At the recently concluded fifth Conference of the Parties of the Minamata Convention on Mercury (referred to as the Minamata Convention) , participating parties adopted a number of decisions to further reduce mercury pollution and protect human health and environmental safety.

The conference was held in Geneva from October 30 to November 3. The General Assembly revised Annex A of the Convention, setting a new phase-out date for some batteries, switches, relays, fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing products , and agreed to gradually promote the reduction of dental amalgam, and that it will no longer be allowed in cosmetics from 2025 Contains mercury.

In terms of lighting products, the convention sets a new target date of 2027 for the phase-out of fluorescent lamps .
Parties have agreed to ban the production, import and export of fluorescent lamps by the end of 2027 .
This decision will accelerate the adoption of LEDs . By phasing out fluorescent lamps and promoting LED technology, countries can reduce their carbon footprint, save energy and mitigate the risk of mercury exposure.
It is reported that the ban time previously agreed by these countries was before 2025. 

In March 2022, the " Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury " adopted a proposal to amend Annex A (Mercury-Added Products) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. According to the amendment, two types of mercury-added lighting products, including self-ballasted fluorescent lamps below 30 watts and cold cathode fluorescent lamps for electronic displays, will be prohibited from production, import or export starting in 2025.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted in 2013 and currently has about 147 parties. The agreement calls on countries to phase out the use of mercury in products, ban the opening of new mercury mines, and limit the release of mercury into the environment.