Biodiversity Research Institute is proud to be actively engaged in the 17th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP 2026).

Our researchers will lead discussions on mercury and biodiversity, ongoing efforts to eliminate mercury-added skin-lightening products, and the impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Monday, October 5th

• 11:20 – 11:35 Oral presentation by Mark Burton: Mercury in Biota – Global Synthesis of Monitoring Data for Effectiveness Evaluation

Tuesday, October 6th

• 14:00 – 15:45 co-chairing the Toxic Trail of Beauty session and presenting: Assessing Mercury in Skin-Lightening Products Using a Standardised Monitoring Framework: Evidence from Gabon, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka and Updated Review of Post-2022 Literature and the Development of a Global Database for Mercury-Added Skin-Lightening Products
• 16:00 – 18:00 co-chairing the Toxic Trail of Beauty: Unpacking Mercury in Cosmetics through Data and Action session

Thursday, October 8th

• 10:50 – 12:50 chairing the session Mercury and Biodiversity: Connecting Science with Global Policy
• 14:00 – 15:45 chairing the session Mercury and Biodiversity: Connecting Science with Global Policy

BRI was invited to participate as a nongovernmental organization during the negotiating process and meetings of the International Negotiating Committee. The Convention entered into force in 2017, after reaching the milestone of ratification of 50 countries, and the COPs have taken place every two years. Learn more about the history of the Minamata Convention.