21 september 2017 (a) latvia 24 september 2014 20 june 2017 lebanon — 13 october 2017 (a) lesotho — 12 november 2014 (a) liberia 24 september 2014 libya 10 october 2013 liechtenstein — 1 february 2017 (a) lithuania 10 october 2013 15 january 2018 luxembourg 10 october 2013 21 september 2017 madagascar 10 october 2013 13 may 2015 malawi 10 october 2013 malaysia 24 september 2014 mali 10 october 2013 27 may 2016 malta 8 october 2014 18 may 2017 marshall islands — 29 january 2019 (a) mauritania 11 october 2013 18 august 2015 mauritius 10 october 2013 21 september 2017 mexico 10 october 2013 29 september 2015 moldova 10 october 2013 20 june 2017 monaco 24 september 2014 24 september 2014 mongolia 10 october 2013 28 september 2015 montenegro 24 september 2014 10 june 2019 morocco 6 june 2014 mozambique 10 october 2013 namibia — 6 september 2017 (a) nepal 10 october 2013 netherlands 10 october 2013 18 may 2017 (a) new zealand 10 october 2013 nicaragua 10 october 2013 29 october 2014 niger 10 october 2013 9 june 2017 nigeria 10 october 2013 1 february 2018 north macedonia 25 july 2014 12 march 2020 norway 10 october 2013 12 may 2017 oman — 23 june 2020 (a) pakistan 10 october 2013 16 december 2020 palau 9 october 2014 21 june 2017 palestine — 18 march 2019 (a) panama 10 october 2013 29 september 2015 paraguay 10 february 2014 26 june 2018 peru 10 october 2013 21 january 2016 philippines 10 october 2013 8 july 2020 poland 24 september 2014 30 september 2021 portugal — 28 august 2018 (a) qatar — 4 november 2020 (a) romania 10 october 2013 18 may 2017 russia 24 september 2014 rwanda — 29 june 2017 (a) saint kitts and nevis — 24 may 2017 (a) saint lucia — 23 january 2019 (a) samoa 10 october 2013 24 september 2015 sao tome and principe — 30 august 2018 (a) saudi arabia — 27 february 2019 (a) senegal 11 october 2013 3 march 2016 serbia 9 october 2014 seychelles 27 may 2014 13 january 2015 sierra leone 12 august 2014 1 november 2016 singapore 10 october 2013 22 september 2017 slovakia 10 october 2013 31 may 2017 slovenia 10 october 2013 23 june 2017 south africa 10 october 2013 29 april 2019 south korea 24 september 2014 22 november 2019 spain 10 october 2013 13 december 2021 sri lanka 8 october 2014 19 june 2017 sudan 24 september 2014 suriname — 2 august 2018 (a) sweden 10 october 2013 18 may 2017 switzerland 10 october 2013 25 may 2016 syria 24 september 2014 26 july 2017 tanzania 10 october 2013 5 october 2020 thailand — 22 june 2017 (a) togo 10 october 2013 3 february 2017 tonga — 22 october 2018 (a) tunisia 10 october 2013 turkey 24 september 2014 4 october 2022 tuvalu — 7 june 2019 (a) uganda 10 october 2013 1 march 2019 united arab emirates 10 october 2013 27 april 2015 united kingdom 10 october 2013 23 march 2018 united states 6 november 2013 6 november 2013 (a) uruguay 10 october 2013 24 september 2014 vanuatu — 16 october 2018 (a) venezuela 10 october 2013 vietnam 11 october 2013 23 june 2017 (aa) yemen 21 march 2014 zambia 10 october 2013 11 march 2016 zimbabwe 11 october 2013 19 august 2021 provisions the convention has 35 articles, 5 annexes and a preamble. the preamble of the convention states that the parties have recognized that mercury is, "a chemical of global concern owing to its long-range atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment once anthropogenically introduced, its ability to bioaccumulate in ecosystems and its significant negative effects on human health and the environment." article 1 states the objective of the convention, which is "to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds". article 2 sets out definitions used in more than one article of the convention, including: "artisanal and small-scale gold mining" which refers to gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production; "best available techniques"; "best environmental practices" means using the most appropriate combination of environmental control measures and strategies; "mercury" specifically refers to elemental mercury (hg), cas no. 7439-97-6; "mercury compound"; "mercury-added product" refers to a product or product component that contains mercury or a mercury compound that was intentionally added; "party" and "parties present and voting"; "primary mercury mining"; "regional economic integration organization"; "use allowed". article 3 addresses the question of mercury supply sources and trade. the provisions of this article do not apply to mercury compounds used for laboratory research, naturally occurring trace quantities of mercury or mercury compounds present, mercury-added products. it prohibits parties to allow mercury mining that was not being conducted prior to the date of entry into force of the convention for them, and it only allows mercury mining that was conducted at the date of entry into force for up to fifteen years after that date. it encourages countries to identify individual stocks of mercury or mercury compounds exceeding 50 metric tons as well as sources of mercury supply generating stocks exceeding 10 metric tons per year. if excess mercury from the decommissioning of chlor alkali facilities is available, such mercury is disposed of in accordance with the guidelines for environmentally sound management using operations that do not lead to recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct re-use or alternative uses. parties are not allowed to export mercury without the written consent of the importing party and only for either environmentally sound interim storage or a use allowed. these controls only apply to mercury, not to either mercury compounds or mercury-added products. article 4 addresses the question of mercury-added products. the convention employs two approaches to controlling mercury in products, namely setting a phase-out date for some, and specifying measures to be taken in allowing continued use for others. article 5 deals with manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are used. sets out measures either to phase out or to restrict such existing processes. it also does not allow the development of new facilities that would use manufacturing processes listed in annex b and discourages the development of new manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are intentionally used. article 6 relates to exemptions available to a party upon request. a state or regional economic integration organization can register for one or more exemptions from the phase out dates listed in parts i of annexes a and b. they do so on becoming a party, or in the case of a product or process that is added by amendment to the list, no later than the date upon which that amendment enters into force for it. exemptions can be registered for a listed category or an identified sub-category. the registration is made by notifying the secretariat in writing, and must be accompanied by a statement explaining the party's need for the exemption. article 7 deals with the question of artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing in which mercury amalgamation is used to extract gold from ore. each party that has small-scale gold mining and processing within its territory has the general obligation to take steps to reduce the use of mercury and mercury compounds in such mining and processing needs to reduce, and where feasible eliminate, the use of mercury and mercury compounds in mining and processing, as well as the emissions and releases to the environment of mercury from such activities. additional obligations, including the development and implementation of a national action plan, are laid out for a party that determines that artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing in its territory is more than insignificant. article 8 concerns emissions of mercury and mercury compounds. it aims at controlling and, where feasible, reducing emissions of mercury and mercury compounds to the atmosphere, through measures to control emissions from the point sources listed in annex d. the article differentiates between measures required for new sources and those required for existing sources. releases to land and water are not addressed in article 8 – they are addressed in article 9 of the convention. article 9 addresses the releases of mercury and mercury compounds to land and water aims at controlling and where feasible reducing releases of mercury and mercury compounds from significant anthropogenic point sources that are not addressed in other provisions of the convention. each state should within three years after of date of entry into force of the convention identify the relevant point source categories of releases of mercury into land and water. article 10 applies to the environmentally sound interim storage of mercury other than waste mercury. parties are requested to take measures to ensure that mercury and mercury compounds that are intended for a use allowed under the convention are stored in an environmentally sound manner, taking into account any guidelines and in accordance with any requirements that the conference of parties adopts. article 11 deals with mercury wastes, including their definition, their management in an environmentally sound manner and transportation across international boundaries. article 12 deals with contaminated sites. each state needs to endeavour to develop appropriate strategies for identifying and assessing sites contaminated by mercury or mercury compounds. when taking action to reduce the risks posed by sites contaminated by mercury or mercury compounds, each party is required to ensure that actions are performed in an environmentally sound manner, and actions incorporate, where appropriate, an assessment of the risks to human health and the environment from mercury or mercury compounds contained in these sites. article 13 relates to the question of financial resources and mechanism. establishes a mechanism for the provision of adequate, predictable and timely financial resources, comprising the global environment facility trust fund and a specific international programme to support capacity building and technical assistance. article 14 addresses the issues of capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer. calls for cooperation between parties to provide timely and appropriate capacity-building and technical assistance to developing country parties, including through regional, sub regional and national arrangements. article 15 establishes an implementation and compliance committee to promote implementation of, and compliance with, all provisions of this convention. the committee comprises 15 members nominated by parties and elected by the conference of the parties. issues can be taken up by the committee on self-referral by a party, on the basis of information submitted under the reporting provisions, or upon request from the conference of the parties. article 16 relates to health aspects. it encourages parties to promote the development and implementation of strategies and programmes to identify and protect populations at risk it encourages parties to adopt and implement science based educational and preventive programmes on occupational exposure to mercury and mercury compounds. it encourages parties to promote appropriate health-care services for prevention, treatment and care for populations affected by the exposure to mercury or mercury compounds. finally it encourages parties to establish and strengthen institutional and health professional capacities. article 17 deals with information exchange. each party shall facilitate the exchange of information. article 18 stresses the importance of public information, awareness and education. article 19 relates to research, development and monitoring. article 20 deals with the possibility for parties to develop an implementation plan. article 21 parties shall report to the conference of the parties, through the secretariat on the measures taken to implement the provisions of the convention and the effectiveness of those measures as well as the possible challenges in meeting the objectives of the convention. parties shall include in their reporting the information called for in the different articles of the convention. article 22 deals with effectiveness evaluation. the conference of the parties needs to evaluate the effectiveness of the convention no later than six years after the date of entry into force and periodically thereafter. article 23 establishes the conference of the parties. article 24 establishes the secretariat, which is to be provided by the united nations environment programme. article 25 deals with the settlement of disputes between parties. article 26 sets the rules for the amendments to the convention. amendments to the convention may be proposed by any party, and they must be adopted at a meeting of the conference of the parties. ratification (acceptance