[en] A co-ordinated research programme on assessment of environmental exposure to mercury in selected human populations as studied by nuclear and other techniques has been initiated by the IAEA in collaboration with WHO. The purpose of this CRP is to promote national and regional studies to evaluate the exposure of selected population groups to mercury and methylmercury and to estimate potential health risks in these groups. The programme is focused on the analysis of human head hair for the determination of mercury and methylmercury. This CRP has two main components: (i) identifying population groups that are at risk, and (ii) studying health effects in the exposed persons, particularly pregnant women and the babies born to them. This document reports the discussion held during the first Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM) for the CRP which took place at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna