Sub-regional Workshop on Strengthening Inter-agency Coordination for Eliminating Mercury-added Skin-lightening Products
The workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), and the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP). The event aimed to strengthen institutional coordination and national implementation of the Minamata Convention’s provisions related to mercury-added skin-lightening products (SLPs).
?????Delegates (from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, and Maldives) discussed key regulatory and enforcement challenges such as fragmented institutional roles, limited coordination between agencies, and inadequate testing capacities at entry points. The need for targeted communications, and stricter controls on informal and online sales channels were also underscored.
?Over the two days, participants engaged in technical sessions and group work on national coordination mechanisms, real-time detection tools such as XRF analyzers, case study presentations, and a practical exercise to simulate inter-agency response. Country presentations offered insights into progress made and identified gaps requiring joint solutions.
The workshop stressed the need for formal inter-agency coordination mechanisms, scaling up product testing and post-market surveillance. The event reaffirmed that cross-sector collaboration is essential to eliminate mercury-added SLPs and to protect public health and consumer rights across South Asia.?
The workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), and the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP). The event aimed to strengthen institutional coordination and national implementation of the Minamata Convention’s provisions related to mercury-added skin-lightening products (SLPs).
?????Delegates (from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, and Maldives) discussed key regulatory and enforcement challenges such as fragmented institutional roles, limited coordination between agencies, and inadequate testing capacities at entry points. The need for targeted communications, and stricter controls on informal and online sales channels were also underscored.
?Over the two days, participants engaged in technical sessions and group work on national coordination mechanisms, real-time detection tools such as XRF analyzers, case study presentations, and a practical exercise to simulate inter-agency response. Country presentations offered insights into progress made and identified gaps requiring joint solutions.
The workshop stressed the need for formal inter-agency coordination mechanisms, scaling up product testing and post-market surveillance. The event reaffirmed that cross-sector collaboration is essential to eliminate mercury-added SLPs and to protect public health and consumer rights across South Asia.?
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