first global, legally
binding treaty to prevent the release of mercury. Negotiators
believe the new treaty will succeed in lessening the threat to
human and environmental health. After all-night talks,
negotiators toasted each other with champagne early Saturday to
celebrate their achievement. The treaty, which has been under
negotiation for four years, provides controls and reductions
across a range of products and processes where mercury is used,
released and emitted. The treaty, known as the Minamata
Convention on Mercury, is named after a city in Japan where
serious health damage occurred as a result of mercury pollution
in the mid-20th century. Mercury is a toxic element that occurs
in nature. Slightly more than 2,000 tons of mercury are emitted
into the air annually as a result of human activity, increasing
the threat to human health and the environment. Executive
Director of the United Nations Environme