The first international meeting on the impacts of mine tailings disposal in the marine environment is being held in Lima, Peru (10-12 June) under the auspices of the UN Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), supported by the Parties to the London Convention and Protocol. The GESAMP International Workshop on the Impacts of Mine Tailing in the Marine Environment aims primarily to increase the scientific understanding of impacts on the marine environment of the disposal of mine tailings. A number of large-scale mines worldwide use marine or riverine disposal for mine tailings, under Government permits. The international workshop followed a two-day national workshop (8-9 June) on the implementation of the 1996 London Protocol.