The International Mercury Conference, officially entitled the "International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant," is a major international academic conference at which researchers from a wide range of fields that concern mercury issues meet together to present the latest achievements on mercury research. It meets once every two years as a general rule and has been held in varying locations worldwide, including the City of Minamata, which hosted the 6th Conference (International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant 2001) in 2001. Researchers of the National Institute for Minamata Disease also participate to disseminate information on our research activities by various means, including speaking in lecture sessions and giving presentations in booths at the venue.