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23 February: what is celebrated today
23 February invites us to pause before one of the most painful environmental wounds of the 20th century, a reminder of what happens when industrial progress moves forward without restraint or responsibility. It is a date marked by the memory of Minamata, but also by the international commitment to prevent similar tragedies from recurring. On this day, the environment, health and justice intertwine to remind us that protecting the planet also means protecting those who inhabit it.
International Mercury Control Commitment Day
Every 23 February, the world looks towards Minamata, the small Japanese city that became a global symbol of the irreparable damage mercury pollution can cause. The observance was created to warn of the risks of indiscriminate use of this metal and to publicise the international treaty that seeks to curb it: the Minamata Convention, signed by 140 countries. Behind this date lies the human mark of the disaster: decades of industrial discharges, thousands of people affected and an entire community marked by a devastating neurological disease caused by consuming contaminated fish. The images of Eugene Smith—the photographer who lived in Minamata to document the tragedy—travelled around the world and transformed a local crisis into a global call for environmental justice.
Today, this day reminds us that mercury is still present in thermometers, light bulbs, industrial processes and emissions from fossil fuels. When it reaches the air, water and soil, it affects the nervous, digestive and reproductive systems, harms entire ecosystems and accumulates in the food chain. The international commitment entails reducing its trade, monitoring processes where it is still used and educating people about its risks. The Minamata Convention is not merely a legal framework: it is the collective promise not to repeat mistakes that have already cost lives, health and biodiversity. It is also a tribute to those who fought to reveal the truth, even when governments and companies tried to silence it.