Global Criminal Enterprise: Mercury Loopholes in Cosmetics at COP-6
This week, delegates at COP-6 in Geneva, Switzerland, are debating whether a wording gap in the Minamata Convention has created a loophole undermining the treaty’s health goals. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty banning mercury in cosmetics to protect health.
Debate Over Legal Gaps and Online Sales
Delegates are also considering if online platforms should be legally responsible for selling illegal mercury-containing cosmetics. COP-6 is the sixth meeting of governments working to update global rules aimed at eliminating mercury use, trade, and pollution.
Health Risks of Mercury
Mercury is banned due to its dangerous health effects, including kidney damage, nervous system disorders, psychosis, neurological harm, and severe skin reactions.
Loophole in Mercury Compound Regulations
The treaty, however, does not explicitly ban mercury compounds—chemical forms that can release mercury and cause similar toxic effects. These compounds can be legally sold as chemical feedstocks. Producers or small-scale mixers add them to skin creams for lightening effects, making the products illegal once used this way.
“With the advent of the internet, more and more of these products are not only being sold directly to consumers, but large quantities—for instance, through Alibaba—can be purchased on these internet platforms,” said Michael Bender, international co-coordinator at the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG), to Personal Care Insights.
Author’s summary: The Minamata Convention faces challenges from legal gaps and online sales in regulating hazardous mercury compounds in cosmetics, threatening global health protections.