The Minamata Convention on Mercury mandates that mercury waste be managed in an environmentally sound manner, taking into account the guidelines developed under the Basel Convention, and in accordance with requirements to be adopted by the Conference of the Parties. The United Nations Environment Programme, through its International Environmental Technology Centre, conducted this Global Mercury Waste Assessment, which included fact-finding missions to almost 30 countries. The assessment describes the current mercury waste management practices in these countries, and provides a basis for understanding the size and nature of the gap between current practices and the environmentally sound mercury waste management envisioned in the Minamata Convention. The central finding is clear: The gap between the provisions of the Minamata Convention and the current mercury waste management practices is wide.