Minamata Convention on Mercury

Party

China modified

• added reservation
  02-03-2026
  On 2 March 2026, the Government of China notified the Secretary-General, in accordance with paragraphs 3 (b) and 4 of article 27 of the Convention, of the withdrawal of its notification of nonacceptance of the amendments to Annexes A and B regarding Decision MC-5/4 transmitted by depositary notification C.N.138.2024.TREATIES-XXVII.17 of 25 April 2024. The notification includes the following declaration: In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the People’s Republic of China decides that the abovementioned Amendment[s] appl[y] to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. In accordance with paragraphs 3 (b) and 4 of article 27, the above-mentioned amendments to Annexes A and B of the Convention entered into force for China on 2 March 2026, i.e., the date of withdrawal of its notification of non-acceptance.

Party

Israel modified

• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  26-09-2025
  Pursuant to Article 30 (5) of the Convention, Israel declares that any amendment to an annex to the Convention shall enter into force for Israel only upon the deposition of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession with respect thereto.

  added reservation
  26-09-2025
  The Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Secretary General of the United Nations, in his capacity as depositary of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, adopted at Kumamoto (Japan), on October 10th 2013, and has the honor to refer to the Secretary General’s depositary notification C.N.93.2019.TREATIES-XXVII.17 dated March 19, 2019, regarding the purported accession of the ‘State of Palestine’ to the Minamata Convention. ‘Palestine’ does not satisfy the criteria for statehood under international law and lacks the legal capacity to join the aforesaid Convention both under general international law and the terms of bilateral Israeli-Palestinian agreements. The Government of Israel does not recognize ‘Palestine’ as a State, and wishes to place on record, for the sake of clarity, its position that it does not consider ‘Palestine’ a party to the Convention and regards the Secretary General’s depositary notification as being without legal validity and without effect upon Israel’s treaty relations under the Convention.

Party

Israel modified

• Ratification: 26-09-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 25-12-2025

Party

China modified

• added reservation
  03-04-2025
  The Government of the People’s Republic of China is fulfilling the domestic legal procedures for accepting the above-mentioned amendments, and is provisionally unable to accept the abovementioned amendments until further notice from the Government.

Party

Serbia modified

• Ratification: 10-01-2025 (R)
• Entry into force: 10-04-2025

Party

China modified

• added reservation
  03-11-2024
  On 3 November 2024, the Government of China notified the Secretary-General, in accordance with paragraphs 3 (b) and 4 of article 27 of the Convention, of the withdrawal of its notification of non-acceptance of the amendment to Annex A regarding Decision MC-4/3 transmitted by depositary notification C.N.313.2022.TREATIES-XXVII.17 of 28 September 2022. In accordance with paragraphs 3 (b) and 4 of article 27, the above-mentioned amendment to Annex A of the Convention entered into force for China on 3 November 2024, i.e., the date of withdrawal of its notification of non-acceptance.

Party

Liberia modified

• Ratification: 24-09-2024 (R)
• Entry into force: 23-12-2024
• Reservations / Declarations: Yes

• added reservation
  24-09-2024
  … the Government of Liberia makes the following Declaration regarding the means of dispute settlement in relation to article(s) 25.2 of the Minamata Convention adopted on 10th October [2013]. … as per Article 25.2(a) and (b), Liberia undertakes to declare with regard to any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention, it recognizes both of the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting the same obligations: (a) Arbitration in accordance with the procedure set out in Part I of Annex E; (b) Submissions of the dispute to the International Court of Justice. … per Article 30.5, Liberia further declares that, with regard to it, any amendment to an annex shall enter into force only upon the deposit of its instrument of acceptance with respect thereto.

Maldives added

• Ratification: 24-09-2024 (A)
• Entry into force: 23-12-2024
• Reservations / Declarations: No
• Objections: No

Party

Ethiopia modified

• Ratification: 19-08-2024 (R)
• Entry into force: 17-11-2024

Party

Mozambique modified

• Ratification: 19-02-2024 (R)
• Entry into force: 19-05-2024

Party

Kenya modified

• Ratification: 22-09-2023 (R)
• Entry into force: 21-12-2023