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The article discusses the highlights of the First Conference of the Parties (COP-1) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury held in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2017. Issues addressed at the conference include the implementation and financial mechanism of the Convention, which bans and phases out mercury mines, phases in a ban on the manufacture, import and export of certain mercury-containing products and controls emissions and releases of mercury, among other objectives.

The article discusses various reports related to environmental protection. Recent developments on women's rights to natural resources has been discussed globally by various international instruments including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICCARD). The role of public involvement on multilateral environmental agreements has been discussed in compliance with environmental conventions. Compliance mechanism has been formed by various international instruments including Aarhus Convention, Kyoto Protocol, and Alpine Convention.

UN/GA• Report of the Secretary-General on the Work or Organisation 329• Environment and Sustainable Development: Implementation of Decisions and Recommendations of UNCED - Note by the Secretary-General 331UN/ECE• Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution - Oslo Ministerial Declaration 331UNEP• Code of Ethics on the International Trade in Chemicals 332ILC• The Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses - Extracts from the Report of the International Law Commission 335SADC/EU• Extracts from the Berlin Declaration 368 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses participation of the public with compliance mechanisms in multilateral environmental agreements. According to the author, public participation can either be direct or indirect. Direct participation involving the public's right to trigger inquiries or nominate compliance members is seldom granted. Indirect participation which allows the public to speak and provide information at compliance sessions with open and transparent procedures are also not common. He concludes that there is no good reason for public exclusion in these procedures.