Human Rights Online Philippines

EcoWaste Coalition Appeals to Government of Pakistan to Stop Export of Banned Cosmetics with Mercury

(Published on 16 February 2023 by EcoWaste Coalition)

In its latest bid to stop the proliferation of banned mercury-added cosmetics in the local market, including e-commerce sites, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has sought the help of the Government of Pakistan.

Through a letter sent today via e-mail, the group requested the Government of Pakistan to help solve a public health problem involving the unlawful export to the Philippines of 17 “made in Pakistan” beauty creams with high levels of mercury in violation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The letter was addressed to Federal Minister Sherry Rehman of the Ministry of Climate Change (MOCC) and Mr. Syed Mujtaba Hussain, the country’s National Focal Point for the Minamata Convention on Mercury,

The mercury treaty, which includes Pakistan and the Philippines among the state parties, has set a phase-out date for cosmetics such as skin lightening products with mercury content above one ppm. The treaty stipulated 2020 as the date after which the manufacture, import or export of such mercury-added cosmetics shall not be allowed.

“While we appreciate the efforts of the MOCC and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), it is apparent that much needs to be done to enforce the phase-out of mercury-added cosmetics and protect consumers from the adverse health effects of chemical whiteners, which promote unnatural changes to darker skin tones and falsely equate beauty with whiteness,” wrote Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“We respectfully appeal to the Government of Pakistan to intensify current efforts to stop mercury use in the manufacture of cosmetics such as fairness or whitening creams, strengthen compliance monitoring, correct the misuse of ‘Pakistan Standards’ certification logo, and tighten customs checks to halt the export of mercury adulterated cosmetics to the Philippines and elsewhere,” she said.

Read complete article at ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com

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